Spring 2003
Chico Goes Traditional with Neighborhood Development
A budding traditional neighborhood development is giving
the City of Chico something to cheer about. The first 20 acres of
the planned 48-acre Doe Mill Neighborhood are now completed or under
construction, with nearly 1/3 of the houses presently occupied.
Doe Mill is the brainchild of Tom DiGiovanni and John Anderson
of New Urban Builders. The project was developed from the ground
up with “practical beauty” in mind, a combination form
and function based on principles of compact, “smart” growth.
With sprawl quickly devouring the Valley’s precious farmland,
density is a major concern of any greenfield project. Doe Mill’s
gross density of nearly 10 units per acre is more than double that
of nearby developments. While efficient land-use is a key principle
of smart growth, density is not the lone yardstick for evaluating
such a neighborhood. Fortunately, the developers and builders of
Doe Mill understood that to earn the moniker of “smart”
growth, a development must adhere to a multitude of principles that
defy many of today’s “business as usual” practices.
Choices and Diversity
Choices are plentiful in Doe Mill, insuring that
citizens from a wide range of economic levels and age groups can
live within its boundaries. The development’s mixture of single-family
residences, courtyard units and apartments insures a place for everybody.
Homes range in size from 1,000 to 1,800 square feet and can be
tailored to individual tastes and budgets with 12 unique floor plans.
The smaller bungalow court homes sell from $145,000 to $185,000,
with single-family homes priced from $190,000 to $260,000. The variety
of housing options accommodates a wide range of incomes, size requirements
and personal styles.
 One
option for potential homeowners to consider is a home built without
a garage. This alternative has drawn a strong response from new
homeowners and lower-income residents alike by significantly reducing
move-in costs and mortgage payments.
Another popular choice is an optional 535sq./ft. carriage house
located above the garage. The accessory unit can be used as a home
office, guest room, in-law suite or “teenager storage”.
The carriage house can also serve as a studio apartment, typically
renting for $550-600 per month. At that rate, the rental income
can pay for the $45,000 unit’s mortgage with money to spare.
A long waiting list of potential renters has already developed.
Even porches are offered in a variety of styles. All of the porches
available are at least 8 feet deep to allow for furnishings, insuring
frequent use and encouraging friendly interaction between neighbors.
The porches provide a semipublic space in the front of the house
that keeps “eyes on the street”, an important safety factor
missing from many of today’s developments which tend to relegate
outside activity to private backyards.
Streetscape
Doe Mill’s streets were designed from the beginning
with pedestrians and bicyclists in mind. Five-foot-wide sidewalks
and tree-lined streets encourage walking throughout the community.
Cars move slowly along the narrow 26-foot-wide streets, creating
an inviting and safe environment for bicyclists and pedestrians.
With several neighborhood greens, two community mail pavilions and
a planned mixed-use center, there are many reasons to take a stroll
or ride a bike.
The street layout itself encourages social interaction between
neighbors. Houses front on the street, most including large porches,
with garages and utilities located off alleys in the back. Streets
are laid out on a loose traditional grid pattern, creating an accessible
network of roads that allows traffic to flow efficiently at a safe
rate of speed. The street pattern also helps to connect Doe Mill
to surrounding subdivisions, a feature often lost in conventional
walled-off developments.
 Most
streets in Doe Mill offer parking on only one side in order to maintain
state-mandated travel lane widths for emergency vehicles. Before
ground was broken, field tests were run by the fire department in
Chico’s older neighborhoods with relatively skinny streets.
Once the narrow street widths were approved and built out, tests
continued on the streets of Doe Mill. Anderson admitted there was
a lot of give and take with the local fire department, but was happy
with the results. The developers and the Chico fire chief were also
the subject of an LGC video and guidebook on traffic calming and
emergency responders: “Walkable
Streets and the Fire Department” video and the “Emergency
Response: Traffic Calming and Traditional Streets” guidebook.
Energy Efficiency and Conservation
Since the timing for design of the houses coincided
with California’s rolling blackouts, energy efficiency and
conservation were high priorities. Numerous mechanical features
work together to help the houses perform nearly 50% better than
California’s Title 24 energy standards. Energy-efficient furnaces,
water heaters and dishwashers, as well as 12 SEER A/C units, are
standard on all homes. Ductwork was located inside air-conditioned
space to minimize losses associated with ducts in unconditioned
areas. In addition, tightly sealed rigid ducting was used in place
of flexible ducting to increase the system’s overall efficiency.
Passive solar design was also used to reduce energy costs. Doe
Mill homes contain approximately 30% more window area than comparable
developments, maximizing natural daylight within the living space.
Low-emmissivity windows were used to let sunlight in while blocking
heat-causing rays. Overhangs are positioned to block the hot summer
sun, which is higher in the sky, while allowing the lower winter
sun to permeate the building.
For more information, contact Tom DiGiovanni at tom@heritagepartners.com
or John Anderson at janderson@newurbanbuilders.com.
Also, check out their presentation
on the Doe Mill project.
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