Davis City Council Meeting - October 1, 2024: Historic Designation and Housing Policy
Davis City Council Meeting - October 1, 2024
The Davis City Council met on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, at 6:41 p.m. in the Community Chambers. The meeting included ceremonial proclamations, public comments, consent calendar approval, a public hearing on the historical designation of 305 E Street, and a policy discussion on inclusionary housing alternatives. All votes were 5-0.
Consent Calendar
- Approved 14 routine items unanimously, including task orders, easement agreements, professional services agreements, grant acceptances, and resolutions supporting Measure T (library parcel tax). The consent calendar was adopted in a single motion without discussion.
Public Comments & Testimony
- General Public Comments: Beth Bourne (Moms for Liberty, Yolo County) stated she received a no-trespass order from the school district after asking questions at back-to-school night and criticized Police Chief Darren Pytel for calling Moms for Liberty a hate group. A subsequent speaker defended the chief, noting the Southern Poverty Law Center has designated the group a hate group and accused Bourne of disrupting school events. Alan Miller sang a song opposing Measure Q. Connor Gorman (voicemail) supported progressive taxation and Measure T.
- Public Hearing (305 E Street): Alan Miller argued the property should have been designated earlier and criticized the timing. Justin Zucker (representing the property owner) stated the building had lost integrity due to alterations and that a 63-unit housing project (9 affordable) was planned, consistent with the Downtown Davis Specific Plan. He offered to contribute up to $40,000 toward relocation of the structure.
Discussion Items
- Public Hearing – Designation of 305 E Street (Merit Resource): Staff presented the property (1905 Queen Anne vernacular) as eligible under criterion 3 (distinctive characteristics). The Historic Resources Management Commission recommended designation (2-1 vote). The property owner opposed, citing alterations and the downtown plan's redevelopment vision. Council discussed the property's integrity and the relocation offer. Councilmember Partida expressed concern about losing historic character, while Councilmember Arnold noted the downtown plan envisioned redevelopment. Council voted 5-0 to not designate the property and directed staff to work with the applicant on a relocation condition.
- Inclusionary Housing Alternatives: Staff (Kelly Stachowicz, Sherri Metzker, Iris Grace, City Attorney Inder Khalsa) presented options for alternatives to the 15% on-site affordable housing requirement for multifamily projects. Discussion covered discretionary vs. non-discretionary paths, in-lieu fees, land dedication, off-site development, and vertical mixed-use incentives. Council took three votes:
- Vertical Mixed Use: Council voted 5-0 to not reduce the inclusionary percentage for vertical mixed-use projects, but directed staff to explore other incentives and return with zoning amendments. Staff's recommendation that up to 75% of ground floor space be allowed for residential ancillary uses was supported.
- Non-Discretionary Path: Council voted 5-0 to establish an in-lieu fee alternative for non-discretionary projects, structured as an ongoing revenue stream with a net present value equal to the total market cost of constructing an affordable unit, adjusted annually for inflation and construction costs.
- Discretionary Path: Council voted 5-0 to create a process where applicants seeking an alternative must present a financial case to the Social Services Commission for a recommendation, then to the City Council for final approval. No explicit alternatives (e.g., in-lieu fees, land dedication) would be listed in the ordinance.
Key Outcomes
- 305 E Street: Not designated as a Merit Resource. Council directed staff to work with the applicant to formalize a relocation offer (up to $40,000) as a condition of future project approval.
- Inclusionary Housing: Council gave clear policy direction for drafting a resolution: 15% on-site remains primary; non-discretionary alternative is an ongoing in-lieu fee (net present value of full construction cost); discretionary path requires a financial case and Social Services Commission recommendation. Staff will return with a resolution for adoption.
- Future Meetings: City Manager noted upcoming retirement of Police Chief Darren Pytel and swearing-in of Chief Todd Henry on November 19, 2024. No items were pulled from the long-range calendar.
