I couldn't agree more. The sound of the helicoptors and sirens was scary and I shutter to think what could happen in the future when fire or natural disaster hits our area. It is reckless to add more homes and cars to this already congested corridor. It's not just about the inconvenience (which is important enough). It's about public safety. Danville Town Council - please put an end to this recklessness and additional danger to public safety!

When most folks think about a 2-alarm house fire, they think "tragedy."

Some folks, however, think "political opportunity."

Danville has NO BUSINESS adding large numbers of new homes on Diablo Rd. - a winding 2 lane road that can not be reasonably widened - just so they can increase the tax base. If you have ever driven Diablo Rd. during school hours you know that the intersection of Diablo Rd. and Green Valley can take 20 minutes to navigate - and that's BEFORE adding major development. There are 4 schools and a fire station that all come together at that intersection - adding additional congestion and safety concerns to this area is ludicrous and recklous. Stop the development NOW.

The fire danger will only increase in the next several months. Don't even think about this fire occurring at 3 p.m. then, when all the schools are letting out!

Mayor Candance Andersen: How about doing something about this illegal development, now, either as Mayor, or as Supervisor Elect? You claimed in all those election materials you kept sending all the voters, that you were "in favor of open space". Was that just campaign rhetoric? The voters are watching to see if you live up to your campaign promises.

To Cardinal: Concerned citizen was talking about PUBLIC SAFETY. If you think that concern over life, limb, and the potential destruction of your property (which by the way I sadly read in the SRV Times that the home on Mt. Diablo Scenic was a TOTAL LOSS to the fire!) can be dismissed merely as a "political issue", then you have been working for SummerHill Homes too long.

I was sad that the family in Diablo lost its home! And yes, we need to worry about the delays in emergency response for homes accessed from Diablo Road. SummerHill Homes' proposed development for possibly well over 100 additional dwellings---and over 1000 more car trips--- in this crowded area is simply outrageous. Who does Danville's Council work for---Mr. Magee and SummerHill Homes by any chance? Certainly not for Danville residents in this Diablo Road area.

I live in Hidden Valley among the beautiful and at this time of year VERY DRY hills. I heard all the sirens & saw the chopper yesterday and was watching for the smoke. I always am ready to 'bug-out' because I was at that 1st big town meeting where the fireman was talking about the reality of all of us getting out of our communities onto a very crowded road NOW, much less when 'the project' happens. Let's face it folks. Supervisor/Mayor, town council, Summerhill, they are hoping this dead period waiting for the EIR to 'be ready' means people will lose interest. We need warm bodies and voices to be heard, please!

I suggest everyone start calling, emailing, etc Mayor Candance Andersen and voice your opposition to Summerhill development. Let's see if she keeps her campaign promise to "protect open spaces". It would be nice if she spent half as much time in listening to the voters who oppose this illegal development, as she did campaigning and putting all those campaign signs up.

Thanks to Cardinal for voicing what I am thinking. Sigh...once again this development has not even gotten to the planning commission, let alone to the council or Mayor Anderson (who is only 1 vote of 5 btw).

By all means, when it gets there, attend the meetings voice your thoughts. When I read the eir if it says what I think it will, I'll be right there with you.

Until then, stop telling lies. Just because you say a lie multiple times that doesn't make it the truth. I feel the ppl against this project are doing their own cause a disservice by all this disingenuous baloney.

To Steve: There are NO lies being told. If you attended the Danville Planning Commission's Notice of Preparation meeting for EIR, which was held in Nov. 2010, you would have heard a former Battalion Chief for the San Leandro Fire District (who now lives in Diablo) state that a project of the size SummerHill proposes will definitely increase emergency response times in a congested area like the Diablo Road corridor. We don't need to wait for the EIR to come out to make that conclusion.

What is more, Steve, the EIR for the 22-home Matadera project being constructed now (across from Green Valley School) had lots of traffic analysis in it, including projections for traffic from the proposed SummerHill project. 75 more car-trips per day during peak times is what that EIR said SummerHill would create, and that is undoubtedly a conservative estimate given that the EIR was prepared on behalf of Danville and paid for by Davidon Homes.

Yes, Steve, it is not a lie to conclude that more cars on the road will slow down emergency response times.

Steve, SummerHill Homes does not want any residents of the Diablo Road corridor to study or comment on their project's impacts. Why on earth would they? Wait for the Draft EIR to come out, SummerHill says when anyone makes a peep. Why do you think that is? Because by then it will be TOO LATE to mount an effective challenge to their project! You must either work for SummerHill or you need a history lesson---talk to the Danville residents that have attempted (mostly too late) to fight any other proejcts that have ever been proposed in this town. Start by talking to Citizens for Civic Accountability. That group had to sue Danville to force it to prepare an EIR for the Matadera Subdivision.

