Polls
by John M. Zukoski on July 15, 2008 | 
2 Comments | Topics: Polls
Dublin is making strides to become a smoke-free city. The City of Dublin recently passed an ordinance to ban smoking within 20 feet of entrances and unenclosed areas where smoking is already prohibited (the previous provision set the limit at 15 feet). This includes stores and other places of business in Dublin. Folks caught smoking in the smoke-free zones can be fined $100 for the first offense in a year (and progressively higher amounts thereafter).
At tonight’s meeting, the City Council will:
- Likely approve the formation of a task force to recommend smoke-free policies for apartment complexes (like Amador Lakes in Dublin); and
- Provide City Staff with direction on the creation of an ordinance which would increase the prohibition of smoking to 100 feet from recreational areas (e.g., playgrounds) within Dublin’s parks. This would be similar to an ordinance passed in Livermore. A ban on smoking at Dublin city-sponsored events will also likely be included in the ordinance. Examples of city-sponsored events that this would impact include the St. Patrick’s Day and Day at the Glen Festivals.
So what do you think about the recent move to make Dublin a smoke-free city?
by John M. Zukoski on July 7, 2008 | 11 Comments | Topics: Polls
The East Dublin BART Station parking garage opened its gates to scores of daily commuters about one and a half months ago. This was a very welcome contribution to the progress of East Dublin in that it provided residents and commuters from other cities with conveniently located parking at the East Dublin BART station.
While the initial parking garage structure met its stated functional requirements, its mostly austere unfinished gray sides did not meet the stringent aesthetic requirements posed by many Dublin residents and local government officials. In response to mounting criticism of the “Gray Lady of the East Bay”, Alameda County kicked in about $500K to paint the parking garage a shade of beige. It’s important to note that while this $500K was an unexpected expense of the East Dublin BART station parking garage construction, the project still came in under budget and that none of the expense was passed along to Dublin residents.
So what do you think? Do you like the finished look? Was the beige paint job worth the $500,000?
by John M. Zukoski on June 30, 2008 | 16 Comments | Topics: Polls
Based on the findings of a recent survey, the Dublin Unified School District (DUSD) is considering a resolution to sponsor a November ballot measure to levy a 5-year $99/year parcel tax to fund Dublin school operations. The survey indicated that 70% of the respondents were in favor of a $99/year parcel tax and 71% of those individuals were in favor of having the parcel tax for a 5-year period. It is estimated that the $99/year parcel tax would raise roughly $1M/year to fund Dublin school operations. This would be a critical measure in bridging the DUSD’s operating budget gap.
The proposal for this ballot measure will be taken up during a July 15th DUSD Board of Trustees meeting. If approved by the DUSD Board of Trustees, the parcel tax measure will appear on the November ballot.
So what do you think? Are you in favor of a 5-year $99/year parcel tax?
by John M. Zukoski on June 23, 2008 | 10 Comments | Topics: Polls
As Around Dublin readers, you are probably very interested in seeing unique and distinctive stores and restaurants establish roots in East Dublin – specifically Grafton Plaza, the Promenade, the Green on Park Place and the future commercial/retail area along the east side of Tassajara Road (where we currently have open land).
This week’s poll is actually a collection of polls to gauge your preference for the options in each of these categories: retail shops, restaurants, and grocery & coffee/juice bar. Please feel free to click on the links below to familiarize yourself with some of the featured options.
Retail Shops
Smith & Hawken Garden Supply
Crate & Barrel
Burberry
Sur La Table
Restaurants
Bix
Bing Crosby’s
Olive Garden
Left Bank Brasserie
Grocery & Coffee/Juice Bar
Fresh & Easy
Draeger’s
Fantasia Coffee & Tea
Jamba Juice
So which retail shops and restaurants would you like to see in East Dublin?
by John M. Zukoski on June 16, 2008 | 14 Comments | Topics: Polls
Two weeks ago, you voted for what you would like to see developed at Grafton Plaza. By a margin of nearly 2 to 1, readers voted for 10 stories of mixed-use development vs. 6 stories of office space (the City Park option also garnered about 10% of the votes).
Given that there is fairly strong support for a mixed-use development, the big question now is “What should the mix of use look like at Grafton Plaza?”:
- Residential + Office + Retail
- Office + Retail
- Retail + Residential
- Residential + Office
What do you think? Let your voice be heard by voting for your favorite option in this week’s poll and leaving a comment.
by John M. Zukoski on June 8, 2008 | 16 Comments | Topics: Polls
Dublin will have a downtown district. The two main questions are: 1) where should the downtown district be located?; and 2) what should happen with the existing buildings in the downtown district? Answering these two questions can help determine when Dublin will have a downtown district.
The current thought is that the Dublin downtown district will essentially encompass the area from Village Parkway to San Ramon Road with Dublin Blvd. and Amador Valley Blvd. providing the boundaries on the north and south (please click on the image above for a more detailed illustration). The advantage of this location is that there are already stores, restaurants, some residential, and the West Dublin BART station in the area. The disadvantage is that there are already stores, restaurants, and some residential in the area – each building with it’s own unique look (and a look that won’t necessarily conform with the new Dublin Downtown Specific Plan). This leads to the second question – “What should happen with the existing buildings in the downtown district”?
Another related question could be – is the current location of Dublin’s future downtown district the optimal location…or would it make more sense to sculpt a downtown starting from scratch where there is more open land and existing building owners won’t need to renovate their buildings to conform with the new Dublin Downtown Specific Plan? One potential location could be across from the East Dublin BART Station at Dublin Crossing (currently occupied by Camp Parks)
This week’s poll question is “What’s the best way to make Dublin’s downtown vision a reality”?
by John M. Zukoski on June 1, 2008 | 2 Comments | Topics: Polls
As the release of the Grafton Plaza Environmental Impact Report (EIR) should be forthcoming within the next few months, it seems appropriate for Dubliners to think and speak out about what they’d like to see built (or not built) at Grafton Plaza.
If you are a resident that feels passionately about the development plans for Grafton Plaza, then please be sure to attend the next City meeting to review the EIR and provide comments for the Grafton Plaza project team.
As has been mentioned before, one of the reasons that we live in the best city in the Bay Area is that residents like you and I have full access to the City staff and elected officials that make the critical decision in our community.
Please click here to read more information about Grafton Plaza and vote in the poll located in the upper-right corner of your browser.
UPDATED POLL RESULTS
by John M. Zukoski on May 25, 2008 | 3 Comments | Topics: Polls
I’d really like for Around Dublin to be a more interactive experience. One way to encourage more interaction between readers and the blog is by providing a weekly poll. Please note that this new poll feature appears in the upper-right corner of the Around Dublin page. Future blog entries could be based on the poll results if there is a robust level of feedback and responses from members of our community.
So please click on your selection to the first question – Should a new high school be built in East Dublin?
UPDATED POLL RESULTS
