Valley’s Edge is a 1,448 acreage housing development that encompasses about 13 miles of land from East 20th street to the Honey Run area. The Valley’s Edge development would include 2,777 residencies, as well as 57 acres set aside for enterprise. In addition, there would be 730 acres of recreational space and parks. Each home in the Valley’s Edge development is expected to cost anywhere from $300,000 to $400,000, compared to the average home in Chico which costs around $450,000.
Because the Valley’s Edge development would be such a large change for the City of Chico, it has garnered a significant amount of attention. While some see the change as positive, others are more reluctant to support what they see as a breach of Chico’s Integrity.
Bill Brouhard, the manager of Valley’s Edge, unsurprisingly views valley’s Edge as a positive change. He believes that “What Chico needs is a well planned land that can help provide a supply for the people that are living here,” and that his development can help do just that“. Brouhard also believes that by building more homes, the cost of buying or renting would decrease. He states that “Nothing ever got more affordable by having less of it” (mynspr.org). “This is a plan that will last generations and give future generations a place to build housing. The exact kind of housing that our community is going to demand in the future”.
Citizen of Chico, Brent Silverbaur, shares the sentiment that Valley’s Edge could be a positive change in our community. He states that “The reason I like Valley’s Edge is because it cares about the environment. They’re not cutting down a bunch of trees, they’re building on literal rock,” and “that’s one of the best uses for a rocky landscape; to build homes for people”.
Some, like KZFR radio show host Susan Tchudi, are less enthusiastic about the idea of the Valley’s Edge development. “The need really is for affordable housing,” she said, “but also, we can’t afford to lose any more open space. All of our resources are being diminished by building in open space”.
Addison Winslow, a member of the Chico city council, also has some reservations regarding Valley’s Edge. It is his belief that “ Valley’s Edge failed on all three fronts of affordability or inclusivity, environmental sustainability, and financial sustainability for the City. All in connection with it being primarily larger houses on larger lots providing less housing across more land; requiring greater distances between destinations, greater reliance on personal automobiles, and more public infrastructure with less of a tax base to fund it.”
What is more, Winslow believes that “With miles of single-story tract housing proposed, Valley’s Edge is out of character with Southeast Chico.” He says “That area of town has the best potential to be transit-oriented and support walkable lifestyles and surrounding it with car-dependent suburban sprawl virtually promises that will never happen”, he says on Reddit.
On January 3rd of this year, the city council voted on resolution No. 09-23 concerning the development of Valley’s Edge. Five out of Six people on the council voted in favor of the Valley’s
Edge development, while one council member opposed resolution No.09-23.
However, citizens of Chico rejected this resolution and enacted a “Veto Referendum,” which essentially provided the public with a chance to vote. On March 5th, the city council held a special election, in which nearly 62 percent (around 12,000 people) of voters in Chico opposed Measure P, an agreement to the building of Valley’s Edge. Around 38 percent voted in favor of Measure P.