By Russell Snyder, Past President, Stonegate Homeowners Association

Is the Westlake Plaza Shopping Center a local neighborhood resource, or a profit center for out-of-town developers?

How you answer that question will help frame the debate about what should be done about our local shopping center that hasn't seen a supermarket in more than two years.

Al Smith, who conceived and developed the Stonegate community in the 1970s, also built the Westlake Shopping Center and even operated a market at the location for a time. At a public hearing prior to his death earlier this year, Smith said the store was profitable but that he had no desire to be in the grocery business, so he stepped aside. The shopping center changed hands and a regional chain, Ray's, moved into the spot.

This began a long period of decline for the center. The new owners of the center, by their own admission in a public meeting, rarely visited and allowed it to fall into disrepair. Parking lot lights were often out, pavement buckled and paint peeling. Ray's put up a brave fight, but the increasingly dreary appearance of the center, plus the fact that the Westlake Plaza store was at the far reaches of Ray's distribution system, made for a less-than-appealing shopping experience.

Ray's closed, and was replaced by a poorly-run concern, "Food Fair," which also closed. Since 2006 the 22,000 square-foot space has been vacant.

Although the Westlake Plaza Shopping Center was 100 percent leased for many years, the landlords said in public meetings that they funneled the profits from Westlake Plaza to developments in Vallejo and elsewhere. Neighbor complaints about maintenance problems at the center seemed to fall on deaf ears.

Now the landlords say the center can no longer support a supermarket and that the space should be converted to office space. Should we take their word for it?

I, for one, think a market has never been given a fair chance to succeed in the center. Davis has added many thousands of residents since Al Smith ran a profitable grocery store in Westlake Plaza. What has changed?

Some will say that the economics of the grocery business has changed. The expansion of the Safeway and the Nuggett on Covell Boulevard, and the opening of a mega-Wal-Mart in Dixon, have created new competition. The closing of another neighborhood grocery story in East Davis seemed to foreshadow doom for West Davis. Why not just give in and drive across town to shop for groceries?

The answer goes back to the opening question. Office space commands higher rents and is more profitable than a supermarket. If the goal is to extract as much profit from the center for the landlords, then more office space is the obvious answer.

But if you're like me, you view your neighborhood shopping center as an important part of your quality of life. Being able to walk or bike to the store to pick up groceries is better for the environment, a great way to see your neighbors and feel connected to your community. This type of convenience is part of the "live-ability" of a community and is directly linked property values. Even more important, for those with limited transportation options, or on limited incomes -- such as students, seniors and the disabled -- a local market is much more than just a convenience. It's a lifeline to independent living.

But what about the trend toward "super-sizing" markets? Funny thing about trends. They sometimes overstay their welcome, and are replaced by a new paradygm. It happens that people got tired of driving miles and miles to a market that more resembled an airport. Small markets started making a comeback, and a British company took notice. They announced plans to open hundreds of "Fresh & Easy" markets in local neighboroods, often times in vacant storefronts abandoned by others. Large chains such as Safeway, not wanting to be caught flat-footed, also announced plans for smaller stores. Even our local Davis Food Co-op, after initially dismissing the idea of expanding with a second store in West Davis, has now formed an expansion task force and is more closely examining the idea.

Yes, a neighborhood market makes sense on many levels. But for a market to succeed it will require the following:

• Strong community support for a full-service grocery store as an important anchor to the local shopping center.
• A firm and consistent position by the City Council to stand behind the concept of neighborhood shopping centers anchored by a grocery store.
• Holding landlords accountable for keeping up their property and taking all reasonable steps to keep it leased with businesses that are consistent with local zoning laws.
• A coordinated effort between the community, the shopping center owner and the city to market the property, identify compatible businesses, and negotiate in good faith to secure a new grocery tenant.

It's our community. It's up to us who live here to stand up for what we want.

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Meanwhile, support the businesses now operating at the Westlake Plaza Shopping Center! View a list of them here:

http://daviswiki.org/Westlake_Plaza