Dublin Historic Park Update
Dublin is inching closer to realizing its vision for a Historic Park in West Dublin (located at Dublin Blvd. and Donlon Way). As you may have read last week, Dublin will begin demolition on the Dublin Square Shopping Center within the next few months to make way for the new park. Here are just a few of the features that the initial plan for the Dublin Historic Park was designed to include:
- Informal performance stage
- Walking trail
- Outdoor classroom
- Orchard garden
- An interactive water fountain for kids
A few months ago, the City Council voted to expand the scope of the Dublin Historic Park to also include five historic turn-of-the-century Kolb Family ranch buildings. These buildings will be relocated from their current location in Pleasanton (an area that was initially a part of Dublin, on the other side of I-580) to the Dublin Historic Park site by December of 2008:
- Hay Barn – this will be a shelter for the Orchard Garden play area.
- Sunday School Barn – this will have a multi-use classroom space, reception & event area, a potential Black Box Theater, and an optional dressing room addition. This replaces the Pavilion that was included in the initial plan.
- Old House and Pump House – this will have a restroom.
- Main House – this will have an office, museum, and garden area.
Please click on the image above to see the many features that the Dublin Historic Park will include at build-out.
Phase I of the Dublin Historic Park will include the demolition of the Dublin Square Shopping Center, the relocation and rehabilitation of the Kolb Family buildings, and various landscaping improvements. These activities are expected to cost $5.4M and should be completed by the Fall of 2009. The rest of the features noted in the Dublin Historic Park plan design will be built in subsequent phases (which are currently unfunded).
The signature Dublin Historic Park is an example of Dublin balancing its history with its future, traditional park features with inventive new features, and function with form.
1:33 PM on October 27th, 2008
Hopefully this park will allow for general use by families who wish to have a large outdoor birtday party with volleyball nets, a place to play a game of flag football.
Emerald Glen is nice but the Family Group Picnic area is in an odd place. Nothing else to do other than eat as the grass fields nearby by are typically reserved for organized sports. Cannot put up a volleyball net or even have a friendly game of flag football with guests. Also it is on the opposite end of where the Children waterplay area is, go figure. Fallon Sports park will be much the same, geared towards organized sports organization, local leagues etc… The typical family that just wants a picnic for 50 plus people and a large grassy play area nearby there isn’t any place to go in Dublin.
1:42 PM on November 11th, 2008
Hi John,
In the spirit of Veteran’s Day, I was wondering if the City of Dublin has any plans to install public monuments and artwork that honor the sacrifices of our troops and their families? A park design initiative like this would also give Dublin a chance to engage the valiant men and women who are stationed at Camp Parks, as we build and modernize our beautiful parks.
5:08 PM on November 11th, 2008
Hi Anonymous – I haven’t heard of any plans. However, I personally think that it would be great if we could have a monument for our fallen heroes from the Tri-Valley area. We could partner with Camp Parks to design the monument and obtain permission to engrave the names of soldiers. Financing could come from the public art fund.
5:56 PM on November 11th, 2008
ON A PAVED PARKING LOT DUBLIN IS
RESTORING PARADISE
Paul McCreary, Assistant Director of Parks and
Community Services, City of Dublin
and Elizabeth Isles, Heritage Center Director, City of Dublin
City of Dublin has embarked on a unique park development project that will preserve
Dublin’s heritage and support environmental stewardship. In 2008 the City purchased the first
shopping center built in Dublin, which was constructed in the 1960’s, to develop it into the
Dublin Historic Park. The shopping center had lost its anchor tenant many years ago, which
resulted in high vacancy rates and blight.
The shopping center is on top of land that was purchased in 1850 by Michael Murray
who had come west via wagon train in 1846. James Witt Dougherty developed the site in 1862
with the addition of the Dougherty Station Hotel, blacksmith shop and a livery stable. Across
the street were Green’s General Store (1860) and the Amador Hotel (1862) and to the south is
St. Raymond’s Church (1859), and the Dublin Pioneer Cemetery. The Murray School House
(1856) was located just fifteen hundred feet from the site. This little settlement became Dublin’s
original “downtown” one-hundred and fifty years ago.
