Landslide Victory for No on T!

Dublin residents and members of the “Save Dublin Open Space, No on Measure T” campaign celebrated on Election night November 4th, 2014, as they defeated Measure T in a landslide of more than 4 to 1, with 83% of the Dublin vote. The vote protects Doolan and Collier Canyons. It will take a lot of development pressure off the Tassajara and Las Positas hills stretching north to Mt. Diablo and Los Vaqueros. It also literally shifts the political landscape of Dublin, the fastest growing city in the state.

Sponsored by the developer Pacific Union and cynically titled “Let Dublin Decide” (even though it would take development plans out of the hands of voters), Measure T would have allowed development in beautiful Doolan Canyon, the greenbelt between Dublin and Livermore. Pacific Union spent more than $161,000 on their campaign.

Measure T was opposed unanimously by local environmental groups, the entire Dublin city council and planning commission, and all four candidates for mayor. Tri-Valley Conservancy and Save Mount Diablo were the major donors to the ‘No’ campaign along with many Dublin residents

“We appreciate the support of the entire city council and planning commission,” said Morgan King, former chair of the Planning Commission and one of the authors of the “Dublin Open Space Initiative of 2014” which the city council adopted in June to create an urban limit line protecting Doolan Canyon, and Measure T would have broken. “The leadership of Mayor Tim Sbranti and Councilmember Abe Gupta really stands out. They worked hard to defeat Measure T.”

“Doolan and Collier Canyons are the greenbelt between Dublin and Livermore,” said Laura Mercier, Executive Director of the Tri-Valley Conservancy. “They’re important agricultural lands and open space. They’re also beautiful. Dublin residents have just told us that there are limits to growth and that they support protecting our hills and ranches. They want our kids to have open spaces in which to play.”

“In 2010 when Pacific Union proposed their 2,000 unit project in Doolan Canyon, we had very little support in Dublin,” said Dick Schneider, a volunteer with the Sierra Club’s Bay Chapter. “Four years later we had hundreds of volunteers, the support of thousands of residents, and a unanimous vote to adopt our measure by the city council of the fastest growing city in the state. Now, by defeating the developer’s Measure T, Dublin residents have reaffirmed their interest in growth control and open space preservation.”

“We all collectively defended Livermore’s urban limit line in 2005” said Ron Brown, Save Mount Diablo’s Executive Director, “Brentwood’s in June 2010, San Ramon’s in November 2010, and now Dublin’s in 2014. This is what we do, monitoring and responding to projects, working with residents and partners to protect our quality of life. Some developers relyon residents and neighbors being unprepared. We help the public to get involved.”

“The people of Dublin have made it clear that they are tired of urban sprawl and traffic and want to maintain their quality of life. This is a victory for the entire Tri-Valley,” said Tammy Reus, President, Friends of the Vineyards.

“Defeating Measure T is not just about saving Doolan Canyon,” said Seth Adams, Land Conservation Director for Save Mount Diablo. “Dublin is fastest growing city in the state and was the last city in the area without an urban limit line. In June, the coalition created one, and now we’ve defended it. San Ramon did the same thing in 2010. This result will take a lot of development pressure off the Tassajara and Las Positas hills stretching north to Mount Diablo and Los Vaqueros.”

“The defeat of Measure T is one more confirmation that Bay Area voters are absolutely sick of sprawl. Voters saw through the developer’s deceptive greenwashing campaign and spoke up in favor of protecting what makes Dulbin unique” - Joel Devalcourt, Regional Representative Greenbelt Alliance.

So-Called “Dublin Preserve”
Nearly four years ago, in December 2010 environmentalists noticed an item on a Dublin city council agenda, a General Plan Amendment study for the “Dublin Preserve” project, 2,000 houses proposed on 1450 acres in Doolan Canyon by developer Pacific Union. If approved, the project would have broken a Memorandum of Understanding between Dublin and Livermore, which had both agreed to leave this remaining greenbelt between the two cities alone.

East Bay Regional Park District had just bought the first 640 acres for a new Doolan Canyon Regional Preserve, adjacent to the proposed development. We led our first first hike there on April 13, 2011, to highlight the development threat. We began building our coalition, including Tri-Valley Conservancy, Save Mount Diablo, the Sierra Club, Friends of the Vineyards, Greenbelt Alliance, the Alameda Creek Alliance, the California Native Plant Society, and Ohlone Audubon. We held our first community forum in June.

“Dublin Open Space Initiative of 2014”
This past year the coalition worked with long-time Dublin residents Morgan King and Dave Bewley of Save Dublin Open Space to draft an initiative to protect open space on the east and west borders of Dublin, including Doolan and Collier Canyons. This spring we collected 3650 signatures to qualify the “Dublin Open Space Initiative of 2014,” 160% of the signatures needed.

In June the developers were shocked when the Dublin city council unanimously adopted the coalition’s “Dublin Open Space Initiative” creating an Urban Limit Line on the eastern boundary of the city, making a western line permanent, and requiring a vote of Dublin residents to change the urban limit line.

Alameda County, Livermore and Pleasanton all have urban limit lines, as do all of the cities in Contra Costa County. The new initiative brought Dublin in line with the county and neighboring cities helping to protect open space and agricultural lands on both the east and west sides of Dublin.

“Let Dublin Decide” a.k.a. Measure T
The developer Pacific Union also qualified a competing green-washed ‘look-alike’ measure which they cynically called “Let Dublin Decide.” Later named “Measure T” the developers’ measure would have also created an urban limit line, but a much more expansive one including Doolan Canyon within areas which could be developed. Measure T would have taken control out of the hands of voters, leaving the city council in charge, and would have directed the city to begin the development process for their 2,000-unit project. The developers spent over $161,000 on their campaign.