This means they are essentially allowing West Yost to have non-competitive bids for conducting Wastewater Reclamation Alternative Analysis.  What is left up in the air now is how much this changes what seemed to be a very promising development earlier in the evening when Drs. Schroeder and Tchobanoglous made their presentation following the April 14 release of their consultant study.

Once again an opportunity has been missed to move forward with the redesign that is in the adopted General Plan.  Replacing the 4 lane street we now have with the two lane plus left turn lane and bike lane configuration will finally provide some safety for the numerous bicyclists and pedestrians using the corridor, and has no negative impacts on vehicle flow.  The two most recent traffic models, one funded by the City and one from the UC Davis School of Engineering show that the redesigned street will actually improve traffic flow and travel times.

When Food Fair left in 2006, the owners caused considerable damage to the site, filling in the cargo bay and stripping out all of the infrastructure within the store (see photos taken in early April).

By way of example the city of Davis presented last week a short presentation to a county climate action group on their Low Carbon Diet program.

It is instructive to see how the Mayor Pro Tem attempts to quell public dissent using his moderate tone.  The difference between watching the comments and reading them is instructive.

City staff recommended a 10 percent increase for water rates which would generate roughly an additional million dollars.  There are several significant capital improvement projects (CIPs) that will be under construction this fiscal year.

We have also watched the unprecedented opportunity to reconstruct the street with federal stimulus package funds go by the wayside because the City failed to simply ask for the money.  Still, we will try to put a good face on it and join others in the community once again to urge action toward the one solution that is low cost, does not impede motor vehicle flow, reduces risk for all users of the corridor, and beautifies the street.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Davis enjoyed an unparalleled and well-deserved reputation for its environmentally progressive polices. The City served as a beacon for other cities seeking to emulate our sensible, protective laws and sustainable regulations. From our earliest adoption of energy-efficient building standards and restrictions on cigarette smoking in public to our alternative neighborhood designs and bike-friendly layout to an aggressive recycling program, Davis became the standard by which other progressive communities judged their own performance. Our elected leaders in those days deserved the right to promote themselves as environmentally-friendly and staunch advocates for green policies. Our current City Council also claims to be very environmentally responsible and one can hardly sit through a public meeting in Davis without one Council member or another reminding us that we live in a very environmentally-friendly community and reaffirming Davis’ leadership role in promoting environmentally sustainable policies.

Last week’s discussion typified the problem as the city staff report showed that none of the recent developments that will account for much of the new growth in Davis over the next five years comes close to meeting even the city of Davis’ modest environmental goals.  And in fact, Davis’ goals are trumped by what cities like San Francisco have already accomplished.

The Vanguard in general has opposed new development on the periphery of the city in an effort to prevent sprawl, protect farmland, and protect the environment.  However, we do not and have never taken a no growth position.  If there is to be growth, it should be done with proper density to ensure that a minimum amount of land is paved over.  Moreover, given the future concerns about climate change, new development ought be done in a sustainable and environmentally innovative manner.  The early model for such innovative sustainable development would be Village Homes.

While Davis has prided itself on being green, Davis has fallen behind others in terms of green technology and innovations.  City staff though is concerned that Davis may be moving ahead of the rest of the region on these issues: