Danville delays Diablo Road work as nesting birds and PG&E guide wires complicate construction

Danville Town Manager Ty Williams told the council on April 7 that several local infrastructure projects are advancing but facing practical hurdles, notably nesting‑season protections on the Diablo Road project and utility lines crossing the trail corridor.

Williams said the town is monitoring multiple active nests and has instituted 50‑foot buffers around trees with breeding activity. "CDFW actually has posted a biologist on‑site every day," he said, adding the town is "hoping quickly that the birds will fledge soon by our April 15 deadline" so tree removal can proceed before bat season begins.

The manager also reported crews are removing sediment from a roughly 1,000‑foot stretch of storm drain under San Ramon Valley Boulevard; the mechanical work is loud and expected to continue for about a week while repairs proceed.

Unexpected utility conflicts have complicated the Diablo trail work. Williams said crews encountered multiple PG&E guide wires crossing the planned pathway and that only PG&E can relocate those lines. He added the town is working directly with PG&E and has meetings arranged with local PG&E government‑affairs staff. "So part of the effort now is to get PG&E out there to relocate their own wires so that we can proceed with the truck," Williams said.

Williams described a separate multiyear effort to improve clarity at Oak Hill Park Pond. "We are trying out a new treatment that other cities have said is very effective," he said, noting the initial effort "takes about 3 weeks" and that the pond may look worse before it gets better. The town has posted signage to reassure residents and is aiming for clearer conditions by Memorial Day weekend.

During council questions, Councilmember Renee Morgan asked whether noninvasive deterrents had been tried to discourage nesting such as reflective tape or other devices. Williams said the town is evaluating options and "we are going to be trying to wrap some of those trees" to prevent further nesting on very large trees. He emphasized that treatments to the pond are designed not to harm wildlife.

The town manager also reported the municipality is investing in emergency‑preparedness systems and exploring expanded ham‑radio capability as a redundant communications path, and that a town podcast in the Town Talks series has begun as part of outreach efforts.

Next steps: the town will continue daily monitoring by CDFW on nesting trees, coordinate relocation of guide wires with PG&E, and complete the initial pond‑clarity treatment over the coming weeks.