Polls
by John M. Zukoski on October 14, 2008 | 
9 Comments | Topics: Polls
As posted in this article, the Dublin City Council recently voted against splitting the definition of medium density into medium-low (6.1-10 units/acre) and medium-mid (10.1-14 units/acre) and requiring specific rear yard setbacks for the Croak and Jordan properties within Fallon Village. The City Council felt that they would be placing too much of a restriction on property owners/developers by establishing rear yard setback requirements and more stringent density ranges.
On the one hand, this decision will most likely allow for development on the Croak and Jordan properties to move forward more quickly – which will generate more property tax revenues and permit fees for Dublin. On the other hand, this decision will likely allow for further development at the high end of the medium density range (up to 14 units/acre) with common areas instead of private yards.
This week’s poll question is – Should Dublin Tighten the Definition of Medium Density to Medium-Low (6.1-10 units/acre) and Medium-Mid (10.1-14 units/acre) For New Projects?
by John M. Zukoski on October 6, 2008 | 1 Comment | Topics: Polls
In the spirit of the election season, Around Dublin will be focusing on one additional tax/bond measure – WW (to provide funds for the East Bay Regional Parks District). The following background information is pulled from this Pleasanton Weekly article (please be sure to check out the entertaining comments):
On the November 4 ballot will be Measure WW, a $500-million bond measure that seeks to extend Measure AA, which was passed in 1988 and runs out this year. Measure AA raised a total of $225 million for the parks district to connect trails, purchase open space, restore creeks and build recreation areas and parks. But the money from AA has been spent or is already allocated for future projects.
That’s where Measure WW comes in. It needs a two-thirds or 66.6 percent approval from voters and would essentially extend the tax of Measure AA, which is $10 for every $100,000 in assessed valuation. A resident who owns a home worth $800,000 would continue to pay $80 per year on their property taxes.
Proposed projects impacting Dublin include $5.6 million to acquire land in Doolan Canyon and Tassajara Hills north of Dublin and Pleasanton and $4.7 million to connect the Pleasanton Ridge and Calaveras Ridge Trail to west Dublin hills.
This week’s poll question is – will you be voting for or against Measure WW to issue up to $500M in general obligation bonds to support the East Bay Regional Parks District?
by John M. Zukoski on September 28, 2008 | 78 Comments | Topics: Polls
In November, Dublin voters will have an opportunity to vote on the Measure L Parcel Tax. The Dublin Unified School District (DUSD) voted to place Measure L on the ballot in order to generate operating funds to support our schools. If approved by at least 66.7% of voters, the Measure L Parcel Tax would generate $96/year from each parcel in Dublin for 5 years. All senior citizens and disabled persons would be able to apply for an exemption.
Here are the items that would be funded by the Measure L Parcel Tax (from the DUSD website):
- Fund programs that help all students meet new graduation requirements and promote high academic achievement
- Provide science specialists at elementary schools so students have a strong foundation in science
- Fund needed textbooks and instructional materials so every student receives a 21st century education
- Attract and retain excellent teachers
- Maintain lower class size so teachers can work more closely with students
- Make certain our students sustain high achievement by providing ongoing teacher training in reading, math, and technology.
Based on the voting and comments from a similar poll question three months ago (please note that the amount being considered at the time was $99/year), it seems that Dublin residents have differing opinions about having a parcel tax to provide funds for our school district.
This week’s question is – will you be voting for or against the Measure L Parcel Tax?
by John M. Zukoski on September 21, 2008 | 5 Comments | Topics: Polls
For the past several years, the City of Dublin and the Dublin Chamber of Commerce have engaged the United States Postal Service (USPS) in a continuing dialogue on methods to improve customer service and address the parking situation at the Village Parkway station. One suggestion has been to build a much larger main facility on Scarlett Court (off of Dougherty Road).
As you can see below, Dublin has approximately 0.7 postal service windows per 10,000 residents. This is approximately a 1/3 of the service windows that Danville has with their two post office facilities.
The USPS has repeatedly expressed that they would prefer to look into ways of maximizing the efficiency of the existing post office, rather than constructing a new main post office with additional service windows. The City of Dublin has also looked into methods for mitigating the parking crunch near the Village Parkway station.
This week’s question is – Should the USPS Build a Larger Main Post Office in Dublin?
by John M. Zukoski on September 13, 2008 | 4 Comments | Topics: Polls
The Day on the Glen at Emerald Glen Park is a fantastic event that both brings residents of Dublin together in celebration of our fine city and functions as a showcase for all that Dublin has to offer. This year’s event is expected to attract 18,000 to 20,000 residents and visitors over the Saturday and Sunday period (9/20-9/21). Here are just a few of the activities, attractions, and adventures at this year’s Day on the Glen:
- City Hall Tent – find out about all the services offered by the city and ongoing and future development projects. The City Hall Tent will feature City Staff and members of our City Council.
