City of Davis Halts Downtown Construction for Holiday Season
The city of Davis is temporarily suspending construction projects downtown that could disrupt shoppers and visitors during the busy holiday season. The pause will be in effect from November 27 (the day after Thanksgiving) through January 2, encompassing all of downtown Davis. According to a city staff report, this period is considered "a high-demand holiday period for residents, visitors, and local businesses."
This is the first time the city has implemented a holiday construction moratorium. During this period, "any work requiring road closure would not be allowed unless it was emergency work," as stated by Public Works Director Ryan Chapman. The goal is to ease downtown shopping. Chapman clarified that the moratorium was not prompted by issues from previous years.
Under the moratorium, the city will not issue permits or authorize construction or roadwork downtown that involves temporary street closures or traffic control plans. This includes work blocking or limiting access to public streets, sidewalks, and rights-of-way. Existing construction projects with permits will be required to halt work unless granted an exception.
Exemptions include emergency repairs and work mandated by court orders, permit conditions, or local, state, or federal agencies. The city has also granted an exception to the Lumberyard Project at 500 G St.
The pause will not hinder the city from addressing safety hazards, utility outages, or other time-sensitive issues. City staff notified affected businesses about the restrictions at least 30 days before the moratorium began. Businesses may need to remove traffic-control devices and restore access to travel lanes, sidewalks, parking spaces, and bicycle storage areas. Non-compliance could lead to enforcement actions, including stop-work orders and suspension or revocation of city-issued permits.
Attracting shoppers to downtown businesses is a priority outlined in the city's economic development plan. The city is also streamlining its outdoor dining program and implementing paid parking to enhance business operations downtown.
The moratorium received positive feedback from the local business community, including the Downtown Davis Business Association, according to Chapman. The Davis City Council approved the program on October 6 and will consider making it an annual policy if it is well-received.
"I'll be looking to see how it's received by the community—both businesses and shoppers," Chapman said. "If we get a lot of encouragement and support, I'll recommend to the council to make it permanent."