About Around Dublin Team
Background
The Around Dublin Team reports on news throughout Dublin, California and provides an online forum for interested residents in this emerald city of Northern California to share their perspectives.
Contact
Email: Around Dublin Team
Website: http://www.arounddublinblog.com
September 28, 2011 | 
6 Comments | Topics: Local Issues · Opinions
Public libraries are considered by many residents in and around Dublin, CA to be an essential part of having an educated and literate population. As a branch of the Alameda County Library, Dublin Library currently receives financial support from the City of Dublin. The additional funding helps pay for 17 hours of service, including Sundays. Circulation now surpasses 500,000 items a year. Unfortunately, some visitors have recently noticed that the Dublin Library is becoming less like a hallowed cloister for knowledge and more like the Faber College’s Delta Tau Chi frat house from the movie Animal House.
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September 23, 2011 | 20 Comments | Topics: Opinions · Schools
Most Tri-Valley schools posted gains in the California Department of Education’s 2011 Academic Performance Index (API) reports. San Ramon Valley Unified School District once again led the way for the Tri-Valley by increasing its district API score to 922 from last year’s score of 916. Pleasanton, CA’s school district remained flat at 906. Dublin Unified School District’s (DUSD) API score increased to 885. Livermore’s school district API score jumped up to 832 from 822 in the prior year.
Dougherty Valley High School in San Ramon led the way for secondary schools with an API score of 921 for 2011. Monte Vista High School (898) and San Ramon Valley High School (895) rounded out the top three. California High School in San Ramon posted the biggest gain by adding 18 point to bring their 2011 API score to lucky 888. Livermore High School (817) had the lowest score in the Tri-Valley. In its first year of instruction, Livermore Valley Charter Preparatory posted an API score of 820. Granada High School (843) rounded out the lowest three Tri-Valley high school scores.
Foothill High School in Pleasanton decreased by 4 points, dropping the school’s API rank from 4th in 2010 to 6th in 2011; however, the school still enjoys a relatively high API of 884.
East Dublin schools continued to post strong gains in 2011 with John Green Elementary School leading the way with an API score of 952. James Dougherty Elementary School was close behind at 949, with K-8 Eleanor Fallon Murray rounding out the top three with a score of 917. West Dublin schools did not fare as well in 2011 with Frederiksen Elementary School dropping 15 points to 846, Dublin Elementary School decreasing by 11 points to 879, and Wells Middle School shedding 9 points to fall to 827. Valley High School, Dublin’s continuation school, jumped by an impressive 103 points to bring 2011′s API score to 660.
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September 22, 2011 | 53 Comments | Topics: Development · Local Issues · Opinions
Despite not having a single resident speak in favor of the action, Dublin City Council still voted to approve the request by Charter Properties and KB Home to initiate the process of rezoning part of the Promenade from Public/Semi-Public and Commercial use to Medium/High Density residential homes in Dublin, CA. City Council’s decision to move forward on the study has now jeopardized the vision of an upscale “Main Street” shopping village and gravely impacted the property values of the surrounding neighborhoods. Through its action on Tuesday night, Dublin City Council has effectively ignored the email protest from over 240 residents and the nearly 20 residents who spoke against the unpopular request to add homes where none had been planned.
MAY I BE OF SERVICE?
Based on their leading questions for city staff and Charter Properties President James Tong, Vice Mayor Kevin Hart, Councilperson Eric Swalwell, and Councilperson Don Biddle all clearly signaled their intention from the start to move ahead with the rezoning process despite the apparent unanimous community opposition. Considering the large amount of campaign contributions Charter Properties has allegedly bundled for every council member currently serving, the loyalty it commands from Dublin City Hall should probably not come as a surprise to anyone.
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September 21, 2011 | 11 Comments | Topics: Development
Billionaire Rick Caruso, President and CEO of Caruso Affiliated, recently entered into a purchase agreement with the Alameda County Surplus Authority to acquire 14 acres of prime real estate in eastern Dublin, CA for $13.1M to build a high-end outdoor lifestyle and retail center across from Hacienda Crossings and Sybase. The Caruso center is expected to have somewhere between 165,000 and 180,000 square feet of commercial space. The Dublin City Council recently provided a key approval to study the feasibility of amending the City’s general and Eastern Dublin specific plans to eventually allow the shopping center project to move forward.
“The center will be thoughtfully designed and merchandized to meet the needs of the community and respect the unique character of the City of Dublin,” said Caruso in a letter to Mayor Tim Sbranti and the Council.
Caruso’s recently acquired parcel is currently zoned for campus office space. The plan changes would alert the zoning on the 14-acre parcel to a general commercial and campus office designation. The process to change the general and specific plans is expected to be consummated with a final Dublin City Council approval in the near future. Caruso Affiliated will cover all costs associated with the studies.
