Archive for April, 2009
by John M. Zukoski on April 30, 2009 | 
7 Comments | Topics: Restaurants
Extreme Pizza will be having their grand opening in Dublin at their new store in the Shops at Tralee Village on Monday May 4th starting at 11am.
The first 100 visitors will receive a free slice of pizza. Extreme Pizza will also be giving away free 2 liter bottles of Pepsi. Best of all, fans of the Around Dublin Blog can get a free slice of pizza and a t-shirt just for mentioning “around dublin blog” all day on Monday May 4th.
If you want to get a sense of what Extreme Pizza is, all you have to do is pick up a slice. There’s no better testament to “Dedication to Quality” and “Commitment to Innovation” than their award winning pizza. Extreme Pizza’s dedication to quality comes from a strict policy to use only the freshest ingredients, the tastiest combinations of toppings, and a mouth-watering store-baked crust that even comes in WHEAT!
Extreme Pizza has wildly creative pizzas such as:
- Paia Pie – mandarin oranges, Canadian bacon, pineapples, mozzarella, and cheddar
- California Cactus – black beans, grilled chicken, olives, onions, cilantro, and cheddar
- Peace in the Middle East – homemade hummus in place of tomato sauce, tomatoes, olives, feta, fresh basil, pepperoncinis, and mozzarella
Check out their menu of 19 signature award winning pizzas, calzones, hot wings, chill salads, subs, beer & wine & order online! http://www.extremepizza.com
EXTREME PIZZA (Located in The Shops at Tralee)
6599 Dublin Blvd
Dublin, CA 94568
Phone: 925-833-2400
Store Hours:
Mon – Thursday: 11am – 10pm
Fri & Sat: 11am – 11am – 11pm
Sunday: 11am – 10pm
Dine in :: Pick up :: Hot & Fresh Delivery :: Daily Lunch Slice Specials
FREE WIFI :: Happy Hour Specials 4pm – 6pm [$2 Beer Pints]
All in a fun and friendly atmosphere!
* Remember to mention “Around Dublin Blog” and get a FREE SLICE & T SHIRT on Monday May 4th.
by John M. Zukoski on April 29, 2009 | 20 Comments | Topics: Development
Charter Properties is developing an ambitious mixed-use project next to Grafton Station called Grafton Plaza. The tallest buildings at Grafton Plaza have been proposed to be as high as 150 feet tall with a mix of:
- Condos, townhomes, and shopkeeper units
- Class A campus office space
- A boutique hotel and wellness spa
- Shopping and dining experiences
While Grafton Plaza is still expected to move forward, the developer has recently changed the description of the project – which requires a re-evaluation of Grafton Plaza’s environmental scoping process. Dublin’s City Staff is preparing the new planning documents and revised project plan with a public hearing tentatively scheduled for summer 2009.
by John M. Zukoski on April 26, 2009 | 141 Comments | Topics: Development
The Muslim Community Center (MCC) of the East Bay will be breaking ground in east Dublin on a grand 3-acre project next to Fallon Middle School (and the future Springfield Montessori) within the next year or two. The 3-acre parcel was purchased from the Lin Family on August 30, 2007.
The 35,000 square foot facility will have these features:
- 9,000 sq. ft. community hall
- 5,000 sq. ft. prayer hall
- Teen center
- Senior center
- Community support offices
- Day care
- Sunday school
The MCC of the East Bay raised an additional $200K at its April 11th annual dinner to help begin the planning process with the City of Dublin.
by John M. Zukoski on April 24, 2009 | No Comments | Topics: Development
As part of the ongoing effort to reinvigorate development in Dublin, the City Council voted unanimously this past Tuesday to reduce some of the impact fees that developers pay to build secondary units. This recent vote dovetails with the Council’s decision earlier this month to reduce east Dublin traffic impact fees.
Secondary units include “granny flats” and casitas that are up to 1,000 sq. ft. in size. Projects like Positano have built secondary units to both meet the demands of new home buyers in Dublin and to help satisfy a portion of their inclusionary (affordable) housing requirements.
Here are the impact fees that have been reduced:
- Public Facility Fee - used to build facilities like parks, community buildings, recreation complexes, and community pools. The new rates will be $14,851/unit for east Dublin, $14,547/unit for Schaefer Ranch, and $10,509 for secondary units in all other areas of Dublin.
- Fire Facilities Fee – used to construct fire stations and purchase fire station equipment. The new fee will be $544/unit.
- Downtown Traffic Impact Fee – used to build roadways and other improvements required to accommodate additional traffic in the Dublin Downtown area caused by new development. The new fee will be $1,104/unit.
Tuesday night’s impact fee reductions were necessitated by the fact that developers had been paying the single-family residential impact fees twice – first for the main home and then again for the secondary unit. Given that secondary units are typically no more than 500-600 sq. ft. and never larger than 1,000 sq. ft., the impact fees for secondary units were revised to be the same as those paid for comparable multi-family homes (e.g., apartments and condos).
