As Around Dublin readers, you are most likely very curious about our fine City’s exciting ongoing and future developments. Additionally, many of you have probably scoured the City of Dublin’s project lists (please click here for a link to the Jun-08 development project list). While our project list is a fantastic resource and an illustration of the City of Dublin’s commitment to its residents to provide transparent governance, some of the terms and references on the project list can be confusing or not as clear as residents would prefer – specifically the “Status” column. It can sometimes be challenging to determine if a project is in the beginning, middle, or end of development.

To this end, here is a summary of the stages of development for most projects in Dublin (thank you to Around Dublin reader Ovidiu for this entry suggestion):

1. General Plan: this establishes how land in Dublin can be used. For example, the open land along Tassajara Road is designated by the General Plan for Commercial use. However, it is possible that the owner may request a General Plan amendment to change the land use designation to Residential for one or more of the parcels.
2. Specific Plan: this is an extension of the General Plan and applies to a particular development area of Dublin. For example, there are Specific Plans for East Dublin and Village Parkway. This provides more detail as to what the City would like to see in a particular area (e.g., design elements).
3. Stage 1 Plan Development (PD): this is a preliminary permit process where the developer presents very high-level information about their project. Developers will often state the requested zoning for a project in this stage (which may or may not be consistent with the Specific Plan).
4. Stage 2 Plan Development (PD): this is a refinement of the Stage 1 Plan Development permit request that has more detail (e.g., setbacks, height specifications, and parking proposals). Stage 2 will often include the proposed design details – but not always. Some projects, like Grafton Plaza, can be at the General Plan, Specific Plan, Stage 1 PD and Stage 2 PD – all at the same time!
5. Site Development Review (SDR): this includes all the nitty-gritty details of a proposed development. The end result of a successful SDR is that the City will issue a permit to proceed with development.
6. Planning Commission Review: the Planning Commissioners (appointed by Dublin’s City Council) review and approve the project ordinances and SDR. This can be an iterative process if there are questions and/or concerns about a project.
7. City Council: the City Council takes the Planning Commission’s recommendation into account and determines whether or not to approve the proposed project as-is or with modifications.
8. Plan Check: this is more detailed review of the project plans all the way down to the structural, elevation, and contingency detail. This is a process that can sometimes take 3 to 4 iterations before the developer and City come to an agreement.
9. Construction: also known as “sticks in the ground”. This is the stage where the architect’s vision becomes reality.

This is a very high-level overview of the planning and development process. While each project is unique and can have different steps, the list of eight steps above provides a solid framework for the City of Dublin’s development process. Please feel free to comment or email me at john.zukoski@gmail.com if you have any related questions.