DIRECTORY:

Community Participation

Urban Design Framework

Guidelines Home Page

Historic photos from the Eastman collection at UC Davis can be viewed by clicking here.

Background

The City's General Plan states the Core Area (downtown) is to remain the retail, cultural and office center for the community. Policies in the 1996 Core Area Specific Plan further strengthen downtown Davis as the community's social, cultural, recreational and retail center. Recognizing that expansion will bring steady pressure on the traditional residential neighborhoods surrounding downtown, the City is developing Design Guidelines to identify and retain neighborhood character while planning for growth.

PLANNING AREA

The guidelines are to be prepared for the historic portions of Davis that were within the original 1917 city limits. The guidelines are to provide a contextual framework for commercial, mixed use and residential development to conserve the small town character of Davis' traditional central areas.

CONSERVATION DISTRICT

A conservation district is typically a zoning designation which supports planning policy that stipulates new development and renovation of existing buildings should respect the traditional scale and character found within a defined area. During the guidelines process, the community will have an opportunity to identify those existing design characteristics they value in the 1917 Davis neighborhoods. The characteristics that the community wants conserved will be the basis for establishing guidelines for the district. When completed to the satisfaction of the community, the City Council may use the guidelines as the criteria for a "conservation overlay district". This would add the design guidelines to the existing zoning ordinance land use designations and require future development to "conserve" the character of the district.

HISTORIC RESOURCES

Under the provisions of the City's Historical Resources Ordinance, the City designates local "Historic Resources". Currently, the City uses the Secretary of Interior's Standards for guidelines to approve exterior changes to Historic Resources. There are 35 structures and two cultural landscapes currently designated as Historic Resources. Of these, 33 structures are located within the 1917 Davis city limits.