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Dublin to Consider Rezoning for Large Apartment Development Project

In a meeting set for tonight, June 16, at 7 p.m., the Dublin City Council will consider options in regard to an apartment building development.

The council will hold a public hearing to consider the At Dublin project, which would greenlight building up to 566 residential units and require development rezoning within the city. The council will also vote on whether or not to approve a contract for consultation services pertaining to development.

The public hearing portion will dive into the details of At Dublin, a 79.9-acre project bound by Tassajara Road, Interstate 580, Brannigan Street and Gleason Drive. The development will include apartments, detached small-lot single-family homes, senior housing, up to 240,000 square feet of retail commercial development, and other infrastructure and landscape improvements.

Approving such a project would require amending the city’s general plan and Eastern Dublin Specific Plan.

The existing general plan allows for 261 residential units and 902,563 sf of commercial space on the At Dublin parcels. The proposed project changes the plan to 566 residential units (an increase of 217% in number of units) and 240,000 square feet of commercial space (a decrease of 74% in commercial space).

The city must also consider a certification of the final environmental impact report (EIR). The staff recommendation going into the meeting was to adopt the resolution amending the general plan and Eastern Dublin Specific Plan, waive the reading, introduce an ordinance amending the zoning map, approve project maps, enter into a development agreement between Dublin and SCS Development Company, and adopt a resolution to certify the EIR.

A 20-year Dublin resident, Kerrie Chabot, outlined her objections to the project in a Patch publication. Of her concerns, she noted that, while the project proponents have touted it will help to fund schools, the revenue received from the developer will not offset the impact to the Dublin Unified School District (DUSD).

“The $80,000 in fees for each of the estimated 177 students does not fully mitigate the impact to schools for two basic reasons,” Chabot stated. “One, as evidenced by the cost of Cottonwood Creek school, the cost is approximately $130,000 per student as shown below, and therefore $80,000 is only 62%. Second, even if DUSD was able to build additional space for students generated with the $80,000, there is no space in east Dublin schools, so this project will cause boundary changes that are impossible to mitigate for the students and families who are impacted.”

Chabot further added that $14.5 million in school impact fees will not help build a new high school.

“Dublin residents have already fully funded the new high school with Measure H and J,” she continued, “so funding from this project has nothing to do with a new school … The answer to doing better is following the general plan, which will better provide appealing architecture, amenities that add to the community, diversity to our tax base, more affordable housing and long-term local jobs.”

The council is also expected to review a consent calendar item to approve a consulting services agreement with RRM Design Group for citywide multifamily objective design standards and prototype plans for accessory dwelling units. The services contract amount would not exceed $227,130, and the city reports sufficient funds are available in the fiscal year 2020-21 budget to cover the expense. Dublin will see a reimbursement of those funds as part of the approved Senate Bill 2 Planning Grant Program. Staff’s recommendation is to adopt the resolution approving the agreement between the city and RRM.

Requests for comment from the city leadership were not returned as of press time.