City News

A distinct mural splashed with pizzazz adorns the eastern wall of The Paint Chip, an art supplies and custom framing store located at 217 F St. “[The mural is] kind of a way to not only enhance downtown Davis, but also create an eye catcher for visitors,” said the new co-owner of the store Maia Wilson. “It has a local business feel to it and it certainly gets people’s attention. It portrays what downtown Davis is about.” The Paint Chip changed hands in March after continuous ownership for three generations. Previous owner Clint Winger sold the store to Wilson and her fiancé Brian Sturges because he was retiring. Wilson, who served as the production manager for six years at The Paint Chip, loved her job and did not want the art store to change to the hands of a different owner.

Regis Homes of Sacramento proposed a residential project at the corner of Fifth Street and Alhambra Drive. The Verona Project, according to the city’s website, will cover an 8.55-acre vacant parcel of land. The project must be reviewed by the Planning Commission, which will then make a recommendation to the Davis City Council. The council will decide to approve or deny the project before the builder can start the construction phase. “If we get it approved by early summer, assuming we get it approved, it takes about six to eight months before the project is started,” said Bill Heartman, president of the Regis Homes of Sacramento. “Construction wouldn’t start until first part of next year and the delivery of the units would be about the end of 2009.”

For better or for worse,beer is widely regarded as a staple of college students‘ diets,so any move to dramatically increase the price of the beverage would likelyimpact many on campus. If State Representative Jim Beall has his way,students may choose to moderate their intake of beer.Earlier this month,the first-term Democratic lawmaker from San Jose announced that hewould propose legislation to increase the excise tax on beerto as much as30cents per gallon – a rate that would raise the price of a six-pack of beer by$1.80.

MONDAY Follow the yellow brick road A vehicle was seen passing over a double yellow line on West Covell andLakeboulevards. What,no road trip? A whitemotor home was parked at Portage Bay East andHudson Court for the past three to four weeks.

The city of Davis is trying to decide where it should grow. A report detailing potential housing development sites inDavis was presented to the Davis City Council and Planning Commission in a joint meeting Tuesday.The report lists 36 sites inDavis that could be developed as housing before2 013. “This is a tool for the City Council,but it‘s also the means by which the City Councild etermines what growth policy they‘re going to pursue,“ said planning commission chair Greg Clumpner. The study and report were completed by the Housing Element Steering Committee,a15-member body appointed by members of the City Council. The sites were ranked by how well they met a set of principles selected by the steering committee, including whether they promoted a compact urban form,were close to existing facilities and were close to campus.The committee also evaluated sites based on whether they could provide compact,high-density housing and promote walking and bicycle use.

Joint meeting of City Council and Planning Commission Presentation from Housing Element Steering Committee on potential housing sites was presented to the council members and commissioners.The report ranked 36 potential sites located in Davis that could be developed or redeveloped into housing. Report included overview of the committee’s 13-month process of collecting community input, identifying sites, establishing goals, ranking sites and adding recommendations.The report was approved by the commission Mar.20.C ouncilmembers and commissioners asked questions of the steering committee chair and vice chair, then provided comments on the report and individual sites.Council members and commissioners were not legally allowed to comment on sites that presented a conflict of interest. No action was taken.The presentation and report were informational.The report will be reviewed by the Planning Commission and the City Council separately in future meetings.

With all the new construction that has taken place in the past several years,Davisstillhas more history to preserve than meets the eye. On Monday, the Historic Resources Management Commission announced their nominees for their annual preservation appreciation awards.The nominees will be presented tothe Davis City Council in May in honor of National Historic Preservation month. The nominees include Richard Berteaux, architect, UC Davis professor emeritus and former commissioner,whohas done volunteer work, historic preservation and reuse projects including the Davis Civic Center Gymnasium,the Third and A project Grieve-Asbill House and the Hattie Weber Museum.The Sierra Railroad Company nominated the A.J. Plant House located at221FirstSt.,and the Old North Davis Neighborhood Association nominated the Craftsman Bungalow located at 643 F St.

Having little Fluffy or Tinkerbell on your lap while you drive might soon be a crime. The Assembly Appropriations Committee voted Wednesdayto send legislation to the assembly floor that aims to make it illegal for drivers to hold any animal on their lap while driving. State RepresentativeBill Maze (R-Visalia) first proposed the bill to the Transportation Committee in February. The committee passed it on to appropriations earlier this month to approve the creation of a new $35 traffic fine.

It’s that time of year again. If there’s a downside to the beautiful spring weather, the sunny days and warm nights we’ve been having, it’s the mosquitoes. But they are more than just annoying pests – these insects can pose a serious health risk. To raise awareness about mosquitoes and insect-borne diseases, the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District will be hosting its third annual Volunteer Day tomorrow. Volunteers will be canvassing Sacramento and Yolo County with educational materials on how residents can help reduce mosquito populations in their area and protect themselves against West Nile virus.

The Davis College Democrats are holding a city council forum tonight to allow students to question the five Democratic candidates running for the Davis City Council and to familiarize the student body with the candidates’ stances on political issues in Davis. Davis City Council elections are held every two years, with three out of five spots open for this year’s election June 3. There are five Democratic candidates and one Green party candidate running for the three available positions. The three incumbents, Sue Greenwald, Don Saylor, Stephen Souza, and the two challengers, Cecilia Escamilla-Greenwald and Sydney Vergis, will attend the forum to make their policies clear to students and answer questions about their campaign goals.

Don’t call them ‘meter maids’ – the politically correct term is parking control officer. In big cities like San Francisco, this breed of civil servant is fighting against a fine increase they say would lead to more verbal and physical abuse than they already receive from angry drivers, according to an Apr. 16 article in The San Francisco Chronicle. Fortunately for parking control officers in Davis, people here seem to be a little calmer despite ongoing parking problems downtown.

Tension is building between some residents and the Davis City Council over whether to start discussion on Measure J. The landmark Davis law requires voter approval for any urban development on land that is currently designated as agricultural or open-space. It was passed in 2000 and is set to expire in 2010. It has only been applied once. In 2005, the council approved Covell Village, a 1,864-unit housing development in North Davis. Because it would require annexing agricultural land into the city limits, voters were asked to approve the development. The vote failed 59.9 percent to 40 percent. So why the problem now?