River Islands at Lathrop — the largest planned community ever in the San Joaquin Valley — may be getting even bigger.

Cambay Group is mulling whether to request higher densities to allow the 11,000 home planned community to grow by almost 25 percent ultimately to 14,000 housing units.

Project Manager Susan Dell’Osso said it is in response to the changing greater Bay Area housing market.

If density is increased it likely will have little impact on the core design of the 4,800-acre project. That’s because a large chunk of the 3,000 additional housing units would be pursued along the edge of the project including upwards of 1,500 apartments/condos for an envisioned transit village on the south side of the business park that will serve as the initial eastern most stop of the Valley Link.

Valley Link will run from Lathrop initially to the BART station in Dublin and Pleasanton with stops in Tracy and Livermore.

Dell’Osso said planned retail area near the entrance that will eventually connect to an interchange on Interstate 205 is where the balance of the increased density likely will go.

There are already 1,500 homes occupied in River Islands.

Ground will break soon on the River Island High School that is targeted to open in 2022. At the same time work will go forward on the community’s second high school.

The snow hill at Dell’Osso Family Farm — dubbed some as Mt. Dell’Osso — is having its roof covered with solar panels.

It will allow Dell’Osso Farms to substantially cut into their $200,000 annual PG&E bill for their agricultural operations. Given that PG&E is asking for a 12.1 percent rate increase next year, going solar is a substantial money saver for farmers throughout the region.

And now that PG&E could cut off power by de-energizing the transmission line that delivers power to much of the county when severe fire conditions exist in the Sierra foothills, having solar could save crops. That’s because the worst of the fire season is in the fall. PG&E could leave farmers without the ability to pump water either from canals, the river or from underground sources. If it happens at the wrong time it could wipeout entire crops.

The solar panels atop the snow hill roof are visible as you drive by on Interstate 5.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com