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Record of Proceedings

Davis Planning Commission Special Meeting - December 2, 2025: Continuance of Village Farms Public Hearing

City Council & Planning Commission — Tuesday, December 2, 2025
BodyDavis, California
SessionCity Council & Planning Commission
DateTuesday, December 2, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 10:29

Transcript — Verbatim
0:10

All right.

0:11

Thanks, everybody.

0:12

It's seven o'clock.

0:14

Um, welcome to a special meeting of the Davis Planning Commission.

0:19

Today is Tuesday, the second of December.

0:22

Uh we only have one item on our agenda tonight, which is around the continuance of our discussion.

0:28

With that, um, can I get a motion to approve the agenda?

0:33

So got that.

0:36

Vince first, Alan second, something like that.

0:39

All right.

0:39

Thank you so much.

0:41

Um in terms of public comment, uh, tonight, uh, any members of the public that would like to address us may only tonight speak on matters that are on the agenda.

0:53

And the matter on the agenda is around the continuance of this meeting until the 17th of December.

1:00

So apologies, I will have to shut people down, but that is what it is.

1:05

Um we are only open to items on the agenda.

1:09

So is there anybody in the room that needs to speak about the continuance?

1:15

Please come forward.

1:16

Again, you must address the items on the agenda.

1:20

Yeah, so um the uh uh the item is about the value uh farm, right?

1:25

It is a the item on the agenda is around the continuance of our discussion until the 17th of December.

1:31

That is all that is on the agenda tonight.

1:32

We are not talking about the project.

1:35

I read your agenda, it's uh it's different.

1:38

Is that on agenda different?

1:40

Uh I don't know what agenda is.

1:42

So you put I I want to share something it's uh kind of related to the humanity and everything derived amend the planning, and it's called AI governance rules for AI system admin.

1:54

That is not what our agenda is.

1:56

Yeah, but it but I believe you know, I want to address if if uh I control the you know human like beings a human role, the no human uh so this is called a human protection and a non impersonation protocol uh created by AI, Madam.

2:14

I hear you, I hear you, but I'm sorry, I'm gonna have to ask you to take your seat unless you want to talk about anything to do with the continuance of our discussion until the seven seventeenth of December.

2:25

That is the only thing that should be a fairly short meeting this evening.

2:28

Oh, really?

2:29

Please join us again on the 17th of December.

2:31

We'll have a much more robust discussion around the village farms project.

2:36

You know, it's uh it's about a vegetable farm and uh no, this is the R agenda.

2:40

I'll you know, just check the city website again, you'll see it.

2:44

Oh, I just actually I see the clock I but I do want to let everybody know if you are not a person, you you are controlled and uh C must neighbor representing them themselves.

2:55

Thank you so much.

2:56

I appreciate it.

2:57

I appreciate it.

2:58

Thank you.

2:59

Okay.

3:05

Thank you.

3:07

Thank you.

3:07

Anyone else in the public that would like to make a comment this evening?

3:11

Okay.

3:12

With that, um, are there any on the phone around the continuance?

3:16

We have one.

3:16

Thank you.

3:19

This is Roberta Millstein speaking on item 4A.

3:23

I'm extremely concerned about the process that has been laid out for the planning commission to analyze the village farms project.

3:29

I don't think it makes sense to continue tonight's meeting on December 17.

3:34

Rather, I think the planning commission should not take action on the village farms project until the completed final environmental impact report, the completed FEIR, is available.

3:45

My understanding is that the completed FEIR with comments from citizens and responses from the city about newly discovered concerns about the capacity of our wastewater treatment plant will not be available until approximately January 10.

3:59

If the planning commission acts on the village farms proposal on December 17, it will be acting on incomplete information.

4:06

We cannot know what sorts of comments the city will receive on the village farms DEIR, but there is a reason for public comments and city responses.

4:15

Sometimes serious concerns are revealed that were not in the DEIR and which only appear in the FEIR.

4:22

Treatment of wastewater is an expensive, technically complex and environmentally important process.

4:28

The possibility of serious concerns about the capacity of our weight wastewater treatment plant means that it would be premature for the planning commission to weigh in on the village farms proposal on December 17.

4:41

Indeed, I'm not aware of Davis' planning commission ever having acted on a project proposal before the FEIR was available.

