MALL: Housing back off table

likely to appeal to UC Davis students and staff, given its location across Russell Boulevard from campus.

It turned out that that housing component wasn’t popular with everyone and the size and mass of the proposal drew objections, particularly from residents living nearby.

Former mayor Brett Lee agreed to support the plan only after Brixmor agreed during that August 2020 council meeting to reduce the building height from 80 feet to 72. Councilwoman Gloria Partida and former Councilman Dan Carson joined Lee in approving the mixed-use project.

Two years later, however, Brixmor changed direction, telling the city it was returning to its original plan of simply redeveloping the mall as a new commercial retail shopping center.

The proposal — now called “The Davis Collection” — will go before the Davis Planning Commission on Wednesday, March 8.

According to Brixmor, The Davis Collection would be a “vibrant, community oriented gathering spot for the city of Davis’s residents and visitors alike,” delivering “a retail, entertainment venue to accommodate national, local and specialty retail, restaurant, and service tenants.

The Davis Collection project is designed to create an experiential pedestrian and bike friendly environment to encourage a safe and convenient plaza for the Davis community to shop, dine, entertain, and socialize.”

Brixmor is requesting approval of plans that include demolition of the existing 96,680 square-foot enclosed mall and redevelopment of the site with 101,246 square feet of new commercial retail space. The proposed buildings are single story.

The Trader Joe’s building, meanwhile, would remain in place and in operation, but would have exterior facade improvements.

“The overall site layout, circulation, and driveways will be similar to the existing site,” according to the public hearing notice for the March 8 Planning Commission meeting. “Adjustment and improvements to the site (include) two new freestanding pad buildings, plaza and patio areas, reconfigured drive aisles, new landscaping and trees, removal of one driveway entrance on Anderson Road, loading docks in the rear of the buildings, a sound wall along the northern property line, bicycle parking, 336 vehicle parking spaces, and frontage improvements.”

According to city staff, an environmental consistency analysis was prepared to analyze whether the new proposal is consistent with the scope of the original environmental impact report prepared for the mixed-use University Commons proposal and determined it was, and that no additional environmental review is required.

The public can weigh in on the new proposal by submitting written comments prior to the March 8 Planning Commission meeting or at the meeting itself, which begins at 7 p.m. in the Community Chambers, 23 Russell Blvd.

To submit written comments, mail them to the City Clerk’s Office or to Eric Lee, project planner, at the Department of Community Development and Sustainability, 23 Russell Blvd., Suite 2, Davis, California, 95616, or email them to elee@ cityofdavis.org.

Written comments must be submitted by noon on March 8.

More information about The Davis Collection is available at https://www.cityof davis.org/city-hall/ community-developmentand-sustainability/ development-projects/ the-davis-collectionuniversity-mall.

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