The Short Term Emergency Aid Committee will be able to erect the larger modular building it was hoping for after all.

On Tuesday, the City Council unanimously approved construction of a new 80-by-24-foot modular building on the southeast corner of Fifth and D streets that will replace the deteriorating food closet and garage that STEAC has operated from for more than two decades.

With the new facility, STEAC — an organization that has provided immediate and short-term assistance to the local needy for almost half a century — will be able to expand its operations, adding more food storage and refrigerators, more space for clothes storage, a washer and dryer and a bathroom for volunteers.

The new structure also will allow the local organization to ditch the crumbling building and garage that it has longed to upgrade for years.

“I feel I’ve been negligent, as well as the board, in the years we’ve let our volunteers work in a very decrepit, inappropriate, substandard building and garage,” said Cass Sylvia, STEAC board president, during public comment.

“We have saved money a long time to replace that modular.”

But before the council gave the green light to STEAC for the new building, it had to wrestle with a handful of competing issues that have cropped up since the organization first submitted its proposal last year.

Along with approving the 80-foot modular — compared to the 60-footer that community development staff had been recommending in order to preserve several trees on the site — the council also OK’d a five-year lease with STEAC for the property.

While considering this, however, some council members wondered whether STEAC’s leadership would prefer more of a long-term solution, especially considering the city’s ongoing plan to reconfigure certain fire and emergency services.

Fifth Street Station 31, 530 Fifth St., sits just to the east of the site in question.

“Have you been informed that it’s very likely in the near future the city will want that property and will ask you to move?” Lee asked. “And if so why would you choose to stay when there’s a suitable property a mile away with a longer term lease…?”

Mike Carl, STEAC board member, responded by explaining that issue is still one the board has to discuss.

A long-term solution for STEAC could come in the form of the city’s Public Works Corporation Yard, 1717 Fifth St., which community development staff has identified as a possible alternative for the organization to one day transplant its operation.

Meanwhile, after upholding STEAC’s appeal to build the 80-foot-long building, the council subsequently rejected a separate appeal made by Old North Davis Neighborhood Association, which has raised concerns about the design of the modular building and how they believe it flies in the face of many downtown neighborhood planning guidelines.

“We’re unclear about how it came that something that was so different from all of these other structures would be endorsed by staff here on this property,” said Steve Tracy, Old North Davis president, after giving a presentation on buildings downtown that have abided by the guidelines. “The proposal is for a relatively unadorned shed. So far we’ve seen no images that have any windows even or trim or anything to dress them up.”

But the council didn’t appear entirely concerned about the design guidelines.

Council member Lucas Frerichs pointed out that the new building will likely look similar to the house, which is occupied by Davis Community Meals, that sits next to the proposed site of the building. The council member also noted that based on what he saw in the proposal, windows appeared to be a part of the plans.

“I think there are ways to make the architecture a little bit better and potentially some detailing and such, but I’m not sure if we need to decide that this evening,” Frerichs said.

Frerichs also offered several ideas, including adding public art and improving the bus stop bench in front of the property to improve the site’s aesthetics. STEAC’s proposal also calls for improved landscaping on the property.

The last issue the council had to weigh Tuesday centered on the trees that will have to be removed because of the 80-foot structure.

Approval of the larger building, compared to the 60-foot structure that city community development staff was recommending, will require the city to remove or relocate one oak, one walnut and three palm trees, which have served as historical nesting sites for barn owls.

The trees could be potentially relocated somewhere on the site or elsewhere in the city and, as staff said, STEAC could build a barn owl box to provide an alternative nest site for the wildlife.

John McNerney, the city’s wildlife resource specialist, visited the Fifth and D site Monday evening to conduct a survey of the roost and found no owls present. Before the trees are removed, McNerney will determine whether there is an active nest in the trees.

Ken Hiatt, the city’s community development and sustainability coordinator, estimated that construction of the modular building could begin in three to four months.

— Reach Tom Sakash at [email protected] or 530-747-8057. Follow him on Twitter at @TomSakash

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