Links Extension of Dublin Boulevard to More Development
The City of Dublin is considering putting a measure on the ballot for this November that could call for the annexation of the southern end of Doolan Canyon, along Highway 580, the beautiful Crosby property between Fallon Road and Airway Boulevard.
A road extension could help circulation, but unnecessary development along it could overwhelm any improvements.
The supposed purpose of the annexation would be to construct an extension of Dublin Boulevard and connect it with North Canyons Parkway in Livermore, north of I-580.
But what’s actually being proposed is to bust the 10-year-old Urban Limit Line for commercial development on the greenbelt between Dublin and Livermore, at the request of the owner of the Crosby property.
Yerba mansa (Anemopsis californica) at Doolan Canyon. Photo: Scott Hein
Doolan Canyon is the only county land remaining between Dublin and Livermore.
A concern of ours is that Dublin wants to also build commercial and industrial uses all along the road, eliminating the open space buffer between Dublin and Livermore.
We are considering an official position. Ten years ago, Save Mount Diablo and other community groups sponsored an initiative that created an Urban Limit Line on the east side of Dublin.
The initiative passed, stopping a 2,000 housing-unit development called “Dublin Preserve” on 2,000 acres in Doolan Canyon (including the land that would be crossed by the Dublin Blvd. extension).
Our Urban Limit Line initiative was adopted by the Dublin City Council in June 2014, but then we had to defend it from the “Dublin Preserve” developers’ Measure T in November 2014. We won in a landslide with 84 percent of the vote.
The Crosby property is between Dublin and Livermore but not part of either city. It’s currently unincorporated land controlled by Alameda County. Dublin wants to develop it. Livermore would like it to be protected.
Indian thistle in Doolan Canyon. Photo by Mr. McCormack
We might be OK with the potential Dublin Blvd. extension if the two cities can agree on a compromise.
However, building commercial and industrial developments along its entire span (and outside the Urban Limit Line that we created) so that any green space buffer between Dublin and Livermore no longer exists, is concerning.
The Dublin City Council will consider the Urban Limit Line ballot measure in July. There are a lot of unknowns. For example, they may be violating required environmental review, given the short timing. We can’t tell until they make ballot language public in July.
They’re also considering another ballot measure, to relax city council term limits. More information from last year is available in this Pleasanton Weekly article.
Save Mount Diablo is considering future steps.
