Last week, developers from the Davis Innovation Center came to the community chambers to provide an overview of the proposed innovation park that would be located at the Northwest Quadrant near Covell Blvd. and Highway 113, west of Sutter-Davis Hospital. If you missed that discussion, we have a link to the video and PowerPoint below.
Click here to see the PowerPoint:Davis-Innovation-Center
Click here to watch the video: Proposed Davis (Northwest) Innovation Center – Aug 28th, 2014.
For those who missed the presentation last week, tonight and Thursday will have their own presentations – one at the Harper Junior High Multipurpose Room (tonight) and one at the Davis High Library (Thursday), both from 6 to 7 pm.
I went to the Wednesday meeting. I was generally impressed with the team. My sense of those present is they want to build this and really were seeking early input from the community, not just doing it as a manipulative or check-off-the-box exercise. For one, they did not do the usual have-everyone-break-up-into-groups-and-go-look-at-milk-toast-displays format that is designed by consultants to disperse any community anger towards a project. They took hard-hitting questions from a few passionate residents (including county residents immediately adjacent to the project) and a lot of criticism some of which seemed a bit unwarranted but much of which included strong input. The point is it was a good old fashioned public meeting with all the moles and blemishes, and therefore it was productive. The team admitted when they didn’t know something, promised to work with the residents nearby, said they were working on drainage/flooding issues on the site and would report on the results, were looking at auto traffic issues and alternative transportation including working in inter-connection to Davis bikeways, etc. I am supportive of this sort of business park and as long as the traffic/drainage/buffer issues are addressed (present at all sites) I am leaning to favor this location. Now that I have met the team, I am also leaning to favor this team.