Archive for November, 2008
by John M. Zukoski on November 29, 2008 | 
17 Comments | Topics: Opinions
Dublin’s average home sale price dipped a skosh this week to $528K. We had a total of 12 home sales reported:
- 3 new – 2 at Sonata and 1 at Elan
- 9 existing – mostly west of Dougherty Road
On a national level, mortgage applications for home purchases rose a seasonally-adjusted 5.3% this past week indicating that demand is strengthening as interest rates have fallen and federal policy changes are in the pipeline. Government-insured loans, by agencies like the FHA, have fueled this growth – as indicated by the 113.6% increase in government-insured loan applications for October 2008 as compared to the same period last year.
The good news for Dublin is that many home builders foresaw the increased reliance on FHA loans and have already taken steps to become FHA approved.
by John M. Zukoski on November 28, 2008 | 1 Comment | Topics: Polls
The mission of the Dublin Parks and Community Services Department is to develop and implement quality programs that strengthen community image, provide recreational experiences, encourage healthy lifestyles and preserve the City’s heritage. There are many examples of this throughout Dublin, including – the Dublin Senior Center, Emerald Glen Park, and Alamo Creek Park.
Not resting on its laurels, the City of Dublin has set a high priority to provide residents with additional park space and recreational facilities. Please click on the links below to read about a few of the future parks and facilities that we can look forward to:
Please check out the 2008-2009 Dublin City Newsletter for more details about these magnificent projects (included in the Dublin Winter 2008 Recreation Guide).
This week’s poll question is – Which Future Dublin Park or Recreational Facility Are You Most Excited About?
by John M. Zukoski on November 27, 2008 | 5 Comments | Topics: Announcements
The Around Dublin Team would like to wish everybody a happy and safe Thanksgiving.
We would also like to thank all the wonderfully passionate, engaged, and intelligent readers of the Around Dublin Blog.
Please enjoy your time with friends, family, food, and football – but not necessarily in that order.
by John M. Zukoski on November 26, 2008 | 15 Comments | Topics: Local Businesses
Seeing an incredible opportunity, Dublin Toyota has purchased and will be moving into the former Ford of Dublin site. As part of this move, the southern portion of Myrtle Drive will be renamed Toyota Drive. It is interesting to note that Dublin’s former Mayor Guy Houston spoke on behalf of Dublin Toyota in front of the Dublin City Council when this request was formally approved on October 7, 2008.
While a sign on the building of Dublin Toyota’s future home notes an October 1st move-in date, the move will actually occur at a soon to be determined date. The City of Dublin’s Staff has been working with Dublin Toyota’s representatives to work out the landscaping, signage, and other pertinent details for their new facility.
The current Dublin Toyota site on Dublin Court is being marketed for lease. One Around Dublin reader shared a vision for the entire Dublin Court area in a comment suggesting that this could be an excellent redevelopment opportunity. At this point, a future tenant for this location has yet to be identified.
by Around Dublin Team on November 25, 2008 | 19 Comments | Topics: Announcements
As part of the effort to make Dublin’s city governance more transparent and accessible to our readers, the Around Dublin Team will start broadcasting select highlights from Dublin City Council meetings on the Around Dublin YouTube Channel.
As of November 25, 2008, the channel has three video clips. The first clip captures a rare, unguarded moment in which Mayor Janet Lockhart weighed the necessity of pedestrian safety improvements in Dublin Ranch Villages. The second cilp focuses on Councilwoman Kasie Hildenbrand as she provided an excellent summary of the parking challenges in Dublin Ranch Villages. The third clip again features Councilwoman Hildenbrand as she defended her earlier vote against a refinement in the medium density definition and her subsequent vote in favor of a more flexible requirement that leaves the current medium density definition intact. All the aforementioned video footage were extracted from the November 18, 2008 City Council meeting.
Readers who are interested in the full proceedings can always catch the meetings live on TV28 starting at 7:00PM every other Tuesday or via the free video-on-demand service provided through the City’s official website.
by John M. Zukoski on November 24, 2008 | No Comments | Topics: City Hall
The Dublin Planning Commission will be having their next meeting on Tuesday 11/25/2008 at 7pm in the City Council Chambers at 100 Civic Plaza.
The Planning Commission will be evaluating whether or not to allow the Hospice Foundation of the East Bay to accept donations at their newest store located at 7381 Amador Valley Boulevard (where Shepherd’s Gate Thrift Store was previously located, next to the Bangkok 101 restaurant).
If approved by the Planning Commission, here would be the operating guidelines:
- The donation center will operate seven days a week.
- The proposed hours of operation are Monday through Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- The donation center will be located inside the existing retail store. Patrons will be required to park their vehicle and take their donations inside the store during business hours. No donations will be accepted outside of the store.
- There will be one truck delivery and/or pick-up per day (Monday through Friday only).
Please feel free to contact Martha Aja in the Planning Department at 925-833-6610 for more information about this agenda item.
by John M. Zukoski on November 23, 2008 | No Comments | Topics: Parks · Things To Do
Are you looking for something fun to do with the family this holiday season? The City of Dublin is hosting numerous events throughout the holiday season. Please check out the Dublin Recreation Guide to check out the activities noted below:
Dublin Holiday Tea
Sunday, November 30, 12:30pm
Dublin Heritage Center
Treat yourself or someone you love to a special luncheon in the warm holiday glow of the Old Murray School. Merry volunteers will serve a three course luncheon, from scones to pastries, while harpist Dominique Piana fills the air with holiday music. This event is expected to sell out, so get your tickets today!
