At Tuesday’s city council meeting, the ostensive action item is to apply for a Sustainable Communities Planning Grant. But reading through the plan itself, it becomes fairly clear that the grant is a means by which to develop the Nishi Property. “The proposed project is the “Gateway/Olive Drive Specific Plan Update, Including Nishi Property and Circulation Improvements.””
According to the staff report, “The primary goal of the grant program is to develop and implement plans that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve the following objectives.”
First, improvements to the Richards Blvd/ Olive Drive intersection. “Improvements would be considered to: improve safety and circulation for pedestrians, bicyclists and transit; improve the predictability of vehicular movements approaching the intersection; and improve the corridor aesthetics as a gateway to the downtown area. Contributions to the improvements by adjacent developments, such as in-lieu fees, would be considered.”
Second, parking and access improvements for Union Pacific Depot. “The DDBA and train users from the community have expressed concern that the depot parking lot is often full by 6:00 AM and substantially occupied all day by riders from outside of Davis because the Davis depot parking is free and the Sacramento depot parking is not. Possible solutions to be considered include: implementing paid parking to off-set maintenance costs; exploring the feasibility of an additional parking structure within walking distance of the depot; expanding bus service to the depot; and improving bicycle connectivity to the station. In addition, a solution to the unsafe pedestrian and bicyclist crossings of the railroad tracks from Olive Drive to the depot would be considered.”
Third, explore alternative land uses on west Olive Drive. “The property owner of the existing hotel on the west side of Richards Boulevard has discussed with staff his interest in redevelopment of his property, with a net addition of rooms and added meeting/conference space. A long term plan for the possible redevelopment of the remainder of the west Olive Drive area would be considered.”
Now here’s the key: alternative land uses on Nishi property and access. According to the staff report, “The Housing Resolution No. 08-158 (Housing Steering Committee recommendations with modifications), adopted by the City Council on November 5, 2008, identified the “Nishi Property – Option With Access Via UCD only” as “green light” site #18. The Resolution identified the “Nishi Property – Option With Access Via Olive Drive” as “yellow light” site #28.”
Moreover, “On April 13, 2010, as part of a review of residential development status, the Council gave the following directions to staff: (a) development applications for additional “yellow light” sites should be considered with caution; and (b) the representatives of the Nishi property are encouraged to submit a preapplication for review. The purpose of the pre-application is to take a first step in the consideration of development on the site by assessing the feasibility of vehicular / bicycle / pedestrian access via UC Davis, prior to the submittal of formal applications for the site. Grants or other funding sources to help fund planning efforts would be explored.”
The staff report concludes, “The feasibility of development and access associated with a relatively small-scale business park, housing and possibly other land uses of community benefit (such as a velodrome) would be analyzed.”
Finally the staff report suggests, we would explore opportunities for energy conservation, water conservation and improving water quality. “The circulation improvements described above would promote alternative forms of transportation which would reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote a healthy community. In addition, opportunities will be explored to provide water conservation, improve the management of storm water runoff, facilitate energy conservation through lighting and other technologies, and protect the resources of existing trees.”
The plan also seems to eliminate the PG&E service site stating that “On June 4, 2010, PG&E representatives stated in a letter to the City that they are not interested in selling their service center site at this time and therefore are reluctant to engage in a process to explore alternative uses on the site.” Moreover, they also eliminate the DJUSD Administrative Center stating that “staff finds that collaborative work on the DJUSD administration center alone would be too small scale to justify a Strategic Growth Council grant application.”
The focus of this project appears to be to link Nishi into a larger environmental and sustainability effort. The staff tips its hand by suggesting, “Prior to the City executing an agreement with the Strategic Growth Council, staff will discuss the sharing of planning/environmental costs with the Nishi property representatives. At this stage, the Nishi representatives have indicated a willingness to discuss such cost sharing.”
