City News

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?

THURSDAY

Immelman's swift decline

A man was reported as "suspicious" for loitering around Hanover Drive, shirtless and carrying a golf club.

Do. The. Dishes.

A woman reported her roommates were trying to evict her and refused to let her into the apartment.

Starting July 1, state law will require high-risk sex offenders to be monitored at all times via GPS system.

"It's not a bad idea to useGPS system on high-risk sexoffenders," said Yolo County chief probation officer Don Meyer. "It has the option of increasing public safety because we'll know where the sex offenders are 24/7."

The device will be strapped onto the offender's ankle at all times and tracked by the government GPS satellite.

"You have an ankle monitor and a battery pack that sends signals to the satellite which allows the GPS system to pinpoint where that person is," Meyer said.

While one would expect normal car thieves to target the stereo system or items from the glove compartment, the latest underbelly of vehicle theft stems from an item not within the car itself: catalytic converters.

The converter is a device used to reduce the toxicity of emissions from an internal combustion engine. They were first widely introduced in the mid-'70s to comply with tightening Environmental Protection Agency regulations on auto exhaust.

And now, largely due to trace amounts of precious metals within the converters - such as platinum, palladium or rhodium - thefts are on the rise.

Sergeant Glenn Glasgow of the Davis Police Department said law enforcement officials often deal with the thefts in waves, with the latest rash occurring in January.

Kim's Mart, Davis' only Asian market, is undergoing an expansion, which will be complete mid-May.

"We've been [at 636 Fourth St.] for 12 years," said owner Chur Jun. "I have been thinking about expanding for a long time now."

Kim's Mart will inhabit the space two doors down at 628 Fourth St., which was previously Pallen's Martial Arts. When renovations are complete, the grocery will be twice its original size.

"The store is too crowded now," Jun said. "We need more space for people and products."

It's not illegal to smoke in your apartment, but you may have to look harder to find a landlord who will let you.

Landlords in Davis and Woodland are starting to restrict smoking inside private rental units, and the Woodland City Council has passed a resolution in favor of smoke-free apartments.

King Properties decided to prohibit smoking in all 300 of the apartments, duplexes, condominiums and houses it manages in Davis. Renters are asked to sign a binding no-smoking agreement as part of their lease, said company president Rebecca King.

The November shooting of 19-year-old Monica Bentley at the Motel 6 in South Davis will be reenacted on an episode of "America's Most Wanted" set to air Apr. 26 at 9 p.m. on Fox.

The show will do a full re-enactment of the stalking and shooting that put Bentley in a wheelchair and nearly claimed her life.

"America's Most Wanted" came to Davis two months ago to film exterior shots for the re-enactment and to conduct interviews.

"[The show] spent a lot of money on this," said Ed Miller, a correspondent with the show. "It's done with a full-fledged crew; they hire actors and a big-name director who has done a couple Mel Gibson movies."

MONDAY

When a milk carton would be nice

Individual reported that daughter did not come home on Sunday night after speaking to her over the phone on Eel Place.

I lost mine, can I borrow yours?

Individual found partially torn and opened envelope in locked mailbox that contained a baby's birth certificate on Alegre Way.