Have you ever noticed the Christmas tree lot in East Dublin while driving down Tassajara Road during the holidays? The Christmas tree lot and the rest of the nearly 11 acre parcel at 6407 Tassajara Road are owned by Robert Nielsen. Many may also have noticed Nielsen’s home on top of the hill above the Christmas tree lot area. The Dublin Planning Commission recently gave its blessing to change the land use on the Nielsen property from agricultural to residential.

The Nielsen property is planned to have a total of 36 homes spread over nearly 11 acres, with the unusable acreage left over for open space. Each home is designed to have a decent-sized private yard equivalent to nearby homes in the Dublin Ranch community. The Planning Commission’s decision to redesignate the property for residential purposes makes sense given that the parcel is surrounded by existing homes at Dublin Ranch and Silvera Ranch, as well as future homes at Wallis Ranch.  While Nielsen’s other neighbor, Quarry Lane School, did express some concerns related to the expected increase in traffic from future residents and the visual impairment of some surrounding views, the Planning Commission felt that all of the major impacts could be mitigated as part of the proposed plans.

While ultimately voting in favor of the residential project concept, Commissioners Wehrenberg and Schaub both shared their concerns about the narrowness of the planned streets. Specifically, they noted that the narrowness of the streets will mean tighter street parking and insufficient space for recycling bins. Commissioner Schaub went on to warn that the narrow streets could be the basis of a future challenge with the development agreement.

The Nielsen project could have tremendous benefits for future and current Dublin residents. These new homes are designed to have private yards with gorgeous views of Dublin’s rolling hills. The proposed land use change from agricultural to residential also makes sense, because the Nielsen property is surrounded by homes and Quarry Lane School. Finally, if approved by the City Council, the Nielsen project would generate impact and development fees, pull in additional property and sales tax revenue, and help to stimulate demand for businesses in East Dublin.

The Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve the change in Nielsen property land use by a vote of 4 to 0. Commissioner Morgan King recused himself.