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Author: Roberta Millstein

  • When hate masquerades as protest, we all lose

    Note: This article was originally published in the SF Chronicle and is reposted here with permission of the author. I think it expresses ideas that are very relevant for Davis, yet have been missing (as far as I know). -RM

    The attack on my cafe is an inexcusable act of violence. But even in the middle of this ugliness, there are many points of light

    By Manny Yekutiel

    The windows at Manny’s in San Francisco are boarded up on Thursday. In an act of violence, people vandalized the Mission District cafe on Monday night during protests against ICE actions.

    Earlier this week, protesters broke into Manny’s, my cafe and civic space in San Francisco’s Mission District, smashed the windows and spray-painted messages like “Intifada,” “Death 2 Israel is a Promise” and “Die Zionist” on my walls.

    It was violent. It was antisemitic. And it was heartbreaking.

    This kind of hatred has no place in San Francisco, the city that’s given me everything. And it has no place within the progressive movement — a movement I am a part of.

    I created Manny’s as a space for dialogue, for civic engagement and for tough conversations. I’ve seen what’s possible when people sit down with those they don’t agree with. I still believe in that work. But what happened on Monday night wasn’t dialogue. It was destruction intended to cause fear, and it crossed a line.

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  • Draft EIR for Village Farms released for public comment

    Screen Shot 2025-02-02 at 3.24.20 PM
    The project site is bounded by Pole Line Road to the east; East Covell Boulevard to the south; the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) mainline, F Street, and Cannery development to the west; and Davis Paintball, Blue Max Kart Club, and agricultural land to the north.


    By Roberta Millstein

    On January 7, the City of Davis released the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the Village Farms Davis Project for public review.  The approximately 497.6-acre project site is located north of East Covell Boulevard, east of F Street, and west of Pole Line Road in a currently unincorporated portion of Yolo County, California.  The City has invited public comment on this document for a 45-day period extending from January 7, 2025 through February 25, 2025. (Sorry for the late notice, but there is still time to submit comments).  EIRs are part of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) process.

    The DEIR materials can be found within the ‘CEQA Documents and Information’ tab at: https://www.cityofdavis.org/city-hall/community-development/development-projects/village-farms-davis

    It's a very long document, but citizens can start with:

    And then, you can peruse particular areas of interest or concern:

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  • Thurs, Jan 23: New book on Aldo Leopold’s land ethic at the Avid Reader

    Millstein Avid Reader Event AnnouncementFrom the Department of Shameless Self-Promotion, I bring you an announcement of an upcoming event for my recently-published book: The Land Is Our Community: Aldo Leopold’s Environmental Ethic for the New Millennium (University of Chicago Press).   Mark your calendars now for this free event, one month from today!

    Event info:

    Thursday Jan 23rd, 2025
    6:30 PM-7:30 PM
    Avid Reader
    617 2nd Street
    Davis, CA
     
    Publisher's book description:

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  • There is still time to VOTE today!

    IMG_8398

    Davisites, you can vote at the following locations until 8 PM tonight (Nov 5):

    Dropboxes:

    • UC Davis Campus, 282 Tennis Court Lane, Davis
    • Davis City Hall, 23 Russell Boulevard

    Vote centers:

    • Veterans Memorial Center – Multipurpose Room, 203 E 14th Street, Davis
    • UC Davis ARC – Ballrooms A & B, 760 Orchard Road, Davis
    • Montgomery Elementary School – Multipurpose Rm., 1441 Danbury Street, Davis
    • Emerson Junior High School – Indoor Commons 1, 2121 Calaveras Avenue, Davis

    More info here: https://ace.yolocounty.gov/305/Vote-Centers-Ballot-Drop-Boxes-Locations

    Every vote counts!  There is a lot at stake in this election at the local, state, and federal levels.  I urge everyone to let their voices be heard.

  • Reminder: Palomino Place meeting, Wed Sep 11, 7 PM

    As mentioned in this earlier post:

    On September 11, 2024, starting at 7:00 PM, the City of Davis Planning Commission is scheduled to conduct a public meeting to solicit input and comments from public agencies and the general public on the Draft SEIR for the Palomino Place Project. This meeting will be held at the City of Davis Community Chambers, located at 23 Russell Boulevard, Davis, CA 95616.

    There will be no transcription of oral comments at these meetings. Comments received will be summarized by staff for inclusion in the Final EIR. Those who wish to have their verbatim comments incorporated in the Final EIR must submit their comments in writing.

