Letter: Keep a good thing going

Letter to the editor

Three years ago, my family moved to The Cannery, drawn by Davis’s reputation as an ideal place to raise children. Shortly after arriving, my husband deployed for six months on an aircraft carrier. As a solo mom to a 5- and 2-year-old, I quickly experienced what makes Davis so special: a deeply supportive community of friends and neighbors who jumped in to help.

Today, I cherish the independence my children have here — the freedom to bike to school and explore safely. My support for Measure V is rooted in a desire to make this wonderful community accessible to other families.

Volunteering with the Village Farms project, I’ve spoken with countless residents. It is clear that while Davis remains a dream destination, that dream is increasingly out of reach due to a shortage of family-friendly housing.

I am voting yes on Measure V because our community thrives when it is dynamic and multi-generational. Welcoming more families does more than just fill houses; it sustains local businesses, energizes our downtown and ensures our public schools remain robust.

As a Cannery homeowner, my family directly benefits from the only family-friendly development Davis has built in decades. Our neighborhood is proof that when we build thoughtfully, families come — we see it daily in our bike trains. I want to expand what makes Davis special, not pull up the drawbridge behind me.

Village Farms offers a path toward a more accessible, attainable, and connected city. Please join me in voting yes on Measure V.

Katharine Dooley-Hedrick

Davis