The Mace Covell Community Plan proposed to annex 98 acres to the City of Davis and develop 875 housing units. In addition to single and multifamily homes, senior apartments, and lofts, the plan featured 4.6 acres of neighborhood commercial uses and many community benefits including significant open space, a community center, and bicycle and pedestrian trails.
However, both the developer and the City were concerned about how the City's proposed affordable housing requirements would affect the project's ability to generate adequate revenues to fund municipal services. EPS studies showed a General Fund surplus at Plan buildout on both the City and County budgets, largely as a result of soaring housing values for the market-rate units.