City Hall » Community Development » Development Projects » Approved and Pending/Under Construction » Nishi Student Apartments

Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Impact Report

Font Size: + -
Share & Bookmark, Press Enter to show all options, press Tab go to next option
Print

Nishi and Downtown/University Gateway District

Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Report (Draft EIR) and Notice of Public Meeting to Provide Comments on the Draft EIR

The Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) (SCH # 2015012066) for the Nishi Gateway Project (project) is now available for review. Public comment on this document is invited for a 46-day period from September 10 through October 26, 2015.  More information is provided below.

PROJECT LOCATION:  The project site is composed of two separate but adjoining areas totaling approximately 57.7 acres; 10.8 acres (West Olive Drive) located within the City of Davis and 46.9 acres (Nishi site) immediately west of the city limits in unincorporated Yolo County. The project site is adjacent to downtown Davis and the UC Davis university campus, enclosed by the Interstate 80 to the south, the existing Union Pacific Railroad to the north, and Olive Drive to the east.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:  The project is comprised of two primary components: 1) Nishi site-- annexation and development of the Nishi site with a mixed-use innovation district community that will provide roadway connections to the City of Davis and UC Davis. The development would involve the development of a mix of land uses consisting of rental and for-sale, high-density residential uses; research and development (R&D) space; accessory commercial/retail space for the proposed residential uses; open spaces; and surface/structure parking with solar panels. The project would include up to 650 residential units, 325,000 square feet (sf) of research and development space, and 20,000 sf of accessory retail uses. 2) West Olive Drive-- rezoning of West Olive Drive to allow for redevelopment of parcels within West Olive Drive.

Approval of the following entitlements is necessary for the project to proceed:

Lead Agency Approvals for the Nishi site – City of Davis

  1. General Plan Amendment
  2. Prezoning
  3. Preliminary Planned Development (PPD)
  4. Site Plan and Architectural Review
  5. Development Agreement
  6. Action by the City Council to call for an election and set the baseline features of the project

Responsible Agency Approvals for the Nishi site

  1. Yolo LAFCO: Annexation from Yolo County to the City of Davis
  2. University of California Regents: Approval of a roadway connection from the project site to Old Davis Road within the campus of University of California at Davis (UC Davis) and potential water and wastewater connections to UC Davis infrastructure

Lead Agency Approvals for West Olive Drive—City of Davis

  1. General Plan Amendment
  2. Rezoning

SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS:The Draft EIR identifies significant impacts in the following California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) environmental issue areas: aesthetics and visual resources; agriculture and forest resources; air quality; biological resources; cultural resources; geology, soils, and mineral resources; greenhouse gas emissions and energy; hazards and hazardous materials; hydrology and water quality; land use and urban decay; noise and vibration; population and housing; public services and recreation; transportation and circulation; utilities; cumulative effects; and growth inducement. As described in the DEIR many of these impacts can be fully mitigated but some cannot and would remain significant and unavoidable. Unavoidable impacts include effects on agriculture (4.2-1, 4.2-2), air quality (4.3-5), greenhouse gas emissions (4.7-2, 4.7-3), hazards (4.8-5), noise and vibration (4.11-1, 4.11-5), transportation and circulation (4.14-1, 4.14-2, 4.14-6), and cumulative impacts to agriculture, greenhouse gas emissions, and transportation and circulation.

HAZARDOUS MATERIALS/WASTE ON SITE:  The project site does not contain any sites listed on State data bases compiled pursuant to California Government Code Section 65962.5.

Address Where Copy of Draft EIR is Available: The Draft EIR, Sustainability Implementation Plan, and other project materials are now available for public review and download on the City of Davis website at www.CityofDavis.org.  Printed copies of the document are available for public review at the following locations during normal business hours:

City of Davis
Department of Community Development and Sustainability
23 Russell Boulevard, Suite 2
Davis, CA 95616

Yolo County Library
Davis Branch
315 E. 14th Street
Davis, CA 95616

Thumb drives containing a copy of the document may be obtained at the Department of Community Development and Sustainability.

Public Review Period for the Draft EIR: September 10, 2015 to October 26, 2015
All comments on the Draft EIR must be received by the City no later than 5:00 p.m. on October 26, 2015 to be considered. Pursuant to Section 15088a of the CEQA Guidelines, late comments will be considered only at the City’s discretion.  Comments must be directed to:

Katherine Hess, Community Development Administrator
City of Davis Department of Community Development and Sustainability
23 Russell Boulevard, Suite 2
Davis, CA 95616
NishiGateway@CityofDavis.org

Draft EIR Comment Meeting: On October 14, 2015, starting at 7:00 p.m., the City of Davis Planning Commission will conduct a public meeting to solicit input and comments from public agencies and the general public on the Draft EIR for the Nishi Gateway Project. This meeting will be held at the City of Davis Community Chambers, located at 23 Russell Boulevard, Davis, CA 95616. There will be no transcription of oral comments at these meetings. Comments received will be summarized by staff for inclusion in the Final EIR. Those who wish to have their verbatim comments incorporated in the Final EIR must submit their comments in writing.

If you have any questions regarding this notice, please contact Katherine Hess at KHess@cityofdavis.org. Meeting facilities are accessible to persons with disabilities. By request, alternative agenda document formats are available to persons with disabilities. To arrange an alternative agenda document format or to arrange aid or services to modify or accommodate persons with a disability to participate in a public meeting, contact the City Clerk by calling 757-5648 (voice) or 757-5666 (TDD).

NOTICE REGARDING CHALLENGES TO DECISIONS
Pursuant to all applicable laws and regulations, including without limitation, California Government Sections 65009, 66020, and/or California Public Resources Code Section 21177, if you wish to challenge in court any of the above decisions (regarding planning, zoning and/or environmental decisions), you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing(s) described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the city at, or prior to, this public hearing.