The Positano and Schaeffer Ranch projects will see a tremendous benefit from this impact fee reduction on the casitas and “granny flats” that they build in upcoming phases. This should allow the developers to pass the savings on to new home buyers and also encourage the construction of more new homes in Dublin – ultimately resulting in additional property tax, sales tax, and impact fee revenues to provide residents with the services and facilities that help make Dublin a great community.
by John M. Zukoski on April 22, 2009 | 3 Comments | Topics: Schools
Dublin’s very own Wells Middle School was recently named a 2009 California Distinguished School based on their educational excellence for all students and progress in narrowing the achievement gap for students – regardless of their background, conditions, or current circumstances. Murray Elementary won a 2008 California Distinguished School Award.
In addition to meeting various eligibility criteria, schools receiving a California Distinguished School award must demonstrate prowess in the following areas:
- Federal assessment results as measured by No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)
- Academic Performance Index (API)
- Closing the Achievement Gap
- Intervention or Sanction Status
The 2009 Distinguished School Awards Ceremony will be held at the Disneyland Hotel on May 29th. California State Superintendent Jack O’Connell will present each school with a 2009 California Distinguished School plaque and flag.
Congratulations to Wells Middle School!
by John M. Zukoski on April 19, 2009 | 8 Comments | Topics: Development
Located in the heart of Fallon Village, Salerno at Positano provides golf course homes without the country club price. Most of the Salerno home lots are nestled along the southern portion of the Dublin Ranch golf course or have a direct view of the distinctive course. Phase I of the the Salerno community boasts a well designed collection of large homes ranging anywhere from 2,747 – 3,555 sq. ft. in size.
While the first phase has sold reasonably well, Salerno’s developer (Braddock & Logan) is looking to adapt to the current home buying market by building homes that families can to grow into – homes with larger backyards and flexible floor plans and elevations. To that end, the Dublin Planning Commission recently approved Braddock & Logan’s request to reduce the size of their Phase II homes to a range of 2,003 – 3,343 sq. ft. so that the additional lot space can be used for larger backyards. The 2,003 sq. ft. home will be a single-story Italianate floor plan geared more towards senior citizens.
The Planning Commission also approved Braddock & Logan’s request to:
- Modify their Salerno Phase II floor plans to incorporate Spanish, Tuscan, Cottage, Italianate, and French Country designs; and
- Provide more flexibility for home buyers to choose their floor plan instead of being tied to a pre-plotted floor plan on a preferred lot.
Braddock & Logan’s representative Jeff Lawrence also hinted at a future request to scale back the size of their Cantara floor plans to provide future buyers with larger backyards. It’s great to see that the Dublin Planning Department and Commission is working with Braddock & Logan as they adjust to meet market demands for smaller homes with larger backyards.
by John M. Zukoski on April 17, 2009 | No Comments | Topics: Sustainability
The 2009 Dublin Pride Week kicks off on April 25th and extends all the way until May 2nd. What is Dublin Pride Week? It’s a collaboration between residents, City Hall, local agencies, and businesses to have fun while volunteering on school/senior projects, learning about “green” technologies, and enjoying Dublin’s natural beauty.
Space for some of these activities is limited:
- April 25th – Nature Walk (limited to first 20 families) and Volunteer Day with free BBQ lunch.
- April 27th – Food collection events at both Dublin Safeway stores.
- April 28th – Free water wise garden workshop
- April 29th – Free Solar Cities workshop for folks considering the move to residential solar energy.
- May 2nd – Hazardous waste drop off and compost giveaway (partnership with AVI).
Please contact the City of Dublin at (925) 833-6650 for more information. Dublin Pride Week promotes a positive image for the City of Dublin and demonstrates the ways in which individuals or groups can act to improve our community.
by John M. Zukoski on April 15, 2009 | 2 Comments | Topics: Things To Do
Summer is around the corner. The Dublin Unified School District has new summer camp experiences for all Dublin students! DUSD teachers will conduct Dublin’s new fee-based enrichment camps.
The DUSD camps are an extension of their teachers’ subject matter passions and fees are sensitive to the financial realities that face all Dublin families. Drama, fine arts, arts & crafts, logic games, puzzles, and computer instruction will stimulate your students mind. Additionally, the DUSD and Spectrum of Science have formed an exciting partnership allowing them to conduct Science Camps throughout the district. The camps are offered on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Please review the Summer Enrichment Camp opportunities packet for more information on how to enroll.
by John M. Zukoski on April 13, 2009 | 22 Comments | Topics: Development
Located just off of I-580, Fallon Gateway will become a grand commercial center for Dublin primarily focused on big-ticket retail, campus office, and other uses that can take advantage of high visibility from I-580 as well as close proximity to I-580, Dublin Boulevard, Central Parkway, and Fallon Road. Fallon Gateway will also be the main entrance into Dublin’s newest frontier known as Fallon Village.
Dublin residents can expect to see business such as:
- Auto dealerships
- Large discount stores such as Greatland Target
- Outlet stores
- Nurseries along the scale of something like Alden Lane in Livermore
This table provides a high-level summary of the development at Fallon Gateway (“Development Potential” = square footage):
In addition to providing conveniently located retail and a job center with lease rates that are significantly lower than those found in Dublin’s core area, Fallon Gateway is expected to become a cash cow that generates a bonanza of sales and property tax revenue that will fund critical City functions such as police, fire, recreation, and other essential services.
Dublin’s Planning Commission is expected to begin reviewing the developer’s plans for the Fallon Gateway project sometime in late April or early May.
Extreme Pizza will be having their grand opening in Dublin at their new store in the Shops at Tralee Village on Monday May 4th starting at 11am.
