[OldNorth] City Council Hearing Tuesday

[sheryl lynn gerety]

We are coming up on a City Council hearing, Tuesday, June 12, 2007 at 
7:30PM, to vote pass or fail on the Davis planners' work to rezone B 
Street from 4th Street south through 2nd and the 2nd, 3rd and 4th 
Street corridors leading to campus.  The rezoning being proposed would 
increase density from low to high, allow for four story buildings, 
allow the demolition of any of the historically important structures 
(Cciocolat, and 311 B Street in particular) should the owner ask to 
redevelop the lot rather than repair, add on or remodel.  These houses 
are framed and sided in old growth redwood, have a charm and historical 
significance that is characteristic of Davis' early days.  301 B Street 
was the home of a prominent citizen who had a lot of influence in his 
day.  311 B is one of the finer examples of English Cottage Revival 
architecture.

The area under study is currently bound by the Design Guidelines 
developed under a democratic process (not developer driven as is the 
3rd & B Vision).  The Guidelines allows for quite a lot of flexibility 
in adaptive re-use.  We work with the Guidelines in Old North and have 
successfully used them to support alley accessory structures (Granny 
flats), an extensive remodel, and the demolition of a non-contributing 
structure that will be rebuilt to a similar scale and in a style that 
will allow it to function well in our traditional neighborhood.

The majority of the City Council members who will make the final 
decisions on zoning for this key area are looking at rezoning as an 
effort to relieve a "blighted" neighborhood of its somewhat run down 
appearance.  They may argue that there will be lots of housing, office 
and maybe retail space available.  The height and density proposed to 
accomplish this vision will, however, threaten the houses now in place 
with demolition rather than reuse, provide only a few more bedrooms 
than already exist, and create more parking issues, traffic problems, 
noise and air  pollution for the neighborhood it borders and for 
surrounding residential neighborhoods.

Please write letters to City Council members (accepting Sue Greenwald 
who must recuse herself) asking them to vote against zoning that 
clearly threatens all the quite visible, historically significant 
structures remaining on B Street along the park. Please join the City 
Council hearings Tuesday, June 12 when this item comes up on the agenda 
to be a presence against the proposed zoning, to speak against the 
zoning changes.

Thanks,
Sheryl Gerety
Old North Davis Neighborhood Association