Dublin was a crossroads for routes going from Stockton to Oakland and Martinez to San
Jose and stagecoaches would regularly stop to freshen travelers and horses before continuing
their journey. As the automobile replaced the stagecoach, Dublin continued as a place to stop
along the “Lincoln Highway” (Route 50) through the 1950s. By the 1960s and the arrival of
Interstate 580, the population of the area exploded as subdivisions brought in new residents.
The shopping center took the place of the old town. The Dublin Heritage Center remained adjacent
to the shopping center with a 3.6 acre park with the historic resources of Old St. Raymond’s
Church, the Pioneer Cemetery and the Murray Schoolhouse intact.
In recent years the landowner wanted to demolish the shopping center and construct office
buildings and housing on the 4.3 acre site adjacent to the Dublin Heritage Center. However
residents wanted to preserve this parcel and its historical significance and expand the Heritage
Center into a Historic Park. Additionally the City needed to increase its park acreage in that
area of the community due to a park deficit inherited when the City incorporated in 1982.
Without a willing seller or a redevelopment agency in Dublin, the City embarked on a multiyear
planning process to acquire the property and develop the Historic Park. The City created a
Specific Plan and Design Guidelines for the Dublin Village Historic Area to turn it into a cohesive
district to better highlight Dublin’s historic resources. The Council also adopted a Historic
Overlay Zoning District that will serve to implement the Dublin Village Historic Area Design
Guidelines. The planning and land acquisition was successfully completed in 2007 when the
City was able to negotiate an agreement with the landowner to purchase the property and avoid
the use of eminent domain.
During the planning process the City was presented the opportunity to acquire several
historic buildings dating back to the early 1900’s from the Kolb Farm, which is a quarter-mile
from the Historic Park site. The Kolb family was one of Dublin’s early settlers. George Kolb
ran Dublin’s General Store, was a school trustee, was Dublin’s first postmaster, and established
the first library and phone company in Dublin. The Kolb Farm prospered in Dublin for almost
100 years and was occupied by three generations of the Kolb Family. However its connection
to Dublin was obscured in 1952 with the construction of Interstate 580. The path of the freeway
cut the Kolb Farm from Dublin and made it part of the City of Pleasanton. The family is
now selling the property which is planned for new development. With the family’s strong ties
to Dublin, Carol Strom, granddaughter of George Kolb, asked the Dublin City Council if it
would like to relocate any of the farm buildings to the new Historic Park. The City accepted the
offer and will be relocating several structures including the main house which will serve as a
period museum; the barn which served as Dublin’s first Sunday School room, and will now
serve as a performance and meeting venue; the original house which will serve as the park restroom
facility; and, the hay barn which will serve as a shade structure for playground.
The Historic Park Master Plan was updated to reflect the acquisition of these treasures.
The buildings will be sited in the same layout as the existing farm. This will provide a significant
interpretive benefit by creating an “ensemble” that reproduces the historic relationships
among buildings that characterized the home ranch of rural California. The layout enabled
families to operate the farm on their own. The Historic Park will also feature an Orchard Garden,
a Freshwater Corner Fountain to depict the Alamilla Springs, the Rancho Playground, and
expansive meadow for picnicking, outdoor performances and informal sports. Other unique
amenities will interpret the City’s heritage and promote cultural unity by showing how the early
settlers and current residents are of many cultures with many similarities, unique experiences
and beliefs.
In addition to preserving Dublin’s heritage and culture, the project will help the City to
promote and support environmental stewardship and protect natural resources. Joni Mitchell
would be proud that rather than tearing down paradise, the City is restoring paradise. Demolition
of the shopping center has begun and in accordance with the City’s Green Building Ordinance,
most of the building and paving will be recycled. The reduction in paving will reduce
heat islands and the additional plantings will enhance air quality. The park will also provide
needed outdoor recreation space in the western part of the community and help the City meet its
goal to provide five-acres of park land for every 1,000 residents. Streetscape improvements
will be made which will enhance accessibility for pedestrians and bicyclists, reducing vehicular
trips.
Demolition of the shopping center has begun, and the first phase of the park should be
open in 2009.
2009
6:38 PM on November 11th, 2008
Hi Anonymous – thank you for sharing the wonderfully in-depth update on the Historic Park. I can’t wait to see the landscaping improvements and Kolb buildings moved on-site and restored. It is great to see that Dublin is going to be able to provide additional park space for residents living nearby the southern portion of San Ramon Road. The future phases of the Historic Park will be fantastic, as well.
By the way, I love the Joni Mitchell reference!