Dublin’s $2.2M Fees Windwall from Emerald Vista Could Help Complete Emerald Glen Park
Dublin residents may be getting closer to realizing the dream of having an Aquatic Center at Emerald Glen park thanks to the future residents at the new mixed-income Emerald Vista residential community. Located at 6700 Dougherty Road across from Camp Parks, Emerald Vista will be built on the former federal low-income housing project Arroyo Vista. This new residential community will feature 180 Below Market Rate (BMR) apartments by Eden Housing and 198 for-sale homes at market rate by KB Home.
Instead of building a park for the future residents of Emerald Vista, KB Home will pay the City of Dublin $2.2M to build park amenities elsewhere within city limits. “The Emerald Vista project includes many community amenities, such as a (3,000 square foot) community center, tot lot, and day care facility, as well as a passive open space area that connects via a trail to Alamo Creek Park,” said Dublin Economic Development Director and Public Information Officer Linda Smith. “That is the reason that the City did not require a neighborhood park on site and collected the ($2.2M) in-lieu fee.”
The City may elect to put the windfall of $2.2M towards the future Emerald Glen Recreation and Aquatic Complex. According to Smith, at least $937K of the payment must be spent within five years. “The $2.2 million mentioned can be used for any park facility and this determined through the Parks Strategic Plan as well as policy decisions by the City Council,” said Smith.
This last assurance is like manna from heaven for Dublin residents who have waited nearly a decade for the Recreation and Aquatic Complex at Emerald Glen Park off of Tassajara Road. The project had been stalled for many years after developer fees dried up with the slowdown in new construction housing market; however, the pick-up in new home sales, the unexpected increases to City revenues, and windfalls like the $2.2M payment from KB Home could help make the Emerald Glen Recreation and Aquatic Complex a reality by as early as 2014.
Phase I of the complex will house a 6,675-square-foot leisure and instructional pool, as well as a 25-meter by 25-yard competition pool. The complex will also include a 35,895-square-foot facility featuring a gym, fitness center, game room & teen center, group exercise & dance studio, special events room, juice bar, and locker rooms.
9:39 AM on February 9th, 2012
Let’s hope that they at least charge a fee (with no discounts, exemptions, or exceptions) for the use of this facility. I can see it quickly becoming overrun by the massive numbers of people we are adding to the city if it remains free.
11:19 AM on February 9th, 2012
Looking at the photo one could only dream of how nice it would have if we had a stretch of green park going from Emerald Glen all the way to Lockhart Way n connect with Fallon Sports Park. It would be like a mini Central Park with a library and community center in the mix. It would be the envy of all the Bay Area. Instead we paved most it over with asphalt and stucco homes stacked and packed tightly together and on top of one another at Sorrent East n West. Not quite the envy but the opposite, no community would want it other than Daly City or So SF. Well developers would envy and salivate over their fat wallets getting away with turning Dublin into DC and S SF.
3:49 PM on February 9th, 2012
Hope it is a good news.
Oracle just bought Taleo in Dublin.
They are either going to expand the existing facilty or relocate them to other campus. Since there are a shortage in commercial space in South Bay. I really think we should be able to provide intensive to lure some companies to Dublin.