The calculation of impact fees is based on the estimated number of “trips” generated by building new projects (e.g., trips to the grocery store, trips to/from home). The most significant reason for the decrease in fees is that Dublin has built at a higher density than what was initially forecast. Higher density means more people will be generating more car trips. With fixed traffic costs and more people than expected, the cost per “trip” has been less than expected.

In addition to a 24% decrease in traffic impact fees for residential development near the east Dublin BART station, the developers for Avalon and Metropolitan lobbied hard for additional fee reductions based on their argument that there is less traffic on a per-person basis in transit centers because more people walk and take BART. No data was provided to support this assertion.

When it became apparent that the Council would not support an additional fee reduction for Avalon and Metropolitan without having hard data to look at, the Council chambers began to sound like the floor of the British House of Commons as the developers’ representatives began to chuckle and make sounds of disgust off-camera to show their disapproval to the Council.

At the end of their deliberation, the Council directed City Staff to conduct a study to evaluate whether or not further fee reductions are warranted for Avalon and Metropolitan. If further reductions are approved at the transit center, then the remaining developers in east Dublin will need to pay higher traffic impact fees for their projects to make up the difference.

Related posts:

1. Striking the Right Balance in Residential Density

This was a heated and controversial topic at the City Council meeting with 20+ residents in attendance – many that spoke against approving Iroonet’s request to operate the boarding house. Dublin Ranch HOA President Dave Kay noted that the R-1 single family residential designation in his community precluded the Council’s ability to approve the boarding house request. Other homeowners expressed their concern that Iroonet is operating a for-profit commercial enterprise and that this is forbidden by the Dublin Ranch HOA guidelines.

In their final deliberation, the Council approved the 1 year Conditional Use Permit (CUP) request for no more than 6 student boarders. The permit will expire in June 2010 and will be reevaluated next March.

Related posts:

1. Request for Boarding House in Dublin Ranch Denied
2. Appeal to Add More Parking at Promenade Rejected by Dublin City Council

1. Install two “School Crossing Ahead” signs and lateral markings in the crosswalks at the intersection of Oak Bluff Lane and North Dublin Ranch Drive.
2. Paint “Stop” lines in front of the crosswalks at Oak Bluff Lane and North Dublin Ranch Drive to further assist drivers in remembering to stop.
3. Install “Yield to Pedestrians” signage and two “Stop Ahead” advance warning signs.

The total cost of these safety improvements is $4,500 and will be paid for from the Dublin gas tax fund.

Councilmember Kasie Hildenbrand pushed strongly for the addition of a crossing guard at the intersection of North Dublin Ranch Drive and Oak Bluff Lane based on the observation that many drivers ignore the existing Stop signs. However, the rest of the Council agreed with the Staff report and noted that an additional crossing guard wouldn’t be necessary at this time.

While the addition of speed bumps was not part of tonight’s formal discussion, the Dublin City Council directed City Staff to evaluate the potential for adding speed bumps in various neighborhoods throughout Dublin (including the area near John Green Elementary).

Please check out this YouTube video of Dublin Ranch’s Mary Morehead asking the Dublin City Council to take action to improve pedestrian safety near John Green Elementary after an 11-year old boy was struck by a car.

Related posts:

1. Parent Comments From the Kolb Elementary School Town Hall

Of the proposed 24 action items and strategies, the two most notable were to:

1. Provide the Dublin Unified School District (DUSD) with ongoing funding and one-time grants to promote recycling programs (such as food-scrapping).
2. Recognize local businesses that divert 75% of their waste away from landfills.

Councilmember Hildenbrand was very strong in her skepticism of the proposed partnership between the City of Dublin and the DUSD noting that, “There are 100 reasons why it is difficult to do.” Councilmember Hart countered that the DUSD’s behavior and reluctance to participate in the recycling efforts could be modified given the proper financial incentives.

A representative of Amador Valley Industries was also present to note that there are challenges with the proposed recycling program given that the value of recyclable materials has dropped significantly over the past year based on a precipitous drop in demand from countries like China and India. This in turn has led to unforeseen losses for Amador Valley Industries as they try to sell the recycled materials. Based on this, Amador Valley Industries requested that the City “provide fluidity” and remain flexible with respect to contract terms as market demand changes for recycled goods – seemingly leaving the door open for increased charges down the road.

No related posts.

