PLANNING: Commissioners worry about nearby contamination

From Page A1 last year, after previous occupant DMG Mori Seiki moved into its new building just to the west.

James said one goal of the project is to create a campus-like feel between the Schilling facility on the north side of Faraday and the new site to the south.

In approving the project, planning commissioners did have questions related to the superfund site to the east.

The 8-acre site was initially developed in the 1950s and contained facilities that serviced the agricultural industry.

Operations in the 1970s and 1980s included pesticide and herbicide storage, mixing and delivery. These activities contaminated site soils, as well as groundwater. The site was listed on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Priorities List in 1994 and monitoring and clean up continue.

“Given the proximity to the superfund site, did the initial study take into account any potential adverse health effects

Obituary

proximity to that site might have on those who work in this new building?” asked Commissioner Donna Neville.

Eric Lee, senior planner for the city, replied that “there’s been a lot of moni-

Nov. 20, 1954 — Jan. 16, 2023

John Samuel Gray passed away on Jan. 16, 2023, after a brief, but intense struggle with an aggressive head-and-neck cancer. He was born in New Orleans on Nov. 20, 1954, his father’s 40th birthday, and moved to California with his family as a young boy.

He is preceded in death by his mother, Elisabeth Gray and father, Harold Gray. He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Patricia Gray; son John C. Gray; grandson Nicholas Gray; brother Jim Gray (Robin Affrime); sister Sue Gray (Rick Galicinao); and many other family members and dear friends.

John was a hard working man his entire life that started as a teen for landmark Jurgensen’s Market delivering goods to elite neighborhoods in Pasadena and included other diverse jobs, such as tying steel in the summer heat of Los

Obituary policy

Angeles. After graduating early from high school, John moved to live with a paternal uncle where he spent several years cowboying and moving cattle in the Tahoe basin and Topaz region.

While in Topaz, he learned his craft as a carpenter from a local contractor. They became partners in Topaz Construction, building many homes in Antelope Valley as well as the motel at the Topaz Lake Casino and Resort. Although he settled in Davis, he was always drawn back to the beauty and serenity of the eastern Sierras and spent considerable time at his home away from home on a small ranch in Topaz. There he remodeled the house, raised a variety of common and exotic fowl, explored the nearby hills on his quadrunner, and watched the moon rise from his porch.

Family brought John to toring … it has been looked at and evaluated and it’s not considered a hazard impact to the site.”

The Enterprise publishes brief death notices free of charge. These include name, age, city of residence, occupation, date of death and funeral/memorial information. Paid-for obituaries allow for controlled content with the option for photos. Obituaries will be edited for style and grammar. Submissions may be made via www.davisenterprise.com/obit-form/. For further information about paid obituaries or free death notices, call 530-756-0800.

He noted that the Target building to the east of the superfund site also has “monitoring stations ... on their site as well.”

Davis, where he settled permanently, first working for a local builder and later applying for and being quickly hired by UC Davis, where he had a 25 year career as a carpenter/ inspector.

Not just a hard worker, John enjoyed life and liked to play, traveling in his motorhome coast to coast, birdwatching, enjoying politics and sports, and gold panning. He frequented various spots to pan for gold including an area he dubbed heart attack hill because of the treacherous climb in and out of the canyon. He joked that his Parkinson’s disease made him a natural at gold panning. Whatever the reason, he was a patient, successful miner and had several pieces of jewelry made with the larger nuggets he found.

James added that “we had a comprehensive Phase 1 environmental review done on the site and the conclusion showed all the toxin levels detected were well below the threshold to detect or to have any concern on this type of use.”

He was happiest on the road traveling in his RV enjoying the nation’s many national parks, and especially enjoying the backroads that were less traveled. Though, when the pandemic limited RV travels, he was content being at home, claiming it was the best resort ever.

John was slow to judge, quick to love, sensitive and accepting of others’ feelings and differences, and lived in the moment. These qualities shined through to all of those who knew him. He was well versed in current affairs, reading four newspapers a day, and possessed a vast knowledge of history. John was generous with his time, money, knowledge of his trade, quick to lend tools and a helping hand to anyone who needed it. We shall forever miss his peaceful nature which has left us with love-filled memories and a permanent hole in our hearts.

A celebration of life will be scheduled at a date to be determined.

He added that a covenant signed by the former property owner with the state Department of Toxic Substances Control “essentially laid out the only restriction on the site being no groundwater production wells. Other than that, they said it was good to go.”

Commissioners ultimately voted 7-0 in favor of the project, with several expressing support for having more research and development in Davis.

“I really want to keep R&D here in Davis,” said Commissioner Michelle Weiss. “We don’t have that much room to do this kind of thing and this is exactly the kind of stuff that we want, which is the advanced manufacturing, R&D-type work.”

Commissioner Cheryl Essex said she is “really excited about this project.”

“I love being able to infill these areas,” she said, adding that “biotech is something that is really important to have a little more of in town.”

After the unanimous vote approving the project, Commission Chair Greg Rowe congratulated the applicant and said, “we hope you can expedite going forward as fast as possible and get some STEM jobs going here in Davis and we hope this is just the first of several more projects you’ll be able to do in this area.”

James replied the goal is to break ground on the project mid-year.

The Planning Commission’s approval on Wednesday was the final step for the project unless there is an appeal, but there was no opposition expressed either at the meeting Wednesday or in written comments.

The proposal does require the city to vacate a right of way on that portion of Faraday, which the commission recommended the City Council approve.

— Reach Anne TernusBellamy at aternus@ davisenterprise.net. Follow her on Twitter at @ATernusBellamy.

Sharla KoS tElyK/thEchaoSandthEcluttEr com