Chico has been expanding due to the 2018 Camp Fire and of course, Chico State. Recently, Chico has been pushing its limits, as the house market has exploded, with more and more people in cramped situations. Valley’s Edge, a proposed solution as part of the 2030 General Plan to help Chico grow, aims to help house more people affordably, as well as provide a safer community for all.
The plan is to add almost 3,000 homes to over 1,450 acres of land. These houses are meant to be affordable and along with roughly 700 acres of land for open space and 8 parks. The homes would be open to everyone. A school site is also planned, you can see the layout plan to the left. It has been passed by the City Council at a vote of 5-1-1 (5 for, 1 abstained, 1 against) as of January 3rd, 2023, with the proposed movement having territory across lower Honey Run Road and Stilson Canyon. Developers are planning to begin to break ground in about a year and expect it to take about 20-30 years to complete.
Some against this plan include the Butte Environmental Council. This area is home to many sensitive species such as bobcats, wintering bald eagles, western pond turtles, red-legged frogs, and more. Upper Honey Run Road was also only reopened back in October 2022, as there were massive amounts of damage and erosion from the Camp Fire in November 2018, so this area is prone to fire damage. This would require the breaking ground process to be done extremely carefully, because if it isn’t, it could cause more harm. If Valley’s Edge goes through, greenhouse gasses, traffic, and air pollution could increase, water usage could also be a problem if not planned well.
Overall, Valley’s Edge has potential benefits and issues, but it will depend upon the City and the people to ensure it is done right, if they come to that decision. Most people seem pretty divided so the City will have to work carefully for the people. If you have a desire to make your views heard you can contact Valley’s Edge at their official website, or contact Butte Environmental at their website.