Parks
by John M. Zukoski on April 20, 2011 | 
2 Comments | Topics: Parks
Comfortably nestled in the majestic rolling hills of East Dublin, Positano offers relatively affordable homes that are beautifully constructed with golf course and Tri-Valley ridge line views. At build-out, Positano will have approximately 1,000 of the 3,000 homes to be constructed in Fallon Village. Homes at Positano continue to sell at a brisk pace, and the need for adequate neighborhood park space has become apparent. To help meet that need, the City of Dublin is working diligently to open a new 4.6-acre park bordered by Valentano Drive, Latari Street, and Montese Drive.
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by John M. Zukoski on April 1, 2011 | 12 Comments | Topics: Opinions · Parks
As East Dublin residents in the Dublin Ranch Villages and Sorrento at Dublin Ranch come to grips with the reality that the Promenade may never come within their lifetime, they can take comfort in the huge swaths of raw land along Tassajara Road that the real estate and construction magnate John DiManto has effectively given to Dublin as the newest multi-purpose park space. Representing the best of what public-private partnerships can accomplish, the new “DiManto Park” has a timeless look that money cannot buy. The fallen down fences, unkempt “weedscaping,” and farming relics from another era provide residents with a tremendous opportunity in learning and play. Master-planned parks are so last decade. The latest trend in park design is minimalist rustic, as cities like Dublin take the sustainable approach to park construction and maintenance and let Mother Nature do the heavy lifting.
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by John M. Zukoski on April 1, 2011 | No Comments | Topics: City Hall · Parks
The City of Dublin is seeking input from Dublin residents on the names of two new parks planned in the Positano neighborhood. The first park, currently in the design stages, is a 4.6-acre park bordered by Valentano Drive, Latari Street, and Montese Drive. It backs up to open space and gently rolling hills. The second park is a 5.0-acre park bordered by Positano Parkway, Via Veneto Drive, and East Cantara Drive. It is adjacent to a yet-to-be-named elementary school.
The following general guidelines may be helpful in determining names for the parks.
- The proposed name should reflect the geographic location of the facility. Names of neighborhoods, major streets, or regional areas fall into this category.
- The proposed name should reflect a prominent form of topography or a well-known tree in the area.
- The proposed name should honor the history of the area. Family names of the builder or land donors fall into this category.
- The proposed name should recognize a significant contributor to the advancement of the City. Former mayors, councilmembers, and other city public figures fall into category.
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by John M. Zukoski on January 25, 2011 | 14 Comments | Topics: Announcements · Parks · Sustainability · Things To Do
The City of Dublin has formally submitted a request to the Pacific Coast Farmers Market Association (PCFMA) to showcase a farmers market every Thursday from 4PM to 8PM at Emerald Glen Park on the Gleason Drive side of the park. If approved by the PCFMA, the farmers market and related events would be held from May to October each year. The City of Dublin is planning to augment the weekly farmers market with special entertainment programs and activities to encourage community building throughout Dublin. The cost of the entertainment and promotional events is expected to be $25,000 for 2011.
The City of Dublin had initially hoped to host the farmers market on Friday nights; however, after many discussions with PCFMA, the City found that the PCFMA has a stronger track record facilitating farmers markets on Thursday nights instead of Friday nights. Programming and entertainment costs are also lower on Thursdays compared to Fridays, given that demand for hiring talent is much less on Thursday nights.
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by John M. Zukoski on January 4, 2011 | No Comments | Topics: City Hall · Parks
As reported last year, the City of Dublin experienced issues that led to delays in the completion of Dublin Historic Park Phase I. Originally scheduled to open in 2010, the City of Dublin now hopes to finish Phase I of the Dublin Historic Park in the spring of 2011. The issues that precipitated the delay of the Historic Park’s opening are only now coming to light. The City of Dublin terminated the contract with the original contractor Elite Landscaping in June 2010 “for cause” due to deficiencies during a City Council meeting, but the City did not provide full details of those deficiencies.
Feeling that it is still owed the remainder of the contracted fees because the contract was terminated “for convenience,” Elite Landscaping plans to sue the City of Dublin for over $1M. This hot mess is similar to the one the San Francisco 49ers now face for firing Coach Mike Singletary this season, because the San Francisco 49ers have to pay Singletary the remaining $5M on his four-year contract.
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by Around Dublin Team on December 31, 2010 | 2 Comments | Topics: Development · Local Issues · Parks · Schools
The City of Dublin has had quite a year in 2010. In January, the Around Dublin Blog speculated on the future of The Green on Park Place and readers responded with some very insightful comments. Michael B speculated that Sprouts Farmers Market might have been a good alternative to Whole Foods at The Green. Michael B was actually not too far off, as Sprouts Farmers Market announced in September that it would be opening a new Dublin store in 2011 at the former Circuit City location. The City of Dublin received more good news in December when Johnny Garlic’s decided to take over the restaurant space previously occupied by Fuzio at the Hacienda Crossings. The new Johnny Garlic’s in Dublin is expected to open by March 2011.
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by Around Dublin Team on December 26, 2010 | No Comments | Topics: Announcements · Parks
The City of Dublin has closed all of the sports fields at the Dublin Sports Grounds, Emerald Glen Park, Ted Fairfield Park and Fallon Sports Park for the annual maintenance period. The new synthetic turf soccer fields at Fallon Sports Park will remain open for all-weather play during the maintenance closure.
The closure is done each year to allow the fields time to rest, and it protects them from damage during the rainy winter season. In addition, during the downtime the City completes repair and maintenance projects that would normally be difficult to schedule as the sports fields are in constant use during the remainder of the year.
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by John M. Zukoski on December 14, 2010 | 1 Comment | Topics: City Hall · Parks · Things To Do
The City of Dublin offers scores of recreational activities, educational classes, and sport leagues for Tri-Valley residents. While most of the activities are for children, plenty of opportunities remain for adults. The fees charged for attendance vary amongst the course and activity offerings, but they are all very reasonable and discounted for Dublin residents.
The City of Dublin will provide children the chance to learn and play sports, develop their artistic skills, satisfy their special interest learning curiosities, and spend quality time with their parents. Some of the unique offerings include:
- Twist & Shout with Your Tot – The curriculum is designed to encourage creativity and imagination as parents and kids twist and shout together to some of the most popular children preschool songs. The first session starts on February 4, 2011.
- The Amazing World of Light and Color – This exciting experiment-based class is designed to raise your young child’s curiosity about light and the colors around them. The first session starts on May 6, 2011.
- Better Concentration through Board Breaking – This unique class develops a child’s focus and concentration through drills used in martial arts. The first session starts on January 10, 2011.
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by John M. Zukoski on November 3, 2010 | No Comments | Topics: Development · Parks
As part of its development agreement with the City of Dublin, Discovery Builders will be constructing a 10.6 acre park along Dublin Boulevard in the Schaefer Ranch community. Schaefer Ranch is a new master-planned community located in the west Dublin hills. The park is expected to open no later than mid-2013.
The new park will have 6.3 acres of usable space with the remaining 4.3 acres unusable. Discovery Builders will design and build the park based on the conceptual design that was approved by Dublin’s City Council on October 3, 2006.
Some of the features in the future park’s approved conceptual design include a large multi-purpose field that can be used for sports like soccer and football, two fenced tennis courts, picnic table pods and a covered picnic area, a basketball court, playgrounds and play structures, and lots of trees.
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