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September 18, 2011 | 63 Comments | Topics: Development · Local Issues · Opinions
The All-America City of Dublin, CA and Charter Properties have recently launched a campaign of misinformation and half-truths to garner public approval for additional residential units on top of the 1,396 already built in the heart of Dublin Ranch Villages. Instead of winning general support for this controversial proposal, Dublin City Hall and Charter Properties have only succeeded in inflaming the many concerned stakeholders and solidifying their opposition to this unwanted land use change. In response to the overwhelming public outrage against the attempt by Dublin City Hall and Charter Properties to renege on the promise of high-end retail at the Promenade, Mayor Tim Sbranti has spent the past week working to encourage Charter Properties and KB Home to withdraw their request to rezone half of the Promenade to higher density residential at 25 units per acre.
Mayor Sbranti lives in the Villas at Dublin Ranch Villages, which is just a short walk from where Charter Properties will be building the condos. “If (Charter Properties and KB Home) don’t (pull their request) then I will be speaking out against this proposal at Tuesday’s meeting,” confirmed Mayor Sbranti. Mayor Sbranti needs your support at the hearing on September 20th to ensure that the Dublin City Council votes unanimously against this unpopular land use change.
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September 15, 2011 | No Comments | Topics: Announcements
Residents in and around Dublin, CA are advised to take alternate routes for their commute this evening. BART trains are delayed this afternoon because of a crash involving a big-rig and another vehicle on eastbound Interstate Highway 580 between Dublin and Pleasanton that sent one of the vehicles onto nearby BART tracks. According to California Highway Patrol Officer Marc Johnston, this horrific crash was reported at about 2:30PM on I-580 East just west of Foothill Road.
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September 13, 2011 | 52 Comments | Topics: Development · Local Issues · Opinions
As predicted by the Around Dublin Blog earlier this year, the dream of the Promenade in Dublin, CA as an upscale shopping destination has turned into a nightmare for East Dublin residents. Charter Properties and KB Home recently initiated the process to rezone one half of the Promenade to higher density condos that will likely be similar in density to the nearby Terraces at Dublin Ranch Villages with roughly 62 condos per acre. The 5.7-acre area in question will envelope Devany Square and is bordered by Central Parkway to the north, Finnian Way to the south, Chancery Lane to the west, and Grafton Street to the east. The Eastern Dublin Specific Plan currently calls for 1,396 units in the Dublin Ranch Villages, 1,132 units total in Sorrento at Dublin Ranch, and 930 Units in the Groves at Dublin Ranch. The 304 for-sale condos at the Groves have yet to be built.
The request from Charter Properties and KB Home to initiate the process of converting the Promenade to higher density condos will be discussed during a City Council public hearing on Tuesday, September 20, 2011 at 7PM in the City Council Chambers at 100 Civic Plaza in Dublin. If the City Council approves this initial step, the remaining 5.7 acres of the 11.4-acre Promenade area will likely get rezoned to high-density residential once Toll Brothers has sold the remaining units at the Terraces and is no longer a threat to sue Charter Properties, KB Home, and the City of Dublin for the land use change.
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September 5, 2011 | 80 Comments | Topics: Local Issues · Schools
The Dublin Unified School District will be holding a public hearing to evaluate support for the Tassajara Preparatory High School petition on Wednesday, September 7, 2011 from 6:30PM-8:30PM in the Dublin High School Library at 8151 Village Parkway. “Tassajara Prep’s founders are reluctant to ask supporters to attend the hearing because of the intimidation tactics being used by the Dublin Unified School District,” said co-founder John M. Zukoski. “This hearing is a tremendous opportunity for us to represent the support for Tassajara Prep and the need to provide choice for students in Dublin.”
The Dublin Unified School District’s decision to hold the public hearing at the Dublin High School library is an interesting choice, given the district is tasked by the state to provide an objective assessment of Tassajara Prep’s charter petition. Many have perceived this as another District ploy to stack the deck with anti-Tassajara Prep speakers at the public hearing.
The first District hearing required the attendance of two armed police officers. The City of Dublin has not indicated whether police officers will be dispatched to Wednesday night’s hearing. Residents who are not able to attend the public hearing are encouraged to send Tassajara Prep’s founders their thoughts in advance of the meeting. Messages can be sent to admissions@dublinlearning.org.
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September 5, 2011 | No Comments | Topics: Things To Do
Located in the East Dublin foothills at 5900 Signal Hill Drive, the Dublin Ranch Golf Course is hidden gem for local golfers. This par 63 course was designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr., one of the top golf course designers in the world. The front nine holes offer breathtaking views of the Tri-Valley landscape, while giving golfers a few challenges. The crosswinds and headwinds in Dublin can come into play on the front nine holes, while the nine holes wind through some homes and parts of the East Dublin hills. While the Dublin Ranch Golf Course has no water hazards, it has plenty of bunkers for players to remain on their toes. The entire course poses an interesting challenge for new and seasoned golfers alike.
The Dublin Ranch Golf Course is in excellent condition at all times, and the greens are top-grade for view and for play. In addition, the rates are a bargain for the quality of the course, at $25 per round with cart. The early evening start offers plenty of time to finish the 18 holes before dark.
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