The City of Dublin is desperate to expand its borders. This time it's the agricultural land between Dublin and Livermore known at the Crosby property, that is part of unincorporated Alameda County.  This is the last piece of land north of I-580 near Dublin that still has nice rolling hills.  The remainder of Dublin's southeast corner will be commercial and light industrial.  This measure takes this last bit of serene, rolling hills and puts commercial development on it. The City Council voted 3-2 in favor of putting Measure II on the ballot.

      Ayes - Hu, Josey, Thalblum

      Noes - Qaadri, McCorriston

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   Voters approved

   Measure II by 53%

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The people that benefit the most from this measure are the owners of the Crosby property whose land just became worth many millions of dollars  ($60M-$80M??).  However, the City of Dublin will be responsible for $54M for the cost of that last half-mile of roadway that runs through that property.  (That's in addition to the $100M for the first mile within Dublin's city limits.)  

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The Open Space Initiative of 2014 (OSI) protected a large area of land east of Dublin from development.  It is an area between Dublin and Livermore, north of Interstate 580.  In order to remove that protection, it requires voter approval from the Dublin residents; and that's what Measure II did.  The voters gave the City Council the authority to allow commercial and light industrial on the Crosby property - 180 acres between Dublin and Livermore closest to the freeway and within the OSI protection, as long as they follow a set of rules.  Before Measure II, voters had control of any land use change.  With the passage of Measure II, voters have given that control to the Dublin City Council.

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There are requirements that have to be met in order for the City Council to allow this development:

• they may not develop more than 80 acres, and they must leave 100 acres as Open Space.

• the development must contribute substantially to funding the Dublin Blvd extension that is being planned.

• right of way for the road must be provided by the property owner at no cost to the City

• supplied water and disposal of wastewater must be assured (presumably by DSRSD)

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What about all of the promises in Measure II?

• Dublin Blvd extension - what many people didn't know is that the Dublin Blvd extension was planned regardless if Measure II passed or not.  It is a separate project.  So Measure II really has no affect on emergency response time or traffic relief.

• Traffic Relief – the additional route between Dublin and Livermore will provide traffic relief as promised.  However, the traffic relief will not be in Dublin - it will be on the freeway because some vehicles will get off the freeway to drive through Dublin. Alameda County Transportation Commission has officially referred to the Dublin Blvd extension as an "I-580 reliever route." So, allowing traffic from I-580 onto Dublin Blvd will INCREASE TRAFFIC along Dublin Blvd., but will provide some traffic relief on I-580.  This would be true regardless of the outcome of Measure II.

• Improved 911 response - again, Measure II will not have any effect on emergency response time because the Dublin Blvd extension was being planned regardless of the outcome of Measure II.

• Clean Air - There’s no explanation.

• Open Space Preservation – currently the Crosby property is part of a land area protected by Measure D (passed by Alameda County residents in 2000).  It is 180 acres of primarily agricultural and open land.  With the passage of Measure II, this land can be rezoned to 80 acres of commercial development and 100 acres preserved as Open Space.  So there will be open space preservation, but there will be up to 80 acres of development right next to it.   i.e. less open land than there was before Measure II.

• At no cost to taxpayers - interesting interpretation.  The City plans to use some money from the General Fund - money that came from taxpayers. But they think that because they have already collected that money from property taxes and such, that it doesn't cost the taxpayers anything. They are hoping to get grant money, but so far they do not have any. The City staff (who crafted the Measure last summer) were careful to say that "the right of way for Dublin Boulevard on the property was provided by the property owner without cost to the City." That's because the Crosby family hasn't donated that land to the City. So if the City wants to own the 10 acres for the road it may cost them/us something. Because I'm not a lawyer, I don't know if buying the actual property for the road is exempt from a new tax... or is it just the right-of-way? The City has not made its intentions obvious one way or the other regarding a purchase.  And one more thing... if Dublin annexes the Crosby property, Livermore will immediately withdraw their $27M in funding for the road.

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Misleading title to Measure II - it's not just my opinion. Check out links:

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      Alameda County November 2024 Ballot Title Evaluations - Alameda County Grand Jury Association

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      Dublin November 2024 Ballot Title Evaluations – BALLOT WATCH DOG

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                         Letter from the Mayor of Livermore

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