The East Bay suburb of Dublin approved a 573-home development, overcoming objections from residents that it will lead to traffic congestion, overcrowded schools and even a potential water shortage.
Dublin’s city council unanimously approved the Trumark Homes project, on 165 acres of vacant land on the city’s eastern edge, after a tense four-hour hearing, the Mercury News reported. Another concern: a full environmental impact report for the land hasn’t been done in almost three decades.
The homes will be divided into six different neighborhoods across East Ranch, a site formerly known as Croak Property. Five will include 473 homes ranging in size from 2,300 to 3,800 square feet. The sixth will have 100 1,600- to 1,800-square-foot townhouses. Trumark also plans to build two parks across 11.5 acres.
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Trumark will reserve 18 small homes for residents with “moderate” incomes, accounting for 25 percent of the city’s requirement. It will pay Dublin about $5.4 million to make up for affordable homes it would otherwise have had to build to satisfy rules that require projects with more than 20 homes to market 12.5 percent to low-income people.
Trumark also agreed to donate two acres to nonprofit housing developer Eden Housing, so that it can build up to 77 apartments that it can sell to families earning low incomes.
“It is undeniable we are in the midst of a housing crisis right now,” Vice Mayor Shawn Kumagai said at the hearing. “We need more housing of all types, and I think this project does in a thoughtful way provide a variety of housing,”
City Manager Linda Smith said it will probably be a few years before the first homesare completed.
[MN] — Victoria Pruitt