[OldNorth] Re:Last Weds. Summary B St meeting

[Valerie Vann]

Old East Davis wrote:
> 
> The design broke many, many of the guidelines as
> well as the minimal land plot zoning. Both city
> staff and the historical resources commission
> strongly opposed the project. The Planning
> Commission, however, approved it on a 4-3 vote!!
> Two beautiful bungalows are next to the proposed
> project. The votes for the project reasoned that
> those homes would no longer be there in 10 years
> anyway. Why not throw all the guidelines out the
> window so that ³infill Œ can happen. There was
> lots of posturing about how wonderful this
> property owner is to provide 4 potential
> owner-occupied homes in the city center.!!!!
> 

I question whether these small lot houses will
stay "owner occupied" or quickly transition to
rentals. The smaller the lot & house the more
likely to go from at best a student owner and
sell out after graduation.

> The second project was another proposal to scrape
> a small home on B between 3rd and 4th Streets.
> The same architect, different owners, same 4
> units subdivided on a lot. This one was denied
> 4-3. We really need to talk to Jennie Baker. She
> was a consistent vote to ³scrape and stuff².
> These projects will be presented to City Council.
> We need to be there.
> 

Wasn't this second project for some kind of "Loft"
development? If so, I think that may have been the
reason for denial, because they couldn't make
the bogus "owner occupied" argument about it.

I also think it really interesting that these
Guideline Busting projects are surfacing just in
time for a panel of neophyte commissioners.

It is always interesting to see the kind of 
things that get approved in Davis during the 
summer when lots of people are out of town..

Valerie Vann