The compromise at the heart of Measure Y would transform 410 acres of private open space into 380 acres of public open space, with 29 acres set aside for the development of single-family homes.

Along Diablo Road, which winds from Danville's town center to the Magee property, signs for and against Measure Y campaign both claim to back "open space," a source of some confusion among local residents who spent a recent Saturday afternoon at the nearby Sycamore Valley Regional Open Space Preserve.

"All I’ve heard is that the open space that they’re trying to vote on with Measure Y is already open space," Mimi Dobrich said.

"We get mailings every day and then we see posters all over the place," said Lee Shapiro, who said he'll be voting for the measure. "I’m not sure what the argument is against it. I can’t figure out the other side’s argument."

The confusion stems from the meaning of the term at the center of the Measure Y debate: open space.

"The same term means different things to different people," Press said. "Technically, that property could be developed. Just because it's open right now reflects past history. So saying it's open space now is a statement about right now and it's not a statement about the future."

The history of the land's current ownership dates back decades. The Magee family has operated the ranch since the middle of the 20th century, receiving tax benefits through California's Williamson Act to keep the land undeveloped.

Past efforts to develop the property have been unsuccessful: In 2016, a Contra Costa County Superior Court judge ruled that a previous project did not properly consider the bicycle safety impacts of building new homes.

In July, the Danville Town Council unanimously approved developer Davidon Homes' plan for the latest development, dubbed Magee Preserve.

But a group opposing the project, Danville Open Space Committee, gathered thousands of signatures to challenge the project on the March ballot.

"It is blatantly illogical to have a campaign that says we're bringing open space by slamming a 69-home development on open space," said Bob Nealis, a member of the Danville Open Space Committee. "The open space, as you're looking at right now, exists."

Nealis, who lives blocks away from the entrance to the proposed development, argued that the open space benefits being dangled to the public distract from the development's chief impacts: namely the new traffic that will be forced onto the narrow Diablo Road.

"That mile-long stretch of Diablo Road is very windy, very narrow, very dangerous, frankly," said Nealis, who believes the development "adds a tremendous amount of congestion in an already overcrowded, unsafe road."

But to supporters of Measure Y, the Magee land isn't open space, it's private property.

"This view is open right now. It is a stunning vista. But you can't hike here. You can't be an equestrian here," Danville Mayor Karen Stepper said. "It's not your land to use, but it will be when it's owned by East Bay Regional Parks."