The Dublin Unified School District (DUSD) conducted a Community Town Hall Meeting on February 4th to provide information and answer questions regarding the DUSD’s future elementary school, Kolb Elementary and the timing of its opening. The meeting opened with a brief informational session and then led into a 1+ hour Q&A session between the DUSD’s leadership team and Dublin residents. Please check out Around Dublin for a recap of the information provided during the town hall.

During the town hall conversation, it was acknowledged that one of the reasons that the DUSD doesn’t have the funding to complete the Kolb Elementary School project is that the impact fees that were generated on new home sales within the Kolb Elementary School boundaries were allocated to the construction of other East Dublin schools. One resident noted that he either felt that he was lied to about the Kolb school opening by the home builder or that the DUSD had poorly planned for the construction of Kolb Elementary School.

A few other residents in attendance noted that the DUSD ran over-budget on the Green and Fallon school projects because lucrative incentives were granted to contractors to finish in time for the targeted August school openings.

When discussing her frustration with having the construction of Kolb Elementary School pushed back at least a year, one resident went so far as to ask, “Should I cut and run”? Assistant Superintendent Dave Marken’s emotive response countered that Dublin was in better fiscal shape than neighboring school districts and that our schools have a bright future despite the bleak economic news.

The DUSD Board of Trustees may be deciding on the future opening of Kolb Elementary School during their next meeting scheduled for Tuesday, February 10, 2009. All residents and parents are encouraged to attend. The Board’s decision on the fate of Kolb Elementary School will impact ALL residents in Dublin.

Related posts:

1. Update: Kolb Decision Moved to 2/10/2009
2. Safety Measures Approved Near John Green Elementary

One of Dublin’s next frontiers of development will be on the parcel of Camp Parks property along Dublin Boulevard – directly across from the East Dublin BART Station Transit Village. The Dublin City Council unanimously approved City Staff’s recommendation to:

1. Submit Requests for Proposal (RFP) to consultants to prepare a Specific Plan and Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Camp Parks / Dublin Crossings project.
2. Form an evaluation committee to review the various proposals received as part of the RFP process.
3. Create a Task Force to work with the approved consultant to craft the Camp Parks / Dublin Crossings Specific Plan.

Dublin’s City Staff estimates that the Specific Plan and Environmental Impact Report will be completed by December 2010.

The project’s developer SunCal made a presentation to provide an overview of their:

• Expertise in creating master planned communities;
• Standard approach of gaining approvals, building infrastructure, and selling lots to commercial developers and home builders; and
• Experience with military base reuse projects like the Camp Parks / Dublin Crossings project.

SunCal also took time to assuage any concerns that the Council may have about their well-publicized partnerships with the now-defunct Lehman Brothers investment bank – specifically with respect to the Oak Knoll project in Oakland. SunCal’s spokesperson Joe Guerra noted that they have secured the necessary funding to complete the Camp Parks / Dublin Crossings project and that the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy will have no impact on the Dublin project.

In the Council’s ensuing discussion, Mayor Tim Sbranti noted in closing remarks that Dublin Crossings is one of – if not the most – important project in Dublin right now and a key to our future success as a City.

No related posts.

• Saved Dublin’s taxpayers $110K for the 2008-2009 fiscal year by eliminating the vacant Community Development Administrative Aide position;
• Considering the possibility of raising developer and business “fees for service” to reflect inflation over the past few years;
• Evaluating the option to repurpose special funds for projects and purchases that cannot be deferred;and
• Created a sales tax reimbursement program to encourage businesses generating at least $100K of new net sales tax revenue to move to Dublin (or expand within Dublin).

Given the forecasted general budget shortfall, Dublin must take even more drastic action than the steps noted above by first and foremost focusing on its own responsibilities and objectives. In addition to eliminating the subsidies it provides to outside agencies like local non-profit organizations and the School District, the City must consider cutbacks in all areas. Select deferment of capital improvement projects and a reduction in the level of nonessential services must be considered. Furthermore, as is the case in the private sector, City Hall must look at strategic staff redeployment and payroll reduction opportunities as Dublin contends with this unprecedented financial challenge.

While these are difficult economic times for the City of Dublin, we can balance the budget and still maintain a high quality of life for residents by remaining fiscally disciplined and focusing on broadening our tax base.