4:48

This is highly irregular and would call the recommendation by the planning commission into question.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural█████████████████████████████████████████████62%
Environmental Protection██████████████19%
Water And Wastewater Management██████████████19%
Summary of Proceedings

Davis Planning Commission Special Meeting - December 2, 2025: Continuance of Village Farms Public Hearing

The Davis Planning Commission held a special meeting on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. in Community Chambers. The sole agenda item was a public hearing on the Village Farms Davis project (proposed 1,800 units on 497.6 acres) but the meeting focused only on a request to continue the hearing to a date certain. After receiving public comment, the commission unanimously voted to continue the public hearing to Wednesday, December 17, 2025, at 6:00 p.m.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • One in-person speaker attempted to address matters unrelated to the continuance (AI governance) and was asked by the chair to confine comments to the agenda item. The speaker did not speak to the continuance and was thanked after a brief exchange.
  • Roberta Millstein (calling in) provided detailed testimony opposing the December 17 continuance. She argued that the Planning Commission should not act on the Village Farms project until the completed Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) is available, which she stated would not be ready until approximately January 10, 2026. She expressed concern that the December 17 meeting would rely on incomplete information, particularly regarding the capacity of the wastewater treatment plant. She cited California Government Code §65106, stating that public officials must furnish available information to the planning agency upon request, and questioned whether acting without the FEIR would violate this code. She characterized the rushed timeline as driven by the developer's and city's desire to place the project on the June 2026 ballot, not by proper process. She concluded that the commission could meet on December 17 but should not formally weigh in on the project on that date.

Discussion Items

  • Vice Chair Alan Bennett (acting as chair) clarified that the only item on the agenda was the continuance. He noted that the commission has a meeting on December 10 for the Willow Grove project and reminded commissioners of a large draft EIR to review.
  • Chair Michelle Weiss proposed starting the December 17 continuation meeting at 6:00 p.m. rather than the usual 7:00 p.m. to accommodate expected lengthy public comment. Commissioners agreed via a poll.
  • Principal Planner Dara Dungworth confirmed that for the December 17 meeting, the commission would receive a full agenda packet including a draft development agreement, appropriate resolutions, draft ordinances, and a staff report, but not the final EIR. She stated that a partial recirculated draft and most draft responses to comments are already available.
  • Commissioner inquiries confirmed that the packet would also include baseline features. Staff indicated they would attempt to release materials earlier than the standard Friday (December 12) before the meeting.

Key Outcomes

  • Motion: Commissioner Vince McLaughlin moved to continue the public hearing for the Village Farms project to December 17, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. Commissioner Alan Bennett seconded. The motion passed by unanimous consent (all commissioners present voted aye).
  • Next Steps: The public hearing on the Village Farms Davis project entitlements (including General Plan Amendment, Zone Change, Planned Development, Development Agreement, and Annexation/SOI Amendment) is now scheduled for Wednesday, December 17, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. in Community Chambers. The commission noted they would not have the final EIR available before that meeting.

Meeting Transcript

All right. Thanks, everybody. It's seven o'clock. Um, welcome to a special meeting of the Davis Planning Commission. Today is Tuesday, the second of December. Uh we only have one item on our agenda tonight, which is around the continuance of our discussion. With that, um, can I get a motion to approve the agenda? So got that. Vince first, Alan second, something like that. All right. Thank you so much. Um in terms of public comment, uh, tonight, uh, any members of the public that would like to address us may only tonight speak on matters that are on the agenda. And the matter on the agenda is around the continuance of this meeting until the 17th of December. So apologies, I will have to shut people down, but that is what it is. Um we are only open to items on the agenda. So is there anybody in the room that needs to speak about the continuance? Please come forward. Again, you must address the items on the agenda. Yeah, so um the uh uh the item is about the value uh farm, right? It is a the item on the agenda is around the continuance of our discussion until the 17th of December. That is all that is on the agenda tonight. We are not talking about the project. I read your agenda, it's uh it's different. Is that on agenda different? Uh I don't know what agenda is. So you put I I want to share something it's uh kind of related to the humanity and everything derived amend the planning, and it's called AI governance rules for AI system admin. That is not what our agenda is. Yeah, but it but I believe you know, I want to address if if uh I control the you know human like beings a human role, the no human uh so this is called a human protection and a non impersonation protocol uh created by AI, Madam. I hear you, I hear you, but I'm sorry, I'm gonna have to ask you to take your seat unless you want to talk about anything to do with the continuance of our discussion until the seven seventeenth of December. That is the only thing that should be a fairly short meeting this evening. Oh, really? Please join us again on the 17th of December. We'll have a much more robust discussion around the village farms project. You know, it's uh it's about a vegetable farm and uh no, this is the R agenda. I'll you know, just check the city website again, you'll see it. Oh, I just actually I see the clock I but I do want to let everybody know if you are not a person, you you are controlled and uh C must neighbor representing them themselves. Thank you so much. I appreciate it. I appreciate it. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Anyone else in the public that would like to make a comment this evening? Okay. With that, um, are there any on the phone around the continuance? We have one. Thank you. This is Roberta Millstein speaking on item 4A. I'm extremely concerned about the process that has been laid out for the planning commission to analyze the village farms project.

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