Fire Station 31 Rebuild Launches as Council Clarifies Church Project Review

The Danville Town Council covered a wide arc Tuesday night — from a 50-year-old fire station finally getting its replacement to the last chance for neighbors to shape a contested church building — while staff flagged an approaching deadline that could stall a popular trail project for half a year.

• Fire Station 31 radio tower construction begins Aug. 17, setting the stage for demolition of the 50-plus-year-old station and a modern rebuild
• Design Review Board confirmed to have authority to shift, flip or screen the CPC youth ministry building — with only one hearing left
• E-bike enforcement launches on the first day of school, with police stationed at every bike corral for education before citations begin
• Iron Horse Trail project faces a Sept. 15 hard deadline or risks a six-month construction pause
• Recreation registrations surge to 13,906, up 1,200 year-over-year, as Town Green Pavilion breaks ground
• Council proclaims Aug. 31 International Overdose Awareness Day alongside youth ambassadors distributing naloxone

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Station 31: A 50-Year Wait Ends With a Radio Tower

Why it matters: Fire Station 31 on San Ramon Valley Boulevard has served the community for more than half a century. Its replacement hinges on first relocating a critical piece of regional communications infrastructure — and on PG&E timelines that remain uncertain.

Where things stand: A San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District representative told the council that construction on a new radio tower — part of the East Bay Regional Communications System (EBRCS) — begins Monday, Aug. 17. Once the tower is operational, the aging station can be demolished and a modern facility built with capacity for future growth.

"A lot has gone into this and we're starting construction on that on Monday the 17th," said the fire district representative.

The crew currently housed at Station 31 will temporarily relocate to 510 Lagonda Way, a move targeted within two months, though the timeline depends on PG&E. If the tower stays on schedule, it should be complete by November.

Councilmember Karen Stepper asked about the tower's relationship to the broader EBRCS network; the representative confirmed it is integral to the regional system. Councilmember Renee Morgan asked about wildfire conditions. The representative noted increasing fire season activity, including crews deployed to larger state fires, a 50-acre fire at Marsh Creek, and a roughly 1,000-acre fire in the Sunol-Pleasanton area.

"The fire season has been increasing in activity and locally as well," the representative said.

Mayor Newell Arnerich praised the modern seismic design standards planned for the new station.

What's next: Assuming PG&E cooperates, the crew relocation and tower construction could clear the way for station demolition by early 2027. Residents near 510 Lagonda should expect a temporary fire crew presence in their neighborhood.

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One Hearing Left: Council Locks In DRB's Authority Over CPC Church Building

The basics: The Town Council previously denied a community appeal of the Community Presbyterian Church (CPC) youth ministry building project but directed it back to the Design Review Board with conditions to reduce its visual impact on neighbors. With only one more hearing allowed, the precise scope of DRB's authority became a pivotal question.

Why it matters: Neighbors on West El Pentado have raised concerns about the building's elevation change and setback. What DRB can and cannot do at the final hearing will determine whether those concerns can be meaningfully addressed — or whether the project proceeds essentially as designed.

Where things stand: Councilmember Stepper pulled item 8.1 — approval of the July 21 meeting minutes — specifically to get a definitive answer from City Attorney Rob Ewing.

"Can the Design Review Board take care of the issues that we are sending back to it, as opposed to us having it as our purview?" Councilmember Stepper asked.

Ewing confirmed DRB has authority over three specific actions: sliding the building east toward the sanctuary, flipping it on its long axis so the patio faces the parking lot rather than the street, and adding landscaping to screen the structure.

"So there was discussion of could you slide it east 5 feet, 10 feet, whatever that number was, could you turn it so the long side was facing — that's the flip for it — or could you flip it so that the patio area was on the parking lot side rather than the street side?" City Attorney Ewing said, confirming all three fall within DRB's architectural purview.

Moving the building to the northern end of the parking lot — which would have affected traffic circulation — was explicitly excluded.

