PRESERVATION OF OPEN SPACE vrs. DEVELOPMENT

By Newell Arnerich

Danville has the highest standards in Contra Costa County of Park acrerage dedication and has preserved over 40% of Town in open space, recreation and agricultural uses.

In Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, Alice comes to the crossroads where she stops and ponders, "Which way do I go?" The Cheshire Cat appears and asks, "Which way do you want to go?" And Alice replies, "I don't know", "Then it doesn't really matter," says the cat. Unlike Alice, Danville has maintained a clear vision of the ultimate size (both population and number of homes), character and preservation of open space for our road map. Decisions effecting our community are guided by the original reasons surrounding our incorporation in 1982. The first commitment was to develop a General Plan document to guide the future planning of our great town.

The principal reason for incorporation was a response to the county's lack of a vision for preserving Danville's small town character. With the county's seemingly endless development approvals, Danville had no choice but to seek control of its own destiny in 1982. Danville's General Plan, adopted in 1987, has accurately projected our population and development within the original incorporation boundary. Now, we are at our own crossroads with the town nearing its ultimate growth and with regional growth pressing at our borders. Just as it was in 1982 and over the past decade, regional development continues to affect the quality of life for everyone in the San Ramon Valley. The Town of Danville has led the way in both the valley and county wide efforts to control growth, preserve open space and protect the special quality of life we all share. Danville led the fight against the 11,000 home Dougherty Valley project, along with San Ramon and Walnut Creek. The 6000 home development proposal in the Tassajara Valley, actively opposed only by Danville, is the most recent challenge facing the region. We were alone is passing a resolution to support an agricultural preservation agreement for the protection of the entire San Ramon Valley.

In the past litigation was often the only means of resolving development issues within the county. More recently a completely different approach has surfaced. Cooperation and a consensus approach to open space planning and development have become the new basis for the serious review of regional development. This was demonstrated by the cooperative work between the Town of Danville and Contra Costa County, through the specific efforts of Supervisor Donna Gerber and Councilmember Millie Greenberg. By working with all of the County Supervisors a unanimous decision was reached to prepare an environmental impact report. The report will describe the effects of bringing the Urban Limit Line in Tassajara Valley closer to Danville and San Ramon, thereby restricting further development. Recognizing the importance of open space and the negative impacts of excessive development is a milestone event.

Danville has been the leader in controlling and setting high standards for regional development over the past two decades. The evidence of our effort will be highlighted in a proposed county wide review of open space and the Urban Limit Line changes. The unincorporated areas surrounding our community should be a great concern to all of us. Your support of agricultural preservation and additional open spaces, such as in Diablo State Park, Las Trampas Regional Park (west Danville hills), East Bay Regional Park (Sherburne Hills & Short Ridge areas) and Briones Regional Area, is needed to keep development in check. These are unique times and we cannot miss the opportunity to make the right decision for our valley and the surrounding areas. Regional development outside our town remains a critical issue which needs our collective attention.