Despite the positive changes SPI had made to the project design to protect the largest groves of mature to old growth oaks (such as the impressive stand at right), the layout of lots and roads still limited wildlife from moving easily across the property. After testifying in depth at a hearing on the environmental impact report, CSERC staff continued to negotiate and press for more improvements. CSERC also continued to communicate with neighbors of the site who still expressed reservations about such a large project.  Out of the continuing controversy, the key SPI planner for this project -- Dave Brown -- openly engaged CSERC in new discussions to try to reduce controversy and to further improve the project.

  During those talks, CSERC identified four key areas of the site where our staff believed that open space still needed to be created or expanded.  Without those changes, we feared that deer, western pond turtles, bobcats, ringtail cats, and a host of other local wildlife species would not be able to move freely from one open space area to other protected areas.  In response, even after all the previous adjustments and concessions it had made, SPI took the major step of agreeing to new changes in all four areas that CSERC identified as problems.  SPI reduced the size of some lots, dropped one lot completely, and expanded open space zoning to enhance wildlife movement from one open space area to another.

  CSERC believes SPI deserves public acknowledgement and applause for the new agreement. The result is a final project design that is probably the most sensitive to oaks and open space of any large project that CSERC has dealt with in the last 18 years.  What is even more positive is that the open space now designed along streams and across the best oak woodlands provides interlinking habitat.  Western pond turtles and other wildlife will hopefully have better chances for long-term survival amidst thousands of cars traveling across the site each day and perhaps 800 new residents, hundreds of pets, and far more noise and disturbance.

Dave Brown was the SPI planner responsible for
making key changes to the project.

  “CSERC obviously never encourages the development of any spectacular woodland area such as the Peaceful Oak Estates site,” says John, CSERC’s director.  “But if development is consistent with the General Plan and is clearly going to take place, it is certainly valuable for wildlife to have key areas protected in open space – especially the spectacular individual old growth oak trees and the beautiful valley oak stands on this site. I openly thank Dave Brown and SPI for making the positive changes.” 

   John added, “If CSERC could get the logging side of the company to bring the same kind of willingness to the table to look at ways to reduce impacts from clearcuts and herbicide use, we’d likely find some very positive solutions on those issues, as well.”