- Petting Zoo and Animal Exhibits – visit the petting zoo and wild animal shows and exhibits.
- Live Music and Dancing – the headliner for this year’s event is Santana percussionist Pete Escovedo. There will also be Polish, Indian, West African, Brazilian, and Irish dancing on the International Stage.
- Booths – many of the booths will be hosted by Dublin-based businesses. This will be a great chance to support and learn about our local businesses.
- Sports Competitions – there will be a teen skateboard competition for the elite skateboarders from throughout the Bay Area. Additionally, there will be a volleyball tournament for adults and basketball tournament for nearly all age groups.
Please check out the official website for more details. This week’s question is – What excites you most about this year’s Day on the Glen?
by John M. Zukoski on September 4, 2008 | 9 Comments | Topics: Polls
Dublin has been blessed with phenomenal growth in the residential and retail markets. An emerging trend over the past 5 years has been higher-density residential and mixed-use development. While this type of development has many benefits, there can be significant challenges along the way. One such issue that has proven to be a thorn in the side of otherwise fantastic projects for residents has been street parking. Around Dublin readers living in The Villages at Dublin Ranch all very familiar with this particular challenge.
With projects such as the West Dublin Transit Village and Dublin Crossing in the planning phases , it’s critical that we think of potential solutions to the street parking challenge that tends to go hand-in-hand with higher-density residential and mixed-use developments. This week’s Around Dublin poll question is – “How would you solve the street parking challenge posed by higher-density development?“
by John M. Zukoski on August 20, 2008 | 13 Comments | Topics: Polls
Dublin has an abundance of affordable housing options for residents. The term affordable housing is often used to refer to below-market-rate (BMR) and Section 8 housing. BMR housing is subsidized by developers (as required by the city) and sometimes non-profit agencies. This type of housing can be a apartment, a condo/townhouse, or a single family residence that is rented or sold at a sliding scale rate that is below the market rate (thus the term). In Dublin, developers are required to set aside 12.5% of all new development for BMR housing. Developers can have the option to build 7.5% and then contribute 5% to a fund to build future BMRs at other projects.
The term “Section 8 housing” is actually a bit of a misnomer in that the housing offered to families can be the same as any other non-Section 8 apartment or home. The only difference is that the landlord is willing to accept a Section 8 housing voucher that is sponsored by the HUD agency.
Many residents feel that providing affordable housing is an investment in our community. Some support affordable housing – but only if qualified candidates are accepted into the program. Others might argue that market rate housing has already become affordable and that a subsidized program isn’t necessary or that affordable housing reduces the value of market rate housing. There are many pros and cons to affordable housing, but the important question is – are you in favor of having affordable housing in Dublin?
by John M. Zukoski on July 31, 2008 | 5 Comments | Topics: Polls
Dublin offers current and prospective residents a vast assortment of housing options – condos, executive homes, and everything in between.
The type of housing that Dublin offers has an impact on many aspects of our community, including:
- Identity of the City
- Jobs (desirable housing options will attract skilled workers and therefore more companies/employers)
- Demographics
- Sustainability
- Stores and Restaurants
- Aesthetics
Given the importance of having desirable housing options, it’s critical to determine Dublin’s optimal mix of housing.
This week’s question is – what type of new housing would you most like to see built in Dublin?
by John M. Zukoski on July 22, 2008 | 14 Comments | Topics: Polls · Sustainability
The Planning Commission met tonight to cover two main topics. The first was to recommend that the City Council approve D.R. Horton’s request for a 2.5 year extension to build out the Metropolitan condominium development at the East Dublin BART station transit village.
The second topic was to review and approve The Green on Park Place as currently proposed by the developer (Blake Hunt Ventures). Here is a selection of the many interesting items that were covered:
- The Green will have photovoltaic solar panels on the roofs of the buildings. The developer is also striving to achieve at least a Silver LEED certification. The Green could potentially be the first retail shopping center in all of California to be LEED compliant.
- The model for The Green had giant green leaves attached to the outside walls of the Whole Foods building (seen when driving northbound on Hacienda from the I-580 off ramps).
- There will be an impressive public art structure right in front of Whole Foods. The details are to be determined.
- The Green will have an impressive array of fully-grown trees – including poplar, cypress, and olive trees. The olive trees will be approximately 50-years old and will be sprayed with a special substance that will prevent them from fruiting.
- Traffic will flow in between the various retail buildings (including directly through the center Green). The developer would like to do this to provide a “vibrancy” throughout the center.
- The developer also requested to have the option to increase the amount of restaurant space and reduce the amount of retail space. This is just to have more flexibility in marketing to prospective tenants.
The next major step for The Green on Park Place will be to receive City Council feedback and approval on the developer’s current proposal. Please keep checking back for more details related to The Green on Park Place.
Please let me know if you have any questions/comments related to The Green on Park Place.
