Vanguard and Civenergy Community Discussion on the Late Night Davis Downtown (video)
Last week, the Davis Vanguard and Civenergy held a forum at the Davis Police Department on Wednesday, October 14, regarding the late night issues surrounding the Davis Downtown Bar Scene. There were seven participants on the panel including: Rhonda Reed from the Old East Davis Neighborhood Association, ASUCD Senator Roman Rivilis, Mayor Pro Tem Robb Davis, Assistant Police Chief Darren Pytel, Tres Hermanas Owner Sergio Saenz, ASUCD President Mariah Watson, and Davis Downtown President Michael Bisch.
-
Greenwald is the founder, editor, and executive director of the Davis Vanguard. He founded the Vanguard in 2006. David Greenwald moved to Davis in 1996 to attend Graduate School at UC Davis in Political Science. He lives in South Davis with his wife Cecilia Escamilla Greenwald and three children.
View all posts
Categories:
Breaking News City of Davis Law Enforcement Tags:
Darren Pytel Davis Downtown KetMoRee Late Night Bar Scene Murder Robb Davis
It was an interesting discussion. However, the more interesting discussions, IMO, came from the panel – audience exchange afterward.
hope some here are watching this video, there is a lot of misinformation on this site that is cleared up
This pretty much confirms my opinions and points on the entire issue.
One thing that Robb Davis and other council members need to demonstrate that he/they hear and understand… listen to Mariah Watson. There are 30,000 community members that Robb and other council members also serve. If we want to make a big deal about the ABC 47 license and require these establishments to maintain food service and seating, they will not be able to be nightclubs because they will have no dance floor. And they will have less capacity.
The comments I heard were from some panel members were sort of soft demonization of those restaurants that become nightclubs. Cheif Pytel made it clear that Davis has always been crowded downtown and that we have always had to deal with a high percentage of drunken patrons. Welcome to a college town.
What is different is the weapons and possibly more aggressive behavior from some.
So, let’s focus on measures to increase safety, and stop with the old-versus-young downtown bias that will only lead to more of our young community members having to drive out of town to find their fun.
The vision for the downtown is that it will be impossible to make some of more critical olds happy because the young people spend more money and there are more of them.
And since the olds have constrained development and rejected the growth of peripheral retail, they have made the bed they are having to sleep in now.
One small little downtown and there is competition for what that limited space is used for.
Tucos closed. Monticello closed. The olds don’t have a good track record for supporting the types of venues they claim they would prefer to have downtown.
interesting points although my understanding was that monticello closing was about a bad landlord, not necessarily lack of support.
It was not well enough supported… maybe legitimately.
I never went in to Tucos just to spite Frank Lee. I am so powerful that my lack of going there closed it down. Call me the Al-mighty.
i don’t know – whenever i went there it was packed
You are not alone Mr. Miller.
But in the area of business, it is the people that spend money that have more power to influence business. This. with money that they are willing to trade for goods and services, are the Al-mighty.
That didn’t make any sense, I mean I think there are words missing. Are you accusing me of not spending money downtown again? How many times do I have to explain to you I spend money downtown and eat downtown several times per week. I spend NO money at convertible nightclubs. I have no idea what Tucos is/was. Did they serve tacos? –The Al Mighty
One thing I heard for certain from Mariah and Roman (the other ASUCD representative on the panel) was that entertainment options for under-21 year olds is sorely lacking in the downtown. I do not think there was a categorical: “You must keep the clubs open as is” in what Roman and Mariah said. They are concerned about security and overconsumption of alcohol. They proposed ways to do education within the bars. The simple reality is, these ARE restaurant/bars and the licenses are provided on that basis.
the whole panel seemed very pragmatic – unlike what we’ve heard elsewhere
The whole panel was way too nice.
Who are these 30,000 other community members that want nightclubs? ASUCD does not represent all students. Everybody I know prefers the smaller drinking establishments. The “nightclub” scene is for douche bags. We need to look to places like Portland, not Jersey Shore, for the types of businesses to encourage. Businesses that encourage and support local arts, not canned music.
First, Portland has many nightclubs / dance clubs.
Second, Portland has a large center demographic (young professionals) that spend money. Davis does not.
Third, Portland has several commercial districts and a much larger core area with much less density of activity in a small area like does Davis.
Lastly, Davis lacks people that spend money on good restaurants… otherwise we would have more competition for space. Instead of Blondies, there would be a chef vying for the space to open a quality restaurant and bar. But since the money goes for Pizza and night time dance clubs, that is what we get.
And that pretty much sums it up everybody!
Happy Little Friday (also known as Tiny Tiny Picnic Day)
The Al Mighty
And if my aunt had balls she’d be my uncle.
I agree that there is a lack of a cool place for all ages to go to have a good time – dancing and socializing. Pizza places, like Blondie’s, would be an option, but the City is forcing it to turn into an over 21 club at night. There is no place for Davis youth to go to hear a band (often their cohorts) to play, so you have the creation of Third Space and Rock Band University, but these are not downtown.
That’s why they built the Davis Teen Center — hmmm, now it’s a bike museum.
The City is forcing them? I thought it was their business model.
Third Space is a five minute walk. Also, not being downtown is a good thing, right? That’s what Frank Lee has been telling us, we need other areas because downtown is “too” small.