Councilmember Morgan suggested the council's direction should reference "softening the visual impact" to clarify the design-versus-architectural distinction. Ewing explained that the public hearing discussion centered on neighbor concerns about elevation and setback, with mitigation possible through a combination of landscaping and slight repositioning.

Councilmember Stepper underscored the urgency: "I believe we're down to only one more meeting allowed for that project."

Decisions: The minutes were approved 5-0 (For: Arnerich, Belotz, Morgan, Stepper, Storer; Against: none). Motion by Vice Mayor Robert Storer, seconded by Councilmember Morgan.

What's next: The Design Review Board will hold its final hearing on the CPC project. Neighbors concerned about the building's visual impact have one remaining opportunity to weigh in.

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E-Bikes, a Stubborn Stump and a Sept. 15 Deadline

Town Manager Tai Williams delivered his monthly report covering several fronts — but two items carry immediate consequences for residents.

E-Bike Enforcement Begins Day One

Following the council's updated parks ordinance, staff installed 26 new signs at all parks regarding e-bike limitations. On the first day of school, police will be stationed at every bike corral.

"On the first day of school, our police, upon the invitation of our school district this year, will now be at all of the bike corrals, hoping to educate before we start enforcement," said Town Manager Williams.

Staff are also preparing options for a potential sidewalk prohibition for e-bikes and e-scooters. A survey distributed to parents through the school district asks families to map how children get to school — data that will inform any future exceptions.

Iron Horse Trail: Racing the Clock

The Iron Horse Trail construction project has been beset by atmospheric rivers, nesting birds, PG&E utility guy wires, and — in a moment that drew laughs — a tree stump that solved its own problem.

"The stump took care of itself by toppling into the creek. That took care of the issue for us," Williams said. "We are now writing a long report justifying that your biologist was here."

The humor belies real stakes. The project faces a strict Sept. 15 deadline imposed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, with a possible extension to Oct. 15. Miss that, and construction pauses until spring.

"We are hoping that we will be able to utilize every single construction work hour throughout every single workday so that we can meet that very strict September 15th deadline," Williams said. "If we don't meet it, we are going to ask for an extension. The very latest extension is October 15th."

Staff Resourcefulness Saves $20,000

Maintenance staff at Hap McGee Ranch Park performed an in-house playground safety surface repair after an outside contractor quoted $20,000 for the job.

"Our staff said, you know what? We think we can do it better, faster and cheaper. So they did," Williams said.

Other updates: The IT team completed audio improvements and remote participation upgrades for SB 707 compliance. Social media posts generated 1.2 million views collectively. The Danville Town Talks platform now provides public access to development proposal plans. Capital projects in progress include the San Ramon Valley Boulevard storm drain rehabilitation and Sycamore Valley Road repaving. A Care and Shelter exercise with the American Red Cross is planned for Sept. 2.

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Recreation Boom: 13,906 Registrations, Record Youth Council Demand

Why it matters: Rising participation across nearly every category signals growing demand for town programming — and the groundbreaking for a new pavilion and maker space represents the biggest expansion of Danville's cultural infrastructure in years.

Director of Recreation, Arts and Community Services Jessica Wallner presented a comprehensive department update covering January through July 2026.

"We had 12,750 registrations from January 1 to July 31, 2025, compared to the 13,906 registrations we had this year, so it was nice to see an increase there," Director Wallner said.

A new automated waitlist notification system implemented May 1 replaced hundreds of manual phone calls. Adult sports leagues are at their highest participation since before COVID, with bocce maxing out at 16 teams on four of five nights. Aquatics hired 60 lifeguards and instructors, served 2,143 participants, and reinstated the lifeguard-in-training program dormant since 2019.

The Danville Youth Council received a record 114 applications for just 10 spots. Eighty-four of 124 summer staff were Danville residents.

