Initiation of preliminary feasibility analysis of three County-owned properties for potential future development. (Potential general fund impact) (Webb/Fieseler/Pistochini) (Est. Staff Presentation: 10 min)
 

The County has been undertaking a comprehensive inventory of County owned parcels which are either vacant, underutilized, or have potential to be in the near future. Of the county-owned properties reviewed, three properties stood out as having potential for future housing or mixed-use development.  It is important to emphasize that while these sites show potential for future housing and/or mixed-use development, it is premature to conclude what uses may or may not be feasible, or desirable, at this time.  Furthermore, staff recognizes that stakeholder and neighborhood outreach will be critical steps in the process should the preliminary feasibility exploration lead to consideration of further steps. These three properties are described below:

North Ashley/West Woodland
North Ashley/West Woodland site is the area of land north of the West Beamer Campus.  Although this not a separate parcel, the open area on the corner of North Ashley and West Woodland is roughly 2.33 acres of land. The City of Woodland zoned the entire parcel Public Facilities (PF).  According to the City’s zoning code, the PF zone district zone provides for public and quasi-public facilities such as colleges, schools, hospitals, penal institutions, libraries, museums, government offices and courts, places of worship, meeting halls, cemeteries and mausoleums, and similar uses.  The site is currently developed with County owned buildings that are used by various departments.  The surrounding land use to the north and west of this site is single family residential homes.

5th/Oak/6th/Cross
5th/Oak/6th/Cross site is two parcels of land located on those respective corners. The parcel on the corner 5th/Oak is roughly 0.68 acres and is currently vacant but was formerly a machine shop and truck maintenance facility. The parcel on the corner of 6th/Cross is roughly 1.66 acres. The buildings onsite are currently used as by a non-profit to operate a recycling and e-waste center.  These parcels are zoned Corridor Mixed Use-East St (CMU-E).  The CMU-E zone is intended to support a mix of uses, the zone permits a flexibility of design intended to enhance the urban character and streetscape of the corridor.  Residential, retail, commercial service, office, and light industrial uses are permitted in a horizontal or vertical mixed-use configuration.  Surrounding land uses to the west and south include single family residential homes, a Woodland Police Department building to the north, and a public parking lot/historic railyard to the east.

Adult Day Health Center (ADHC)
The existing and currently operating ADHC site is roughly 500 feet north from the intersection of West Beamer and North Cottonwood and encompasses roughly 1.39 acres.  The City of Woodland zoned this parcel of land Residential High (R-H).  The R-H zone is intended to accommodate a mix of higher density multi-unit development types including rowhouses and stacked flats (apartments or condominiums).  Currently, Dignity Health operates the ADHC at this site, however they are currently working to relocate to a new facility at another County owned property. The area to the north of this site is zoned open space, but the primary land use is single family residential homes.  The Mercy Housing collaboration with Yolo County Housing’s New Hope Community Development Corporation is located to the south of this parcel which features 12 apartment buildings with 80 total units.

These three properties are all County owned and of sufficient size and location to warrant consideration of possible future development.  Exploring opportunities for expansion of housing in Yolo County is stated in various policy objectives in the Yolo County 2024- 2028 Strategic Plan, as is exploration of potential revenue generation opportunities.  Furthermore, the 2021–2029 Yolo County Housing Element, contains Policy HO-4.9: Expand housing opportunities for farmworkers. Because these three sites may have some potential for housing and/or mixed-use development staff has convened with the Board Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Farmworker Housing to gauge preliminary interest for housing more generally.  This Ad Hoc Subcommittee was created by the Board in May of 2025, and Supervisors Frerichs and Barajas were appointed based on their previous work on the subject. The scope and charge of the subcommittee is to (1) coordinate with staff on seeking solutions for affordable, quality housing that takes into consideration special housing needs populations, including farmworker families; (2) identify potential partners and stakeholders; and (3) identify funding sources.  Meetings were held on September 8 and October 16 with the initial focus of exploring county-owned property for potential sites.  The Ad Hoc concurred that the three identified sites noted above were worthy of further exploration of the possibilities and recommended a check in with the full Board prior to undertaking further steps.

Undertaking preliminary feasibility analysis will help inform the County as to the economic, land use, marketability, and neighborhood compatibility viability of these properties before further steps are taken by the County.  Additionally, all three sites will be evaluated to ensure that development of any or all of the sites would not conflict with future County operational needs.  However, before embarking on further exploration of these sites for preliminary feasibility, it is prudent to check in with the Board to ensure awareness of this exploration, and to seek support for funding of a Phase 1 Environmental Assessment (ESA) of one or more of the sites to assist in the feasibility exploration. 

A Phase 1 ESA is an environmental due diligence process for real estate, used to identify potential contamination by reviewing historical records, conducting a site visit, and interviewing knowledgeable individuals. It is not a physical testing of materials like soil or paint. The goal is to protect a property owner from future liability and determine if a more intensive Phase 2 ESA is needed.

The County previously conducted a Phase 1 ESA of 5th/Oak, which identified that the 5th and Oak property was formerly a machine shop and truck maintenance facility. The report recommended additional soil sampling and geophysical surveying of the site to better understand the potential impacts of prior land use activities on the site. A new study of the 6th and Cross Site would be greatly beneficial toward obtaining a complete view of the potential sampling requirements of both sites. The estimated cost of a Phase I ESA is under $11,000. Upon direction from the Board, staff will identify potential fund sources and proceed with a Phase 1 ESA for this site only at this time.  Other sites may follow in the future after further evaluation and consultation with the appropriate Ad Hoc Subcommittee.

Staff is also exploring potential planning grant opportunities through federal and State of California Housing and Community Development (HCD) programs that may assist in preliminary feasibility analysis.

Staff plans to update the Board with regular updates as preliminary explorations progress.  The Board Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Farmworker Housing will be engaged throughout.  As the 5th/Oak/6th/Cross site is in Supervisor District 3, the Board may wish to consider formation of a site specific Ad Hoc to ensure that the District 3 Supervisor can be directly engaged, as would be customary for such feasibility explorations, while the other two sites are located in District 5 which is represented on the Farmworker Housing Ad Hoc.

County Administrators, County Counsel, Department of Community Services, General Services Department and Board Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Farmworker Housing.