Two important events at almost identical times, but synergy possible
By Roberta Millstein
Attend a climate crisis potluck or give comment on the scope of an environmental review? Both?
The first event: the Davis Post-Carbon Association (DPCA) is having a potluck this Monday, Dec 2 in the Davis Library: Blanchard Room 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. You can meet fellow residents who are taking action and learn how you can join the effort!
Poor communication continues; irregularities confirmed
By Roberta Millstein
At Tuesday’s Council meeting, several Davisites and I showed up to give public comment about an item on the Consent Calendar, scheduled to be approved without discussion. The item concerned the environmental review for a new housing project proposal for Olive Drive.
We raised concerns such as: the fact that this was the first time the project was disclosed to Davisites, preventing any input from citizens prior to review; the failure of City staff to provide the project application and description, only providing them when Colin Walsh noticed that they were missing and requested them, with the result that Davisites had less than the required 72 hours to review (see article from Colin Walsh); and the likelihood that the project is not realistic as proposed, which would make the environmental review pointless at best.
This was the third time in recent days that we have had to raise concerns about items being on the Consent Calendar that should not have been, the other two times having to do with a proposed ~200 acre business park on prime farmland outside of Mace curve.
Last time, Councilmember Will Arnold yelled at us. This time, he compared us to Flat Earthers.
Notice of Scoping Meeting and Preparation of a Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR)
What follows is the official notice of a meeting that you can attend to give input on the Supplemental EIR on the so-called "Aggie Research Campus," formerly named "Mace Ranch Innovation Center." The project would include not only offices and R&D space, but also housing and a hotel, with ~4300 parking spaces total.
Information on the project can be found on the City of Davis's website, here.
Other issues unfortunately went unaddressed
By Roberta Millstein
At Tuesday's City Council meeting, an item concerning updating the old Mace Ranch Innovation Center (MRIC) Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the new Aggie Research Campus (ARC) proposal was pulled from the Consent Calendar, allowing for staff and Council discussion of the issue in addition to public comment.
Five commenters addressed the item, including three commenters whose prepared comments appear in a sister article to this one. Together, these comments made clear why an issue this substantive should never have been on the Consent Calendar in the first place, which is meant for uncontroversial issues that don’t require discussion.
Interestingly, in stark contrast to the last meeting where ARC was on the Consent Calendar, there were no student speakers in support of the project, corroborating the appearance that the previous speakers were coordinated and arranged.
Issues raised included:
Transportation consultant believes ARC may result in new significant impacts or a substantial increase in the severity of significant impacts.
By Roberta Millstein
After the controversy over the approval of the Mace Ranch Innovation Center (MRIC) Environmental Impact Report (EIR) back in February 2017, and after having to pull the most recent son-of-MRIC item from the Consent Calendar (the project now misleadingly dubbed “Aggie Research Campus” or ARC), you would think that the City Council would have learned its lesson not to try to smuggle important items on the Consent Calendar, where items are meant to be uncontroversial and passed unanimously without any staff presentation or discussion from Council or citizens.
If you thought that, as I did, you were mistaken.
Readers may recall that the ARC is a proposal for a ~200 acre business park with housing and hotel to be built outside Mace curve on prime farmland. When the City Council approved the EIR, they knew it was very possible, even likely, that updates to the EIR would be needed in light of changes to the project or changes to relevant conditions, such as traffic. Now that the City is moving forward with evaluating the new ARC proposal, the time has come to revisit the EIR.
Staff is recommending that the Council authorize the City Manager to enter into a contract with Raney Planning & Management, Inc. to prepare a Supplemental EIR and to approve a budget for that purpose, to be paid by the applicant. However, there are at least three potential concerns with this recommendation.
What do you want your downtown to look like? How many stories do you want it to be?
By Roberta Millstein
Here are three ways to find out more about the draft Downtown Davis Specific Plan:
The draft Davis Downtown Plan itself is here: https://www.cityofdavis.org/city-hall/community-development-and-sustainability/planning-and-zoning/downtown-davis-plan. The Draft Downtown Davis Specific Plan and Draft Downtown Form Based Code are available for a 90-day public review and comment period ending January 14, 2020. Public comments should be submitted using the online comment form.
More information on the Davis Amtrak Access and Connections Study is here: https://www.cityofdavis.org/city-hall/city-manager-s-office/davis-amtrak-access-and-connections-study
By Roberta Millstein
As Colin Walsh documented in his article on last week’s “town hall” meeting between UC Davis, the City of Davis, and Yolo Country, the meeting was unfortunate in a number of respects and failed to fully engage housing issues on UCD’s campus. The event was followed by a pat-ourselves-on-the-back-for-a-job-well-done op-ed from Chancellor May, Mayor Lee, and Supervisor Saylor.
Last night’s Council meeting gave Councilmembers “another bite at the apple” – another chance to ask about on-campus housing – with a UCD Financial Overview agenda item.
What happened?
By Roberta Millstein
This is just a brief post to let Davisites know about some upcoming housing-related discussions. At 6 PM on Tuesday (Oct 22) just prior to the regular Council meeting in the Community Chambers, there will be a City Council and Planning Commission Joint Discussion. The two planned topics of discussion are:
Other housing-related items will be covered during the regular Council meeting.
Good outcomes in spite of bad process at Council meeting
By Roberta Millstein
As I and others had requested, at Tuesday’s meeting the Council pulled the items concerning the Mace Ranch Innovation Center (MRIC)/Aggie Research Center (ARC) from the Consent Calendar, meaning that there could be a brief presentation, public comment, and discussion and vote from the Council. Unfortunately, it got personal and unpleasant at times (more on that below). But there were a number of good outcomes from the meeting.
My main reasons for wanting the items pulled was to let more Davisites know that the City was moving forward with the ARC, to inform people that there was a project description available on the City’s website, and to get more information about what was going to happen moving forward. Those goals were achieved on Tuesday.
In particular:
Aggie Research Center (formerly, Mace Ranch Innovation Center) on Tuesday’s Council Consent Calendar
By Roberta Millstein
Back in June, I noted that developers had asked the City to resume processing their application for a massive ~200 acre business park on prime farmland outside of (i.e., to the east of) the Mace Curve. Things were mostly quiet over the summer. Now, with a pair of items on the Tuesday City Council Consent Calendar, the City is moving forward on this application before the project has even been presented publicly.
The Council agenda notes, “All matters listed under the Consent Calendar are considered routine and non-controversial, require no discussion and are expected to have unanimous Council support and may be enacted by the Council in one motion in the form listed below” (emphasis added).
Item A on the Calendar concerning the so-called “Aggie Research Center” (or ARC; formerly Mace Ranch Innovation Center, or MRIC) authorizes “the City Manager to enter into a contract with Economic and Planning Services (EPS) to prepare an updated study of the market demand assumptions, the economic impact analysis, the fiscal impact analysis, and the financial feasibility analysis and public financing evaluation for the Aggie Research Campus.” Item E on the Calendar appoints a City Council subcommittee for the project (Partida/Carson).
Yet ARC proposal has not been presented to City (at least not publicly), its Commissions, or its citizens. The ARC proposal has been modified from the previous one – which was also not fully vetted (see link at the beginning of this article). Why is the City planning on moving forward with the proposal without discussion and public input?
Davisite 