Perhaps Steve suspects, as I do, that the heart-of-hearts driver here is the desire by SOC to put-off the necessary widening of Diablo Road from Green Valley to Mt Diablo Scenic. It appears that Blackhawk Road was built to accommodate four lanes -- it's probably time to make that improvement, or rename the group "Save Our Two-Lane Road."

My husband and I are strongly opposed to the Summerhill Development for all of the reasons given above. In addition to the increased congestion, traffic, pollution, school overcrowding, road noise, etc., we now are even more aware of the danger to all of us if a fire or any other crises occurs. The approval of the Summerhill project would vastly multiply this danger due to the increased congestion and traffic.

Sure, C-Mudge. "Pave paradise to put up a" four-lane road. Expanding Diablo Road between Green Valley Road and Mt. Diablo Scenic would require major hillside incursions, destruction of dozens of heritage oaks, building of vast retaining walls, and culverting the creek. Are you willing to pay for that C-Mudge so SummerHill and Jed Magee can make their millions? Go for it, C-Mudge!

With all due respect, Ms. Joni, it ain't the Panama Canal, and I don't think you're primarily concerned about the expense or the engineering. I'm just trying to get your tax dollars to work for you -- and make it so that big yellow taxi can make its rounds without delay!

What a great idea from the curmudgeon! Let's adopt her slogan and add to it:

"Save our two-lane road!" "Save our beautiful oak trees!" "Save our time lost in traffic!" "Save our lives when fire trucks need to get through to us!"

All four goals can be accomplished by turning down the proposed development for Summerhill Homes on Magee Ranch.

You forgot Pol... -- I mean, "Not In My Back Yard," Dutchboy.

If we want to stop SummerHill, we better elect some new Danville Council members. The election is in November, and there are three seats available. Those on the current Council are SummerHill lackeys.

Amen to getting rid of the pro-development rubber stampers.
Whatever side you are on here, remember that like much of Danville and San Ramon, the flank (unlike the upper parts) of Diablo is mostly dirt. Dirt that will slide without a lot of unsightly reinforcements. Widening the road is not the simple task some here seem to believe it is.
Between this, our city allowing the last uncovered hillside area on the west side to be covered with KB's crackerbox homes, and that SCREAMINGLY HIDEOUS 2nd story structure being finished by Linda Mesa & Railroad Ave, our so called "planners" need to go bye bye fast.

Well it's refreshing to read what we,as a majority are all really thinking, knowing and living. The reality here is, with public safety compromised as this development is being proposed, that the issue and legal debate with Matdera estates ( junk) was the environmental impact of the frogs. The frogs are now gone. IF they somehow return, they will not have a chance with another illegitimate development so close by.
We Danville homeowners pay taxes above and beyond what most communities pay to preserve and maintain parks and open areas. We have a beautiful place to live and good reason for people to visit. Our history is priceless. We teach that to our children (your upcoming generation) in our schools.
So, honestly, all the other political proposals that have conveniently "slipped" through the board that were seriously questionable and now have a detrimental impact on our lives, leaves this Summerhill project a direct insult to our intelligence and way of life here in Danville. Go somewhere else. You can afford it-we can't.

The SummerHill Homes plan for Magee Ranch is an excellent well planned, thoroughly thought out, completely vetted development with ample community input and proper oversight and input from Danville city staff and council members. Existing utilities, electrical, water, gas and sewage lines are in close proximity. A well designed road is along one edge of the property providing easy access. There are ample K-12 schools nearby, the freeway and shopping is not to far away, and municipal services, police, fire, waste mgmt, are all in place. There are great views of one of our most popular state parks and surrounding hills and oaks.
It does not get much better than that! Please act to support property rights and support this project. All you Republicans, Democrats, and Independents alike know what I am talking about. Business and Corporations, are people and have rights to do whatever they want on and to their property, free from all NIMBY input and free from all of the job-killing draconian regulations issued by our foreign born, Muslim, socialist President B. Hussein Obama.

Dear J Tanner:
I not even going to comment on the Obama portion of your message. I'll let you sort that out with Donald Trump. But your statements with regard to the SummerHill project are way off base. First of all, corporations or other property owners DO NOT have the right to do anything they like with or on their property. At least not those who are law abiding. We have this thing called zoning laws. And the property in question requires a zoning change to permit the SummerHill project to go forward as proposed. In addition, the property has a land use designation of agricultural - something that also needs to be changed for the project to go forward. Now I am going to keep going on this thought because I am pretty sure given your stated stance on other issues that you are very much pro-voters' rights. So try this on for size - a change in land use designation requires a vote of the public per Measure S. The Town of Danville thinks otherwise even though 2 Town Council members put that Measure forward and sold us on it. So please direct your indignance to them and the rest of the Town Council for not upholding our right to vote on this project. Wouldn't that be a great idea - let everyone vote on whether this project goes forward. We wouldn't have to debate it in this forum. We could get the right we all voted for back in 2002 and settle the matter once and for all. Don't we all want our rights to be upheld??? Let's all get on the same page and focus on getting our right to vote. I put my trust in the voters in Danville to do the right thing and will live with whatever they choose. So let's all work on our Town Council to get our right to vote! Who's with me on this??