Cultural arts highlights included a sold-out run of Alfred Hitchcock's 39 Steps (1,073 tickets), four Music in the Parks concerts on the Town Green, the first-ever permit for I Can Do That Theater Company at Prospect Park Plaza, and a pencil art exhibit that has already sold 20 pieces.

"What we are the most excited about is the construction of the Town Green Pavilion and the Town Studio maker space, with a groundbreaking already taking place tomorrow," Director Wallner said.

What's next: Fall registration opens Aug. 18 for residents. The Acorns of the Old Oak public art coloring book is in final proof. Staff are preparing for the Meet Me in Danville campaign, including facility upgrades.

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Overdose Awareness Day: Youth Ambassadors Bring Naloxone Message Home

Mayor Arnerich read a proclamation designating Aug. 31, 2026, as International Overdose Awareness Day. Alice Power, project manager for the National Coalition Against Prescription Drug Abuse (NCAPDA), presented on behalf of Executive Director April Rivero, who lost her son Joey to an overdose.

"In 2024 alone, nearly 80,000 people in the United States lost their lives to a drug overdose," Power said. "This proclamation honors those we have lost, supports the families and individuals who continue to be affected, and reminds our community that overdose deaths are preventable."

Two NCAPDA youth ambassadors then spoke. One urged the community to reject the assumption that overdose "could never be me" and carry naloxone: "It is far better to have and not need than to need and not have."

Laysha, NCAPDA youth outreach director and a rising senior at Emerald High School, described distributing naloxone kits in Oakland and the personal stories they encounter.

Councilmember Morgan asked when NCAPDA last held an event in Danville and suggested they attend the farmer's market. Mayor Arnerich noted a free table is available through the chamber of commerce. Councilmember Stepper praised Power's demonstration work at a Child Abuse Prevention month event.

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Minor Items

• Consent calendar (items 8.2–8.9) approved 5-0: Register of Demands; June 2026 Treasurer's Report; Resolution Nos. 68 and 69-2026 setting 2027 meeting dates and holidays; Resolution No. 70-2026 amending the town pension plan effective Jan. 1, 2026; Resolution No. 71-2026 declaring parcel APN 218-090-032 exempt surplus land; Resolution No. 72-2026 approving display of County Wexford and New Ross, Ireland, flags Sept. 10–14; Resolution No. 73-2026 designating the Elliott House at 146 Diablo Road a Danville Heritage Resource with a historic incentive package; Resolution No. 74-2026 authorizing a change order for the 2025/26 Pavement Slurry Seal Project.
• Great Elephant Migration exhibit: Elaine Cortez Shroth of 333 Arts announced 30 life-size elephant sculptures — handcrafted by indigenous artisans in South India from invasive lantana — are coming to downtown Livermore from Oct. 10 through Dec. 6. Previous installations reported 52% increases in foot traffic. Danville businesses and residents were invited to participate through sponsorships and cross-promotional opportunities.
• Danville Bowl lane rescue: Local artisan John Zenitis salvaged two 7-foot bowling lane sections from the recently demolished Danville Bowl, which operated since the early 1960s. He asked the council for help finding a public display or reuse opportunity — suggesting an entryway walkway, counter or meeting table. The mayor directed him to leave contact information with the clerk.
• OPGO News publisher presses council: Shag Kathrani, founder of OPGO News, asked council members to respond to articles about the planning commission's role in development decisions and whether complete traffic studies are conducted for individual projects. Mayor Arnerich said he receives roughly 400 emails a day and offered his card.
• Rock and Roll safe routes program: Councilmember Stepper reported on a walk-and-bike-to-school program from La Mirinda where children earn charms for traveling without a car one day a week. A Danville pilot school is being sought for fall.
• TVTC admin shift: Councilmember Morgan reported the Tri-Valley Transportation Council's administrative lead has moved from Danville to Alameda County, though meetings still occur in Danville. The Innovate 680 adaptive ramp metering project is wrapping up.
• Closed session: Council adjourned to closed session for City Attorney performance evaluation and labor negotiation.