Politics & Government

Former Dublin Mayor Ask Residents to Put 'Let Dublin Decide Initiative of 2014' on November Ballot

Volunteers from the competing 'Dublin Open Space Initiative of 2014' have also been gathering signatures to put a measure on the ballot. What do you think?

Information submitted by Let Dublin Decide Initiative of 2014—

A coalition of local community stakeholders has launched a signature gathering effort to place the “Let Dublin Decide Initiative of 2014” on the upcoming November ballot. 

“Only the Let Dublin Decide initiative will allow the people of Dublin to decide for themselves the future of the land around our city,” said former mayor and Let Dublin Decide spokeswoman Janet Lockhart. “The competing initiative, the so-called Dublin Open Space Initiative of 2014, would block Dublin from having a say on the land east of our city limits, pushing control into the hands of Livermore. That’s why it is vital that Dublin voters have the choice that the Let Dublin Decide Initiative will give them.”

Former Dublin Vice-Mayor and Councilwoman Claudia McCormick, Dublin Unified School District Trustee and former Planning Commissioner Greg Tomlinson, and Dublin Parks and Community Services Commissioner Mona Ballesteros-Patel filed this measure to ensure Dublin will direct the future of the open space east of the city.

If approved by the voters of Dublin, the Let Dublin Decide Initiative of 2014 would have the City take the necessary steps to bring the land immediately adjacent to Dublin’s eastern city limits under Dublin’s control so the residents of Dublin can decide what – if anything – ever gets built there. It also puts a long list of important and permanent restrictions on the land, ensuring that over 60 percent of it remains open space, the hillsides are protected, any future development pays for itself and no existing Dublin home will be able to see any part of any future homes built on the land between Dublin and Livermore.

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Livermore recently built a gambling casino just east of the Dublin border and has recently applied to LAFCO – the agency that makes land-use decisions between cities – to put this land in its control. Only Let Dublin Decide will give Dublin residents control over its fate.

In addition to strengthening protections for existing homeowners, mandating 60% open space and codifying environmental protections, the Let Dublin Decide Initiative of 2014 will require a master plan for the entire area before anything could be built and would require all plans to go through the city’s approval process, including a citizen’s oversight committee.

Find out what's happening in Dublinwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 “We are confident that when voters hear of the consequences of both measures, they will agree that local land use decisions that affect Dublin should be controlled by Dublin,” said Lockhart. “That’s why we are confident that our signature gathering efforts will be a success, and that the voters will ultimately Let Dublin Decide.”

Editor's Note: Proponents of the “Dublin Open Space Initiative of 2014” are also collecting signatures and have posted information on Patch about why they believe their initiative should be on the November ballot. Read their full post here.


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