Ceremonial Presentations
- Proclamations recognized United Nations Day (Oct 24), Dysautonomia Awareness Month (October), 40th Anniversary of Davis Musical Theatre Company, and 50th Anniversary of the City’s Curbside Recycling Program. The meeting recessed for cupcakes to celebrate the recycling milestone.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening and welcome to the Tuesday, October 1st uh City Council meeting. Um, I will let the record reflect it is 6 41 p.m. Uh all of my colleagues are here to my right and to my left. Uh, and I will uh look to my colleagues and entertain a motion for approval of our agenda. Second. All right, we have a motion by Councilmember Arnold, the second by Councilmember Neville. Any further discussion on our agenda? All right, seeing not all in favor, please say aye. Opposed, abstain. All right, motion carries 5 0, and we have an agenda for this evening. Uh, starting off this evening, item one, we have ceremonial presentations. We have four presentations here this evening, uh, as is customary. But um, each council member uh up here will read one of the proclamations. We'll invite uh whoever is here from that organization up to the lectern uh to say a few words, or whoever happens to be with your group, please feel free to come up, uh say a few words, and then we'll roll to the next proclamation. After we're done with proclamations, we will invite uh everyone who is here to receive a proclamation to come up to the lectern. Uh the city council will come down, all of us will come down uh for a brief photo op. We'll take a um a photo uh in the order uh that the proclamations were read here this evening. And then uh this evening, um, something that's a little bit different, uh, given it's our 50th anniversary here at the city for our curbside recycling program. We're gonna take a short uh 10 to 15 minute recess uh and head um outside for there's some cupcakes and drinks and things like that, and then we will um come back and uh start our uh regular meeting with item number two. So um with that, I'm going to um start uh with proclamation. Our first proclamation is proclamation recognizing October 24th as United Nations Day, and Vice Mayor Weitler is going to uh present that one. Thanks, Mayor Chapman. 2024 marks the 79th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations since the Charter came into force on October 24th, 1945. On the 79th United Nations Day, we strongly reaffirm the inherent humanity that unites us and renew our continued commitment to creating a future that ever more effectively advances peace, dignity, and security for all humanity, with a strong emphasis on youth participation. To celebrate United Nations Day, the Davis chapter will present a program focused on the global and local aspects of the Sustainable Development Goals on October 27th. Uh 3 p.m. Is that correct? There's 3 p.m. at the International House. And we'll highlight this year's 76th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 8th, also at the International House. Now, therefore, we, the Davis City Council, on behalf of the citizens of Davis do hereby proclaim that October 24th, 2024 be celebrated as United Nations Day in Davis, and that the United Nations flag be flown at the City Hall in recognition of the occasion. And to receive this proclamation, we have Lale Rastigar Zade, supported by UNA Davis board members Edgar Trujillo and Verena Borden. Feel free to come on up. Welcome to the United States. Established in our community many decades ago. The United Nations Association of the USA, herein I refer to as a UNA, is a movement of Americans dedicated to supporting the United Nations with over 20,000 members, which 60% of them are under the age of 26. And more than 200 chapters across the country, with many more UNA chapters around the world. Thank you for giving me an opportunity to say a few words about the United Nations. This month, we celebrate the 79th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. Over the past eight decades, the United Nations has undertaken numerous peacekeeping missions, provided humanitarian aids, facilitated conflict resolutions, and established standards for human rights. It has led global health initiatives and promoted education, science, culture, and communication, fostering cultural exchange and cooperation. Additionally, the United Nations has developed the 17 sustainable development goals to address critical global challenges such as poverty, inequality, and climate change. Despite this significant achievements, many people worldwide feel helpless and hopeless in the face of relentless atrocities, humanitarian crisis, and escalating global challenges. Nevertheless, the United Nations remain our vital platform for diplomacy, enabling nations to engage in dialogue that can pave the way for peaceful resolutions. Why do we have a Davis UNA chapter? To unite our community to learn about, commemorate and support the goals, principles, and programs of the United Nations, as well as to try to interpret some of the challenges faced by the United Nations. That includes the critically important interrelated 17 sustainable development goals. While we celebrate the achievements of the United Nations, we recognize the importance of collaboration among all nations on this international platform to uphold and enforce the rule of law for the benefit of all nations by all nations. We strive to empower our community to think globally and act locally. In years past, Davis Elementary School students were actively involved in campaigns to raise funds for UNICEF to bring life-saving support to their less fortunate peers around the world.
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