Three acres of City-owned, vacant land at the corner of F Street and Anderson Road will soon be transformed into a new wildlife habitat area with walking paths for the public to enjoy.  The City's newest open space area, named the North Davis Upland Habitat Area, will feature native plantings (i.e., new trees, shrubs, grasses and wildflowers), walking gravel paths accessible to people with disabilities, natural seating areas, pond overlook areas, and interpretive panels.

The three-year project is a collaboration between the City, the Open Space and Habitat Commission, and the Friends of North Davis Ponds.  It also stems from community feedback the City received during a public outreach effort in 2016.  The community expressed an interest in seeing more habitat restoration projects done within the city limits using money generated by the City’s open space protection parcel tax, which generates about $700,000 a year for the acquisition and maintenance of the City’s open space areas (which do not include parks and greenbelts)

Project Highlights:

Year 1

Summer 2019

• Realign permanent fence to expand open space area
• Remove some existing non-native trees (5) and shrubs
• Complete site grading and site prep work
• Control existing invasive grasses and weeds without the use of herbicides
• Cover site with reusable greenhouse plastic (a technique called “solarization”) to kill the thick bed of invasive seeds using intense prolonged heat

Fall 2019 - Spring 2020

• Plug/seed entire site with native grasses and forbs (wildflowers)
• Install a half-mile of new trails (accessible to people with disabilities)
• Plant 900 feet of native hedgerow and about a quarter-acre of drainage swales
• Install natural seating areas (rocks of varying heights, tree rounds)

Year 2

Summer 2020 - Spring 2021

• Establish foundation of native grasses and forbs (wildflowers)
• Plant about 50 new native trees and about 750 new native shrubs

Year 3

Summer 2021 - Spring 2022

• Replant as needed
• Wean trees and shrubs off irrigation
• Install interpretive signage

Project Benefits:

• Provides additional wildlife habitat within the city
• Allows residents to enjoy nature and learn about the natural environment close to home
• Provides additional recreational opportunities close to home
• Provides additional access to nature for people with disabilities

Project Cost:

• Approximately $500,000

Funding Sources:

• 2/3 funded by Measure O, the City’s open space protection parcel tax
• 1/3 funded by open space development impact fees

Schedule:

• Habitat restoration starts:                      Summer 2019
• Site closed for habitat restoration:         Summer 2019 - Winter 2020
• Site open to public:                                Spring 2020
• Habitat restoration complete:                 Summer 2022

Community Outreach:

• Project web page on City’s website
• Mailer to the surrounding community
• Other outreach (Press release, social media outlets, site signage)
• Public meetings:

1. May 2019 - Open Space & Habitat Commission approved final landscape designs
2. March 2019 - Open Space & Habitat Commission approved draft landscape designs
3. December 2018 - Open Space & Habitat Commission approved conceptual designs
4. October 2017 - City Council designated site as open space

• Several meetings with the Friends of North Davis Ponds

Project Documents:

• City Council minutes designating site as open space
• Request for proposals for landscape architect
• Contract with Melton Design Group
• Final landscape designs

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