  • Palomino Place Project receiving comments on environmental impact report until Sep 23

    By Roberta Millstein

    Screen Shot 2024-09-02 at 1.29.22 PMA Davisite reader sent me the following information.  Until that point, I hadn't realized that comments were being sought on the environmental impact report for the proposed Palomino Place Project, so I thought I would share the information with other Davisites, too.  I haven't seen anything in the Davis Enterprise or Vanguard about it (though it is possible I just missed it).

    Apparently, the draft Subsequent EIR ("subsequent" to the EIR from 2009) for the Palomino Place Project has been available since early August. Comments on the draft are due September 23. Comments would typically point out errors, inconsistencies, omissions of data or analyses, conclusions not based on evidence, or failures to provide discussion required by CEQA.

    As the post below indicates, there is also a public meeting about the project on Sep. 11.

    City link to Palomino Place documents:

    https://www.cityofdavis.org/city-hall/community-development-and-sustainability/development-projects/palomino-place

    Draft Subsequent EIR released August 2024:

    https://documents.cityofdavis.org/Media/Default/Documents/PDF/CDD/Planning/Special-Projects/Palomino-Place-2023/Supplemental%20EIR/Draft-Palomino-Place-SEIR-August%202024.pdf

    Notice of Availability (NOA) of Palomino Place Subsequent EIR:

    https://documents.cityofdavis.org/Media/Default/Documents/PDF/CDD/Planning/Special-Projects/Palomino-Place-2023/Supplemental%20EIR/NOA-20240807-Palomino-Place-SEIR.pdf

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  • Rebuttals to arguments for and against Davis tax increase (Measure Q)

    By Roberta Millstein

    Yesterday, I posted the ballot arguments for and against Measure Q, which would increase Davis's current retail transactions and use tax from 1% to 2%.  Here are the rebuttals to those arguments that will also appear on the November ballot.  See the County's website (where these arguments are also posted) for more details: https://ace.yolocounty.gov/417/Measure-Q—City-of-Davis

    Rebuttal to argument in favor of Measure Q:

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  • Arguments for and against increasing transactions & use tax from 1% to 2% (Measure Q)

    By Roberta Millstein

    This November, Davisites will vote on Measure Q:

    To support essential City services, such as public safety and emergency response; crime prevention; pothole repair; parks, road, sidewalk, and bike path maintenance; and addressing homelessness, affordable housing, and climate change, shall the City of Davis's Ordinance be adopted establishing an additional 1¢ sales tax providing approximately $11,000,000 annually for general government use until repealed by the voters, subject to annual audits, public disclosure of all spending and with all funds staying local?

    This would increase Davis's current retail transactions and use tax from 1% to 2%.  To pass, a majority (50% + 1) of the votes cast by City of Davis voters must approve the measure.  As implied by the text above, the tax has no automatic sunset date; it will be in effect until repealed by voters. 

    Further details are available at the County's website: https://ace.yolocounty.gov/417/Measure-Q—City-of-Davis

    Here is the argument in favor that will appear on the ballot:

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  • Reminder: still time for citizens to give input on environmental review of “Shriner’s” project

    Location of proposed Shriners project

    Comments are due by Monday, August 12.  Details are on this earlier post:

    https://newdavisite.wordpress.com/2024/07/14/notice-of-preparation-nop-for-so-called-shriners-property-project/

    You can send your input, comments or responses (including the name for a contact person in your agency) to:

    Attn: Dara Dungworth, Principal Planner
    City of Davis Department of Community Development and Sustainability
    23 Russell Boulevard
    Davis, CA 95616
    ddungworth@cityofdavis.org

  • Notice of Preparation (NOP) for so-called “Shriners Property Project”

    Location of proposed project

    Window opens for citizen input on the scope of the environmental analysis

    By Roberta Millstein

    Another step has been taken for a proposed housing project to the east of Wildhorse, near the Mace Curve, using the misleading name “Shriners Property Project” (misleading because the project has no current connection to the Shriners).  The site is approximately 232 acres and is currently being farmed.  The developers are proposing a 1,200-unit residential community.

    Because the land is zoned for agriculture and is outside of the current City limits, it will eventually be subject to a Measure J/R/D vote of Davis’s citizens.  But first, it must undergo environmental review to produce an Environmental Impact Report (EIR), and before that happens, the scope of the review must be decided on. That’s the stage we’re at now – the comment period for citizens and groups to give input on the scope and content of the environmental information to be obtained opened on July 12 and will continue through August 12.  

    Further details of the project and the scope of review can be found here:

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