On Oct. 11, the Solar Community Housing Association (SCHA) signed a license agreement with the university regarding the Domes, a UC Davis cooperative housing community.
Last school year, the university announced that it would not be renewing student leases for the Domes due to safety violations. After a long “Save the Domes” campaign, supporters of the Domes hope that this contract, which is the first form of written agreement between SCHA and the university, will lead to a five-year ground lease agreement between SCHA and the Domes.
“We’re not out of the woods yet, but we’re in the home stretch,” said SCHA project manager Ben Pearl in a statement. “We’re grateful for the university’s cooperation, and we look forward to working with the Davis community to re-open the Domes.”
Domes supporters hope that once the lease is signed they can begin renovations of the Domes to address the safety concerns. Supporters are planning a “Community Rebuild” from Nov. 3 through Nov. 6.
– Hannah Strumwasser
Correction to the title: I wish that the lease were signed, but it is not. As it says in the body of the article, SCHA and the university are still working towards an agreement for the ground-lease. The license agreement is the first contract signed and it sets up the conditions and expectations for preliminary renovations to start on two domes. If the ground-lease goes through and renovations, insurance requirements etc. are fulfilled, then SCHA would be able to offer leases to students. This is certainly a victory to celebrate, but we are not there yet.