Related posts:

1. Budget Challenges
2. DUSD Publishes Draft Budget Reductions

Following that example, the City should use the Wallis Ranch community benefit payment to fund the completion of Emerald Glen Park and the astro turfs at Fallon Sports Park. The previous City Council had voted to fund the astro turfs at Fallon Sports Park through a surplus in the general fund. Instead of pulling money directly from the general fund, that popular optional upgrade can be more appropriately subsidized through a community benefit payment generated by a project in the vicinity like Wallis Ranch.

Related posts:

1. Wallis Ranch Project is Approved
2. Golden Opportunity Missed With Wallis Ranch

This past Tuesday night, the Dublin City Council rejected the appeal of a resident to add additional parking at the Promenade by a vote of 2 to 0 with Councilmembers Kasie Hildenbrand and Kevin Hart rejecting the appeal and Councilmember Kate Ann Scholz abstaining. By rejecting the appeal, the City Council affirmed the decision made by the Planning Commission on December 9th to grant the developer a Conditional Use Permit to provide 500 parking spaces vs. the 541 parking spaces required by Dublin’s Zoning Ordinance based on the adoption of the Shared Parking assumption.

The appeal was filed by a resident based on the principle that the Shared Parking study approved by the Planning Commission to reduce the number of required parking spaces did not account for the street parking shortage at the surrounding Dublin Ranch Villages and that all 541 parking spaces would have been required in the study if the traffic consultant had incorporated the assumption that visitors of the Promenade will likely choose street parking along Finnian Way in favor of parking inside the Promenade parking garage. As a compromise, the resident suggested that the City move forward with the Promenade project only if the developer agreed to put up a $5M bond as collateral in the event that an additional level of parking is eventually required.

During Public Comment, Planning Commission Chair Doreen Wehrenberg reversed her previous position of questioning the viability of the Shared Parking model and noted that further study of the bike ways and trail system to be built as part of the Promenade project provided her with the revelation that there should be plenty of visitors walking or riding to Club Sport – thereby reducing the number of parking spaces required at the Promenade. Other current and former Planning Commissioners reiterated their position that the parking challenges at the Villages has been caused by residents and that the developer of the Promenade should not be held responsible for the parking challenges at the Villages.

In response to the criticisms levied against Dublin Ranch Villages residents by the Planning Commission and other City Councilmembers for not using their tandem garages exclusively to park cars, Councilmember Kate Ann Scholz commented that “it is presumptive to tell residents how garages should be used.” Councilmember Scholz also noted that she was not comfortable with rejecting the appeal to add more parking at the Promenade without first studying the parking challenges in Dublin.

Councilmember Kevin Hart initially complimented City Staff for compiling the robust Staff report in preparation for the appeal and then went on to publicize on television that City Staff had accidentally included a copy of the $175 check submitted by the resident (as part of the appeal process) and later provided the page number that potential identity theft perpetrators could access the checking account information. After quoting Councilmember Scholz out of context, Councilmember Hart voted to reject the resident’s appeal to add more parking at the Promenade.

Related posts:

1. Responsible City Planning
2. Dublin Ranch Villages Parking Challenge
3. Request for Boarding House in Dublin Ranch Denied

Some of the concerns and questions commonly noted by representatives for the Dublin Ranch HOA and residents in attendance were with respect to:

• Iroonet’s commercial status while operating in an area zoned for residential use;
• Number of children living in the home on Oakhurst Court (14 kids plus 2 caretakers);
• The actual number of bedrooms at the home (a living room was converted to a bedroom); and
• Parking challenges associated with having visitors at the boarding house (it was later noted that there haven’t been any parking challenges of late).

The Planning Commission is expected to ratify Tuesday night’s decision during their next meeting on January 27th. As Community Development Director Jeri Ram noted last night, Iroonet will have up until February 6th to appeal the Planning Commission’s decision to the Dublin City Council (if ratified). There is a good chance that Iroonet will appeal the Planning Commission’s decision given that Iroonet is already operating a boarding house at the Dublin Ranch address (with the students in the middle of the school year) and that they have another home in Dublin that they would like to convert into a boarding house.

The Planning Commission also selected Commissioner Doreen Wehrenberg as Chair and Morgan King as Vice-Chair on Tuesday night. Commissioner Bill Schaub ended his tenure as Chair after four tremendous years highlighted by projects such as Grafton Station, Venture Commerce Center, Gateway Medical Center, and Tralee.

Related posts:

1. Dublin City Council Compromises on Dublin Ranch Boarding House
2. Appeal to Add More Parking at Promenade Rejected by Dublin City Council
3. Dublin Ranch Villages Parking Challenge