$20 per person/$70 for a table of four
25th Annual Tree Lighting – Thursday, December 4, 7:00-8:00pm
Fountain Courtyard, Dublin Civic Center
Bring the whole family and share the excitement of the holiday season with entertainment, caroling and refreshments. This is a FREE event, but contributions of canned foods for the Open Heart Kitchen or an unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots will be greatly appreciated. There will be performances by Valley Christian Choir, DUSD Children’s Choir, and a sing-a-long with Girl Scout Troop 30657. And we will all be on the look-out for Santa!
* New this year, we’ve added a special stand in the lobby—feel free to bring a decoration, ornament, or any other item that represents your holiday traditions, customs or culture, to place on our “Community Tree.”
Old-Fashioned Holiday Workshop & Visit Old St. Nick – Saturday, December 6, 2:00-4:00pm
Dublin Heritage Center
Come create old-fashioned holiday decorations and gifts using oranges, spices, popcorn, gingerbread and pinecones. Holiday sing-a-long, cider and cookies. You can also visit with a gentle, old-time St. Nick, receive a treat and even get your picture taken!
Workshop: $5 children—Activity No. 19264
Photo with Old St. Nick: $5—Activity No. 19265
* Tickets are also available at the door
Breakfast with Santa – Saturday, December 13
Dublin Senior Center
Santa Claus is coming to town! You and your little ones are invited to have breakfast (or lunch) with Santa! Tickets are on sale now…so sign-up today because this event always sells out! Proceeds benefit the Dublin High School Irish Guard Band.
$6 Residents/$7 Non-Residents
1st seating: 8:30am—Activity No. 19597
2 nd seating: 10:00am—Activity No. 19598
Lunch: 11:45am—Activity No. 19599
Holiday Toon Fest – Saturday, December 13, 2:00-4:00pm
Dublin Heritage Center
Drop the kids off and catch up on holiday preparations. They will love the old classic cartoons, movies and holiday refreshments.
(8 years and older)
$3 per person
Activity No. 19677
* Tickets are also available at the door
Bay Bells – Sunday, December 14, 3:00 and 4:30pm
Dublin Senior Center
Back by popular demand, the City of Dublin is thrilled to have Bay Bells perform TWO special holiday concerts for the whole family. Performing on over 100 bells and chimes and representing over 200 years of musical experience, Bay Bells is one of the nation’s longest-running community hand-bell ensembles. Each show will be approximately 40 minutes and the whole family is encouraged to attend, especially children.
3:00pm show—Activity No. 19278
4:30pm show—Activity No. 19279
Adults—$8
Youth (6-12 yrs.)—$5
Children (5 & under)—$3
* Tickets are also available at the door
Letters from Santa
Do you know a child who would like to receive a personalized letter from Santa? Each letter will be personalized based on the information submitted on the Letter to Santa registration form. You may also attach a letter from your child to Santa with the registration form. Please note: the deadline for registration forms is Wednesday, December 10.
$5 Residents/$6 Non-Residents
Activity No. 19596
There are 3 ways that you can register for these fabulous events:
- Go online to http://www.dublinrecguide.com and click on Activities; follow the prompts to register
- Complete the Registration Form on page 44 of the Recreation Guide and mail to: Parks & Community Services, City of Dublin, 100 Civic Plaza, Dublin, CA 94568
- Stop by the Parks & Community Services Annex Office located at the Dublin Library
Please feel free to call Parks & Community Services at 556-4500 if you have any related questions.
by John M. Zukoski on November 22, 2008 | 10 Comments | Topics: Development · Opinions
How would you spend a $1 million gift?
Community Benefit Payments are sizable contributions made by developers to the City of Dublin (and other cities) in addition to the standard building and impact fees required by new development. These types of payments are usually made by developers to compensate Dublin for making exceptions to the General or Specific plan guidelines, city ordinances, and/or other design guidelines.
The City of Dublin has received many Community Benefit Payments over the years with at least a few more in the pipeline. Here are just a few examples (please click on the image for a larger view of the table):
In some instances, the proceeds from Community Benefit Payments are designated for specific projects by the corresponding Development Agreements (e.g., the Schaefer Ranch South $1.5M total payment will be used to build future phases of the Dublin Historic Park). In other cases, the purpose of the Community Benefit Payment isn’t specified by the Development Agreement – so the proceeds flow directly into the General Fund (e.g., the Wallis Ranch $1M payment).
This “flexible use” characteristic is one of the key distinctions between impact fees and Community Benefit Payments. While impact fees must be used to provide infrastructure improvements (e.g., schools, parks, streets) in an area where development occurs, Community Benefit Payments can be used in whichever manner the Dublin City Council sees fit.
As noted above, the combined $2M Wallis Ranch and Positano Community Benefit Payments will be deposited into the City of Dublin General Fund. Please contact our Mayor and City Councilmembers if you have suggestions for how these payments can be utilized.
by John M. Zukoski on November 22, 2008 | No Comments | Topics: Opinions
Dublin home sellers saw another strong week with a total of 15 reported home sales:
- 4 new – 2 at Silvera Ranch and 2 at Sonata
- 11 existing – spread throughout Dublin
This week’s average home sale price of $577K was well above the 3-month average of $559K.
Please click here for an article about the national housing market.
Dublin’s average home sale price dipped a skosh this week to $528K. We had a total of 12 home sales reported:
