Council prioritizes tax measure for 2024 ballot

By Anne Ternus-Bellamy Enterprise staff writer

Davis voters will likely see a revenue-generating measure on the November 2024 ballot, but not any of the four peripheral development proposals currently in the works.

The City Council on Tuesday expressed their preference for dedicating staff time, limited as it is, toward community engagement on a tax measure that would go before voters during the presidential election, while community engagement continues on what residents want as far as peripheral development.

There are now four projects proposing some 2,500 housing units in total along East Covell Boulevard and south on Mace Boulevard. All would require a vote of the public under Measure J/R/D.

The newest proposal comes from John Whitcombe for the 400-acre property north of Covell and west of Pole Line Road. Davis voters perviously voted down a housing development — Covell Village — at that site in 2005.

Whitcombe and his partners have not yet submitted a proposal but plan to do so on or around April 10, the city was told.

A

DJUsD/cOUrtesy otherwise be gay or lesbian.

Another district parent took to the podium and claimed she was publicly denounced prior to the meeting for being hateful, ignorant and for harming people. She claimed to be coming from a place of compassion and urged the district to heed the warnings of de-transitioners and the daily mental/physical suffering they endure because of their transition.

Then came opposing points of view from other district parents. One claimed there was a growing trend in districts throughout the country of denying inclusivity and trans and LGBTQ rights at schools. She went on to warn about the detriment of removing information from the curriculum regarding gender identity.

Another community member claimed anti-trans activists were outside the high school (she did not specify which) holding up signs comparing being trans or non-binary to getting a lobotomy. She also addressed the perceived narrative that parents like her

See RIGHTS, Back page

Further east on Covell are the Palomino Place proposal from David Taormino, which would develop the 25-acre Horse Ranch property in Wildhorse with up to 184 housing units (including up to 55 accessory dwelling units); the 234-acre Shriner’s property proposal for just east of Palomino Place that would include about 1,100 housing units; and the “On the Curve” proposal on 85 acres east of Mace Boulevard that would include up to 788 housing units.

“We’re in uncharted territory where we have several that have come in front of us simultaneously and they’re all jockeying to be the first one and all are targeting November 2024 as the election date, because we know it’s going to be a huge presidential election,” said Mayor Will Arnold.

But given the staff time required to get such projects through review and onto the ballot — and a city planning department that remains understaffed — a subcommittee comprising Arnold and Councilman Bapu Vaitla had recommended that the full council consider picking one of the four projects to undertake review for possible inclusion on the November

See COUNCIL, Page A5