DAVIS, Calif. -- Jan. 17, 2008 -- A group of concerned citizens has begun circulating petitions that urge the Davis City Council to deny the requst of a West Davis shopping center owner to convert most of the space now devoted to a market to office space.

The group, calling itself "Davis Advocates for Neighborhood Groceries," or DANG, believes not all avenues have been explored to attract a new store to the space that has been shuttered since 2006 when the "Food Fair" market closed.

DANG has already collected hundreds of signatures of Davis residents, and intends on presenting them to the Davis City Council when it takes up the matter later this summer.

The area west of Highway 113 in Davis has been without a full-service supermarket since 2006, which forces residents to travel several miles to shop for food and other basic necessities. This burns more fossil fuels, contributes to traffic congestion and creates additional burdens for those who may not have convenient access to transportation, such as students, seniors and the disabled.

DANG believes that local markets is smart planning, and is working with the City's economic development staff to study the economics of locating a market at the Westlake Plaza shopping center.

On Jan. 16, the City of Davis Planning Commission voted to deny the request of the property owners for an amendment to the city's General Plan and zoning of the Westlake Plaza Shopping Center to allow coverting the vacant market space to retail, medical and office suites. The General Plan and zoning currently require that the center has a grocery store/supermarket of at least 15,000 square-feet. The owners of the shopping center have indicated they intend to appeal the decision to the full City Council.

For more information or to download the petition, visit the DANG website -- www.davisdang.org or call Carolyn Hinshaw at (530) 757-2830.