The Dougherty Valley development is a master planned residential development of approximately 5,980 acres of land into approximately 12,000 homes that began in the 1990s. The City of San Ramon and the Town of Danville sued the County and developers to block the development. In 1994 a settlement, the Dougherty Valley Settlement Agreement (between the County, City of San Ramon, Town of Danville, and the developers), was reached that governs how the entire Dougherty Valley was to be developed.   
  
As part of the traffic circulation of this master planned development, the new/realigned segment of Dougherty Road from Bollinger Canyon north to south is one of the major arterials identified in the Dougherty Valley Specific Plan to be constructed to help motorist travel through the community. The segment of Dougherty Road (Old Dougherty Road) from Stoneleaf Road/Ivyleaf Springs Road to Bollinger Canyon Road (south) is to be closed to vehicular traffic and converted into a recreational trail, and is identified as one of the major trails or paths in the Dougherty Valley Specific Plan.   
  
Recently, the developer completed construction of the new/realigned segment of Dougherty Road from Bollinger Canyon north to south (the Board of Supervisors accepted completion of improvements on August 2, 2016; Resolution Nos. 2016/470, 2016/472, and 2016/475). This new/realigned segment opened to the public as vehicular, bike, and pedestrian access on August 12, 2016, to coincide with the opening of Bella Vista Elementary School the following week. With the vehicular access through the community made via the new/realigned Dougherty Road, the old segment (Old Dougherty Road) is no longer needed for vehicular access; Vehicle Code section 21101 allows local authorities to close a highway to vehicular traffic when it is no longer needed for vehicular traffic by resolution. Vehicular access through the neighborhoods adjacent to Old Dougherty Road will continue to and from Stoneleaf Road, which connects directly to Bollinger Canyon road, and Ivyleaf Spring Road, which connects to South Monarch Road and Main Branch Road, and which both then connect to Bollinger Canyon Road. Closure of Old Dougherty Road to vehicular traffic is consistent with the Dougherty Valley Specific Plan and the overall Dougherty Valley development project approval.  
  
The Dougherty Valley Oversight Committee (DVOC) discussed closure of Old Dougherty Road on December 7, 2015 and June 6, 2016. At the June meeting, there was a unanimous consensus of the DVOC committee to continue with the original plan of closing Old Dougherty Road and converting it to a recreational trail.  
  
It is anticipated that the County will vacate the right-of-way and reserve rights for public utility easements under procedures in the Streets and Highways Code at a later date.

The roadway section will not be closed.

Speakers:  Shisiro K mohanty Solomon; Nishant Asthana; Ranganathan Madhanagopal; Velu Kandasamy; Viswanathan Ananthanarayanan. Commentary submitted via email is attached.

Resolution 2016/ 502 contained a minor typographical error. The revised version was accepted into the record by unanimous vote.