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The Danville Town Council is set to hold a public hearing Tuesday and review an appeal from neighboring residents regarding a proposed mixed-use project from Community Presbyterian Church that would expand its existing facilities and see the construction of 68 housing units.
The project was approved by the town’s Planning Commission in the spring following a lengthy debate and pushback from a number of residents, with commissioners pointing to the town’s longstanding relationship with the 175-year-old Community Presbyterian Church that has been at 222 West El Pintado for since 1950, and its role as an anchor in the surrounding neighborhood on the outskirts of downtown Danville.
In addition to the 49 townhomes and 19 accessory dwelling units, the mixed-use project would include an expansion of the existing church to accommodate an additional 225 seats, a new youth ministry building and outdoor pavilion, and soccer and basketball facilities.
While planning commissioners supported the project for a number of reasons, culminating in a unanimous vote to approve it in May, the church property’s designation as housing opportunity site in the current Housing Element and the project’s housing component put limits on the town’s discretion under current state housing laws.
Nonetheless, the appellants are requesting that the town council intervene to address a number of concerns including traffic, parking, and construction impact mitigations that they contend were not fully accounted for in the project’s current plans.
“The project plan does not address the current substandard conditions on West El Pintado, a seventy-five plus year old street, built before most neighborhood development and never modified to handle today’s frequent congestion,” eight neighboring residents wrote in a letter submitted to the town May 25, a day before the project was approved by the Planning Commission.
The group continued to be unsatisfied following the commission meeting and approval, following up with a formal appeal June 4 and contending that the commission failed to take their concerns seriously.
“The Planning Staff and CPC representative presentations to the Commissioners, the questioning by Commissioners, and the approval vote discussion were absent of any deliberation or even mention of the traffic issues presented by residents in writing and spoken at the meeting,” the appellants wrote.
The appellants’ requests include that all pick up and drop off for youth activities take place on church grounds, that the new youth ministry building be shifted to be parallel with the current church facilities, the addition of a right turn lane on West El Pintado, and resident input on construction mitigation plans.
They are also asking that CPC be required to fund a new Interstate 680 underpass near the dead end at Charles Lane, as well as costs for street widening, lighting, sidewalk improvements, and curbing in the area adjacent to the church.
Town staff are recommending that the council uphold the commission’s previous approval, pointing to limitations in local authorities’ discretion over housing projects under state housing laws, further limitations under the project’s CEQA exemption, and the town’s ongoing work with the applicant to have input on the project.
The Danville Town Council is set to meet at 5 p.m. Tuesday (July 21). The agenda is available here.
In other business
* The council is set to vote on a resolution that would rename Front Street Park to Eugene O’Neill Park.
The proposal is coming to the council’s regular meeting following a June 9 study session in which the idea was discussed and staff were requested to bring a resolution forward. Since then, staff have also contacted a contractor to order a bronze sign with the new designation, and are planning a formal renaming ceremony in September during the annual Eugene O’Neill Festival.
* Representatives from Chandler Asset Management are set to provide a quarterly investment report.
* Police Chief Thomas Rossberg is set to provide a quarterly update on the department.
* Town management analyst Cat Bravo is set to provide a monthly legislative update.
