The Davis Enterprise Friday, March 18, 2022

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enterprise THE DAVIS

FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2022

Council moves ahead with Mace redesign

Water-resources engineer Lauren Alkire, left, of the DWR Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting Unit and Sean de Guzman, manager of the unit, conduct the third media snow survey of the 2022 season at Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada on March 1.

By Anne Ternus-Bellamy Enterprise staff writer

Ken James/California Department of Water Resources photo

State uses more water as dry year looms By Rachel Becker CalMatters Californians used 2.6% more water in January compared to before the drought emergency was declared, a sign that urban residents are ignoring the state’s pleas to take the drought seriously and cut back. The increased water use in California’s cities and towns came during the second-driest January on record, as the Sierra

Nevada snowpack continues to dwindle — and another dry summer looms. The new data, which details urban water use statewide, shows that Gov. Gavin Newsom’s repeated pleas for a 15% voluntary cutback in water use are failing to reach people in cities and towns. Yet Newsom has stopped short of issuing a mandatory order. “With the voluntary call,

some areas were doing okay, others not so well. The message gets pretty garbled. With a mandate, it’s a very clear message about the need,” said Heather Cooley, research director with the Pacific Institute, a global water think tank. Newsom spokesperson Alex Stack declined to answer whether Newsom intends to set a mandatory conservation order.

In January, the State Water Resources Control Board adopted emergency regulations allowing water providers to bar certain wasteful water uses, such as hosing down sidewalks with drinking water. But water use nevertheless ticked up statewide in January compared to January 2020. The biggest increase was 19% in the desert region that includes

See WATER, Page A3

Parks commission votes to relocate Sky Track By Anne Ternus-Bellamy Enterprise staff writer The city’s Recreation and Park Commission voted Wednesday to keep the Sky Track zip lines in Arroyo Park, but asked city staff to conduct community outreach to determine where in that park the equipment should be relocated. Since 2019, the popular Sky Track has been located on the southern edge of the park, near houses on Imperial Avenue. But a noise study conducted two years ago showed use of the equipment, which produces a metallic clanging sound, violated the city’s nighttime noise ordinance, impacting those residents living nearby. City staff began locking up the Sky Track at night, but repeated vandalism, including damage to

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Arts ������������������B1 Forum ��������������B4 Obituaries �������� A4 Classifieds ������B5 Green Page ������ A8 Sports ��������������B8 Comics ������������B3 Living ���������������� A7 The Wary I �������� A2

the locks and chains, as well as a more recent sound study that indicated the equipment also violates the city’s daytime noise ordinance in that location, prompted staff to close the Sky Track altogether as a decision is made on where to move it. Two Recreation and Park commissioners wanted city staff to look beyond Arroyo Park for other locations in the city where the equipment could be relocated, but a majority of the commission voted to keep it at Arroyo, albeit in a new spot. The more recent sound study provided options for that new spot, with city staff recommending two locations near the pool complex — and further from homes — where they said sounds produced by the equipment would not violate the city’s noise ordinance.

WEATHER

The Davis City Council on Tuesday voiced unanimous support for Mace Boulevard redesign concepts aimed at alleviating traffic congestion along that thoroughfare in South Davis. Elements of the redesign include restoring a second lane in each direction of Mace south of Cowell Boulevard; making changes to the intersection at Mace and Cowell; and testing how well a traffic light at Mace and Tremont Road or Mace and Montgomery Avenue will disincentivize drivers from leaving I-80 to travel on surface streets through South Davis. Tuesday’s vote marked the latest step in a years-long saga that began with a $3 million grant from the Sacramento Area Council of Governments to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety along Mace. Elements of that project included

See MACE, Page A4

Davis tops cities with highest ratio of Gen Z renters By Caleb Hampton

Once it is moved, new play equipment would be installed in the Sky Track’s original location. City staff will be surveying community members on what the new park amenities should be, as well as which location the Sky Track should be moved to. Commissioner Erik Vink made a motion during Wednesday’s meeting to have staff bring back further analysis of potential Sky Track locations in other city parks prior to doing a community survey, saying, “frankly, I think there are other locations that would be more serving of a greater number of people and have the potential for fewer impacts.” Commissioner David Siegel seconded that motion, saying that any neighborhood would

No city in the United States has a younger population of renters than Davis. That’s according to a new analysis conducted by RentCafé, a nationwide apartment-search website, which found that 69% of Davis’ renters in 2021 were Generation Z, meaning that they were born between 1997 and 2012. “Davis boasts the most impressive share of Gen Z renters in the nation, thus managing to secure 1st place in our top cities for Zoomers,” RentCafé communications specialist Joanna Truscan said this week in a press release. According to the company’s analysis, which looked at more than three million rental applications across the country, Gen Z, the youngest

See PARKS, Page A3

See GEN Z, Page A5

Enterprise staff writer

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