SummerHill Project Meeting Attracts Full House of Residents from Diablo and Danville

It's not often the Danville town meeting hall is standing room only.

Danville and Diablo residents and other concerned citizens filled the space Tuesday night, many telling the more than 100 people in the audience their opinions about a SummerHill Homes project for Danville.

The proposal to build 85 homes on 119 acres of the Magee Ranch property, located southwest of Diablo and Green Valley/McCauley Roads, is currently in the environmental impact report preparation phase. The meeting was intended to discuss the scope of the report. 

Speakers were primarily concerned about increased traffic and school crowding, pedestrian and bicycle safety, loss of open space and native species, and water and erosion issues, including landslides and poor water pressure.

Todd Gary, a resident of Sunhaven Road in the Magee Ranch neighborhood, said he was concerned the town would be "flying our communities up a blind canyon," if they did not consider these issues carefully in the report.

A consultant is working with the town to complete the report, which will consider positive and negative impacts the project may have on the environment.

Receiving community input is a key component of preparing the report.

Danville Principal Planner David Crompton stressed the project is in the early stages.

"The design and number of units will likely be modified and evolve," said Crompton. "It is a work in progress. The project is in the very early stages of review."

Bill Ingham, an eight-year resident of a neighborhood near the proposed development, voiced the opposition of a group he represents — Save Diablo Creek.

The group currently has a petition with more than 300 signatures of people opposed to the project.

Ingham said his group is concerned the town will not stand by its slogan of a "small town atmosphere and outstanding quality of life," if it moves forward with a project it says could add traffic congestion and jeopardize resident safety.

In addition to more than 15 residents who spoke in opposition to the project, a representative from Save Mount Diablo also addressed the crowd.

Seth Adams, director of land programs for the local nonprofit organization, said he successfully lead the defeat of Measure F in Brentwood and Measure W in San Ramon earlier this year. Both measures would have changed the urban limit line for those cities, allowing for further development.

Adams reminded the audience the SummerHill Homes project would affect more than its neighbors in Danville and Diablo.

He said the report should address recreation concerns as well as visual impacts the project may have on public trails at nearby Mount Diablo State Park.

"This is not just a part of Danville," he said, in an emotional statement. "This is a gateway to Mount Diablo State Park, where more than a million visitors come each year."

During the next stage of the project, a consultant will look at the considerations presented at the meeting and draft an environmental impact report.

Crompton said the draft will take six to nine months to complete. It will be followed by more public reviews of the report. The Planning Commission then will recommend whether or not the town council should approve it.

Residents may leave their comments for the town about the project and learn more about it on the project's page on the town website.