An Uncomfortable Truth About Planning and Responsibility

It is deeply disheartening to witness a public official deflect accountability and shift blame onto those who are doing exactly what they were appointed to do-protect the integrity of Brentwood's planning process.

Supervisor Diane Burgis's recent comments in the Press do not demonstrate leadership. They expose something far more troubling: a lack of planning, a disregard for public process, and an attempt to politicize a problem created by the very institutions now casting blame.

What is truly embarrassing is not the planning commission's decision-but the fact that residents had to do the fire district's homework for them. That it was citizens-not city staff, not the county, and not the fire district-who rediscovered the shovel-ready, CEQA-cleared site on Sand Creek Road that was originally intended to replace the downtown fire station. The fact that this location was never reconsidered demonstrates either gross negligence or a stubborn refusal to change course in light of better options.

Let's be clear: the May 6 vote by the Brentwood Planning Commission was about design review, nothing more. It was not about fire response, or candidate training, or the emotional appeals Supervisor Burgis uses to distract from the real issue. It was about whether the proposed building met the standards of Brentwood's Downtown Specific Plan. It did not.

The commissioners listened. They evaluated. They found the design inconsistent with the established plan that guides all downtown development. That's not "reckless." That's responsible governance. Read the Downtown Specific Plan yourself and compare it to the proposed design-then ask yourself who failed to do their job.

It is frankly insulting to hear Supervisor Burgis dismiss this thoughtful, unanimous decision with fear-based rhetoric and cherry-picked soundbites. Her attempt to boil the meeting down to one offhand comment about a gym ignores the dozens of specific concerns raised by both the commissioners and the public. This wasn't a knee-jerk reaction. It was a detailed, deliberate judgment grounded in policy and planning.

And we must not forget: the Planning Commission did their job with integrity and focus. They represented the interests of the community, not those of political convenience. That Supervisor Burgis is now vilifying them for standing in the way of what increasingly looks like a rushed monument to her political ambition-just as she eyes a run for State Assembly-is not only transparent, it is deeply unfortunate.

Public safety matters. So does responsible planning. Brentwood deserves both.

Let's stop the misdirection and start the collaboration.

Regards,

J. Travis Martin

Commander, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10789