However, before we get too far afoot with an elaborate plan, we need to bear in mind that Nishi would require a Measure R vote in order for any housing to be approved. Moreover, given the state of the housing market, the large number of already approved units, and the nightmare logistics of the property, there would seem to be no rush to develop. And yet, the city staff seems driven to find a rationale and a justification for moving forward with development plans. This grant would seem to give them a ready excuse.
At maximum this grant would award the city $1 million toward this project and no less than $100,000. According to the report, “The grant does not require a formal monetary match from the City. The City’s contribution, should a grant be awarded, would be in the form of staff time and environmental analysis as required. Environmental work was specifically excluded from eligibility under the grant as it was considered part of what the local jurisdiction should contribute toward the project. Staff would need to return with a budget adjustment to fund the required environmental work.”
The real question is whether this is the kind of project that the new council really wants and whether Nishi is the way to go in terms of yet another Measure R vote that would likely be voted down by the voters. The city would potentially be putting a lot of eggs into a Measure R vote basket here.
—David M. Greenwald reporting
dmg: “However, before we get too far afoot with an elaborate plan, we need to bear in mind that Nishi would require a Measure R vote in order for any housing to be approved. Moreover, given the state of the housing market, the large number of already approved units, and the nightmare logistics of the property, there would seem to be no rush to develop. And yet, the city staff seems driven to find a rationale and a justification for moving forward with development plans. This grant would seem to give them a ready excuse.”
Is this about developing Nishi, or is this about having something/anything to do to justify obtaining the $1 million grant? I heartily agree with your assessment that this is no time for staff to be wasting efforts on a Measure R project that will most likely be voted down.
dmg: “At maximum this grant would award the city $1 million toward this project and no less than $100,000. According to the report, “The grant does not require a formal monetary match from the City. The City’s contribution, should a grant be awarded, would be in the form of staff time and environmental analysis as required. Environmental work was specifically excluded from eligibility under the grant as it was considered part of what the local jurisdiction should contribute toward the project. Staff would need to return with a budget adjustment to fund the required environmental work.””
The city cannot afford to waste any money on an EIR for a project that is probably doomed from the start. It seems yet again this is just more “business as usual”, as if there is no economic crisis…
“Is this about developing Nishi, or is this about having something/anything to do to justify obtaining the $1 million grant?”
That is in fact one of my questions, it appears that they have thrown in a lot into the grand application.
Since this is a green light site, I see no problem with the planning staff moving forward with the planning stages of it. If they can fund the planning process with grants, why not? The Richards Blvd./Olive Drive configuration desperately needs work, regardless of the disposition of the Nishi property.
Green light site? Joke. Planners have this one all wrong. Voters have twice voted to keep the Richard’s tunnel two lanes. Stupid, but real (to prevent So Davis from development… like that didn’t happen). The only wat that the Nishi site should be developed is with all auto traffic sent into UCD.
If you widened Richards, then you just move the point of the traffic jam from the Richards street area away from the core to the core itself as you would have a two lane street dumping onto small single lane downtown streets. Richards being widened would have had zero effect on growth, greater impact on the downtown.
David… the proposal was to also widen First to four lanes (as much of the traffic is towards UCD anyways). There are five streets going N/S to dissipate traffic thru the Core. Richards WAS US 40, the Lincoln Highway (ending in Times Square – hence, the Lincoln Tunnel). More to the point… Nishi connecting to the city traffic grid @ Richards/Olive is not a good idea… however, you seem to want to nitpick on peripheral issues (Richards width) than the main point I thought you were trying to cover, the development of the Nishi site. I was responding to Don’s comment that the “intersection” needs work. Absent major modifications to the grid, near that intersection, there is no solution.
I agree with you on Nishi, but you hit on one of my nits, so I decided to pick.
David… fair enough…
Don Shor: “Since this is a green light site, I see no problem with the planning staff moving forward with the planning stages of it. If they can fund the planning process with grants, why not?”
Because the city is going to pick up the tab for the EIR…