An oft-repeated narrative put forth by opponents of Valley’s Edge is this: “Most of these homes are going to purchased by people who don’t live in Chico.”
One question that’s rarely asked: Where are many of our homebuyers coming from already?
As noted in our editorial endorsing Valley’s Edge in January 2023, “People have been moving to Chico since before there even was a Chico. John Bidwell started that’s trend and it’s barely slowed down since.”
Indeed, with a growth rate in the 1-2% range since the late 1970s, Chico will continue to grow. The questions — actually answered long ago by our community members, city planners, commissioners and councilors — are where should we build, and how can we do it in the best way possible?
After careful deliberation, we’re sticking with our belief that Valley’s Edge is a good thing for Chico — and we urge voters to cast a “yes” vote on both Measure O and Measure P.
Our reasons are largely the same as before a local opposition group gathered enough signatures to put Valley’s Edge on the March 5 ballot. We called it a “once-in-a-generation housing/commercial/parks development that will lead Chico forward in the best way possible: By preserving so much of the historical nature of the 1,448-acre foothill area in an environmentally friendly manner, while also providing new housing opportunities for families and seniors alike.”
None of that has changed. Neither, for the most part, have the objections — objections that have merit in some areas and, in our view, less merit in others.
We see planner Bill Brouhard’s vision as an effective real-world solution for growth in the exact area our leaders dictated when they adopted the General Plan and greenline. The opponents — just as passionate in their beliefs of what is best for Chico — have put forth a lot of admirable effort and claims, but in some areas, the claims strike us as more utopian than realistic.
We’ll start with the idea that “infill” is the best route for future growth. Valley’s Edge opponents like to mention the 9,400 sites that have been identified as infill locations.
That looks good on paper, but this is Chico. Every time there’s a plan for new apartments or housing, the “not in my backyard” response is overwhelming, as recent efforts have again demonstrated. That’s without getting into the fact these are privately owned lots that people may or may not want to develop — assuming they even have the wherewithal to do so.
We’re also still hearing about “the increased risk of fire,” although Chico’s fire chief (and even a past fire chief) is on record as saying it does not increase the threat. Opponents talk a lot about climate change, as they should; but without additional housing in Chico, that just means more people are going to commute here from outlying areas. That’s anything but environmentally friendly.
There’s also the narrative of “it’s the size of Gridley.” For the record, Gridley is 2 square miles, with around 7,400 residents. That’s it. Chico, meanwhile, already covers almost 35 square miles with more than 100,000 people.
Realistically, in terms of population growth over the next couple of decades, we’re looking at an influx of something much closer to Oroville than Gridley anyway. Are we going to squeeze 20,000 more people into infill housing that doesn’t exist — and may never exist at all? Or haphazardly build more subdivisions as the area falls under county development standards, and the scarce supply of homes continues to skyrocket in price?
We also don’t buy the notion that all of these homes will be unaffordable for local people. Valley’s Edge will provide some lower-incoming housing and apartments — more than any other project currently under consideration — and more in the single-family and custom-home range. More supply is always a better solution to housing costs than less; also, a “yes” vote won’t prevent a single person from developing the infill projects that opponents say is the best answer.
Finally, the claim that Valley’s Edge will “ruin public access” to the area is debatable. It’s private property. There isn’t any public access now, and there’s no guarantee there ever will be. Not only did Brouhard just gift the Chico Area Recreation and Park District a 400-acre regional park, the Valley’s Edge plan does an admirable job of preserving other open space, including 5,500 oak trees and the historical rock walls. More people may be able to enjoy the area with Valley’s Edge than they ever would without it.
Brouhard has checked every required box and done everything that can reasonably be expected in a 17-year odyssey to make this award-winning plan a reality. There is no better vision for handling such a big slice of Chico’s growth.
Vote Yes on Measures O and P.
