The Davis City Council will meet tonight at 6:30 in the Community Chambers at 23 Russell Blvd. The following are descriptions of selected agenda items the council will discuss at the meeting.
Public comment on these items will be accepted when the items are addressed by the council. Previous to the scheduled items, public comment on other issues will be accepted starting as early as 6:30 p.m.
New Harmony affordable apartments
After being denied by the Davis Planning Commission, the developers of a new affordable apartment community development in South Davis are appealing to the Davis City Council to approve their project.
Both the Planning Commission and members of the City Council have expressed concern that the project’s proximity to Interstate 80 will cause significant lung health problems for children. Some scientific studies have shown that living near a freeway damages developing lungs.
Because this is an affordable housing community, however, the council must find that a clear public health threat exists before it can deny the project. The council has two options: direct that an Environmental Impact report be prepared, or deny the project.
“B at Third” townhouses
After being denied by the Davis Planning Commission, the City Council will determine whether to approve a project that would construct four detached, single-family units on the 200 block of B Street. City staff found that the project complies with zoning requirements and some city development goals. However, because the “design and form differs from what was envisioned by the community during the B and Third Street visioning process,” staff is recommending the council deny the project.
Mishka’s Cafe project
The owners of Mishka’s Cafe have been working to purchase property and construct a new, larger retail space at 604 Second St., near the Dresbach-Hunt-Boyer Mansion.
The new building will have two levels – 1,700 square feet of retail space on the ground floor and office space on the second level. The building will be located between the Varsity Theatre and the Dresbach-Hunt-Boyer Mansion on Second Street.
The final environmental impact report for this project will be presented tonight. City staff recommend the council approve the EIR and approve an agreement that would allow the city of Davis and the Davis Redevelopment Agency to purchase the property, paving the way for a new building to be constructed there.
Yolo County General Plan update
Yolo County is currently working on updating its General Plan, the policy document that guides development in the county’s undeveloped areas. The General Plan has only been comprehensively updated two other times in the county’s history.
Parts of the General Plan have a specific impact on local government in Davis. For example, the plan suggests that the county work with the city to find ways to develop senior housing in the area north of Covell Boulevard and west of Highway 113. City staff drafted a letter responding to the county’s ideas about future development in and around Davis, citing concerns with plans for urban development along the city’s borders. Staff recommends the City Council send the letter to the Yolo County Board of Supervisors.
JEREMY OGUL can be reached at jsogul@ucdavis.edu.
