(DUBLIN, CA.) - On Mar. 24, Dublin’s city council convened a special meeting discussing topics ranging from housing to fireworks.
The council was introduced to an ordinance amending the zoning ordinance for housing element implementation. The housing element is updated each year to show the city’s existing and projected housing needs.
Amendments to introduce two programs have been added to the ordinance.
Program B.15 requires that housing lost to new development must be replaced, and Program D.1 requires the city to review and identify any constraints that may prevent or hinder the development of affordable housing.
Additionally, D.1 calls for removing distinctions between for-sale and for-rent residential parking requirements, with specific guest parking requirements being removed.
Amendments were proposed for both programs. For B.15, it was proposed that housing demolition and new housing development projects must comply with state laws regarding replacement housing.
For D.1, it was proposed to combine for-sale and for-rent housing under a new multi-family residential use category.
Photo Credit: https://dublinca.new.swagit.com/videos/379162 // Chart showing parking space data for different housing types
“Dublin developers would inevitably want to provide parking regardless of whether there were parking requirements or not,” Senior Principal and Vice President of W-Trans Brian Canepa says. “They will do their best vis-a-vis their lenders to try to develop ratios that they think will really maximize the marketability of those units.”
Canepa adds that the data regarding parking space was simply to provide a base minimum that would be able to successfully meet peak parking demand and align with housing developers.
Councilmember Kashef Qaadri questions the potential of parking spillovers into adjacent neighborhoods.
Photo Credit: https://dublinca.new.swagit.com/videos/379162 // Councilmember Kashef Qaadri
Canepa responds by saying that unregulated and free on-street parking is what causes spillovers, as it remains a convenient option for people to park. Even if off-street parking spaces are added, most people will continue to gravitate towards the free on-street parking, even if some vehicles do end up filling the off-street parking spots.
“You don’t need to resort to this, but some communities do have resident parking permit districts that they put up to prioritize parking needs of the residents in those districts,” Canepa says. “It’s based on the preference of the city and neighborhood.”
Photo Credit: https://dublinca.new.swagit.com/videos/379162 // Senior Principal and Vice President of W-Trans Brian Canepa
The meeting then moved on to cover the construction of a new wireless telecommunication facility. Click here more in-depth coverage of the development.
The last ordinance of the meeting was the amendment of Chapter 5.24 (fireworks) of the Dublin Municipal Code.
For background on the topic, Dublin has allowed the sale of Safe and Sane Fireworks since 1982.
Safe and Sane Fireworks are those that have the official seal of the California State Fire Marshal's Office, and any other fireworks are considered dangerous and illegal.
On Jan. 13, city council requested a review of neighboring jurisdictions and their policies on fireworks. It was found that cities like Newark and Livermore had social host liability within their fireworks code but not their specific social host ordinance.
According to the Law Offices of Jennifer McGrath, “A fireworks social host ordinance seeks to impose strict liability for an individual or entity that owns, rents, or controls a property where illegal fireworks are used, discharged, or stored.”
In the case of Dublin, Section 5.24 was amended to add the definition of social host to include owners of private poverty, the people who have the right to access and occupy that property, or any person who hosts a gathering. For minors, the parents or guardians are considered the social host.
Section 5.24 is further amended to clarify penalties for violations, including the authorization of both code enforcement and law enforcement officers to use administrative citations for anyone violating the fireworks ordinance.
Additionally, the city will require booth operators to provide their revenues and expenditures from the previous year's fireworks sales.
Council discussed the importance of educating people and non-profit organizations on the changes made to laws relating to fireworks, especially in order to avoid confusion and danger for communities.
To add to or correct any information in this report, please email me at yashi.s@lead4earth.org or leave a comment below.
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