On December 9, 2008, the Planning Commission unanimously approved the Conditional Use Permit (CUP) application by Charter Properties to adopt the Shared Parking model for calculating the required number of parking spaces at Phase I of the Promenade. Charter Properties was not responsible for the poor planning of the ill-conceived parking arrangement at Dublin Ranch Villages, so it is definitely not obligated to resolve a problem that cannot be fixed by a garage alone. All that the nearby residents are requesting is for adequate parking as defined by Dublin’s Zoning Ordinance to be provided, so Phase I at the Promenade does not exacerbate the parking crisis that neither the City nor the HOAs have the political will or sufficient jurisdiction to confront directly. Dublin has good standards; we just need to be better about enforcing them. Given the parking realities at Dublin Ranch Villages, allocating at least 541 parking spaces as mandated by code is not only the responsible way to start the Promenade but also in the best interest of the Promenade tenants, nearby residents, and, most importantly, all of Dublin. If the City allows one developer to disregard Dublin’s Zoning Ordinance in an area with known parking shortage, it will send the wrong message to other developers with similar mixed-use projects elsewhere in Dublin. Once this bad precedent is set, those other developers can reasonably demand the City to relax its parking requirement for their projects and challenge the City in court should the City refuse. The City of Dublin cannot afford to spread this parking nightmare beyond Dublin Ranch Villages.
Responsible planning should not rest on theoretical use by idealized people alone. Up to now, residents and their guests have enjoyed what essentially amounts to exclusive use of the street parking within Dublin Ranch Villages. Charter Properties has no basis for believing that patrons beyond walking distance from the Promenade will always use the garage. Just like the Planning Commission’s postulation that the Promenade will never come close to needing 500 parking spaces, the developer’s optimistic assumption fails to take into account that diners, shoppers, office workers, and gym members will park wherever they feel is most convenient. The 14 allotted parking spaces on the streets around the Promenade will not be able to absorb parking overflow from the Promenade into the neighborhood streets nearby. The parking overflow will adversely affect residents in the vicinity, but the City has an opportunity now to mitigate the negative impact by insisting that at least 541 parking spaces be planned. Second chances do not come by that often, so the City should not let this one slip by its fingers.