I am amazed that the town does not consider the erosion problems of Green Valley Creek. I am amazed that the town does not consider the flooding problems down stream along Green Valley Creek. I am amazed that the town is indifferent to the traffic mess that already exists. I am amazed that the town is indifferent to safety issues.

A property owner should be able to do with as they wish, but not when it does not comply with the law and not when it injures or diminishes someone else.

To Amazed - The Town planners and the EIR consultants DO in fact recognize the horrendous and unmitigatable impacts this development will have. Why do you think they have delayed issuance of the draft EIR over and over again, and have revised the scope of their traffic study again and again... They keep trying to come up with an answer they like or can try to sell.

To Steve - Please don't be lulled into irrelevancy by the thought that this project has not yet come before the Council. The record abounds with evidence that shows the Town's hand. Ask about the path the Town has approved to connect Green Valley with Blackhawk road, and they will say it awaits land that will be dedicated as part of their approval of the SummerHill project. (Yes, they put that in writing.) Ask about why no Measure S vote is being planned, and they will tell you that it is ok to approve a major planned unit development clustered subdivision on Agricultural land without changing the land use designation, in contravention of Measure S, state law and the Danville general plan. (Yes, they put that in writing.) Look at the exact same technique they used to put the Elworthy project on Agricultural land on the west side. (Yes, the Town Council voted on record to do that!) They even voted to bring extra density from surrounding County land inside the Town limits on Elworthy – a blatantly illegal violation of the urban limit line! (Yes, that’s on the record too.) Attend the 2030 general plan workshops, and watch planners add language to the 2030 General Plan to retroactively legitimize these Measure S evasions. (Yes, Town Council were present, and on the record.) Make no mistake - the Town absolutely intends to approve this project, and they would like nothing more than for everyone to wait until they have it all irrevocably lined up. Don't fall for that! SOC can take care of the litigation, with your financial support. (Please donate.) But you can vote new councilmembers in at the new election, and avoid the whole issue!

To J Tanner – Really? “Foreign born, Muslim, socialist President B. Hussein Obama?” Your agenda and mindset speaks for itself. What is pretty funny is that if you don’t like a government usurping rights of the people, how can you support your local government’s usurpation of its citizens’ right to vote under Measure S? Perhaps your ideology has convenient inconsistencies? Puhlease! Anyone in support of J. Tanner, please speak up. Otherwise, he’s in his own logical and idealogical fogbank.

Dr. Danville:
Mr. Tanner is a troll here to stir up the doo-doo.
Please, do not feed the trolls. They keep coming back for more when you do.

I will spell this out. The real goal in my comment was to make clear to those that support the project, the absurdity of the claims being made. It doesn't get better than that refers to the incredibly easy and low cost opportunity that the developers have to tap into community services thereby making their development a slam dunk success. If you were the owner of this land, to not try to develop it is like telling someone sitting atop a gold bearing vein to not dig for gold. This is a golden opportunity for someone to pocket tens of millions of dollars.

Property rights advocates are generally republican, libertarian, tea partier conservatives that want to sweep aside the general concerns of the neighbors, locals, state and national citizenry. If you think this is a problem here locally, what do you think is happening on a national scale.

Follow the money. Look out for a local PAC to be set up to collect anonymous corporate donations to influence the Danville Town Council. Think Tom Koch and the New "Fake" Farm developers (outside the County Urban Limit Line) are not watching this. Think the developers of the Tassajara "Toxic Waste Dump" Cemetery (outside the County Urban Limit Line) are not watching this.

So, if you are a responsible neighbor that has compelling reasons to question the sanity or legality of this plan, and if you happen to be a conservative that opposes this development (and last I looked Danville, Diablo and Blackhawk are more than 50% republican), by all means jump in to protect yourself, your family, your neighbors and your community from the greed and corruption of money dominated politics, clearly evident here on a truly local level. But remember, when you do jump in you are now behaving like a Democrat. Welcome to our world.

One last comment, this project without any community input would be of far greater scope than that proposed. And the ones that are scheduled to pocket the tens of millions of dollars... If you were able to see how many of the Summerhill home employees are actually truly in the 1 percenters, It would be less than 1%. Only the upper crust of management is well paid, everybody else falls far short of 1%. So if you do not support this development, than stop watching Fox News and start voting Democrat. Think outside your bank account.