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AGENDA STATEMENT
CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: March 12, 1990
SUBJECT:
REPORT PREPARED BY:
Report on February 28, 1990 Doolan Road/
Croak Road Sphere of Influence Study and
Environmental Impact Report
Laurence L. Tong, Planning Director
EXHIBITS ATTACHED: Exhibit A: Summary, Recommended Action
Conclusion, and Environmentally Preferred
Alternative Sections from February 28, 1990
Doolan Road/Croak Road Sphere of Influence
Study and EIR
Exhibit B: Study Area Boundary Map
Attachment 1: Draft Comments regarding
February 28, 1990 Doolan Road/Croak Road
Sphere of Influence Study and EIR
Attachment 2: November 13, 1989 City Council
taff Report.
RECOMMENDATIONS: 1) Strongly support the findings and
~ recommendations of the study that:
a. Dublin is the appropriate City to
plan urban uses in the Doolan Road/Croak Road
area.
b. LAFCO should allocate the area to
the City of Dublin's Sphere of Influence.
2) Direct Staff to submit written comments
to LAFCO.
3) Direct Staff and/or a City Council
representative to attend the LAFCO hearing
and present the City Council's position.
FINANCIAL STATEMENT: None
DESCRIPTION:
The Alameda County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) has
had a consultant prepare the Doolan Road/Croak Road Sphere of
Influence Study and EIR. The current February 28, 1990 Study/EIR
replaces the October 1989 Draft Study/EIR. The study area has been
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^ ITEM NO. ~• COPIE5 TO: General Ping File
[PLNG-08:Doolan] Agenda File
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expanded adding approximately 480 acres generally east of Croak Road
to the 2,645 acres around Doolan Road (see Exhibit B). The study
analyzes two hypothetical scenarios:
1. The previously studied moderate intensity urban level development
including 3,000 dwelling units and 100 acres commercial/
industrial land.
2. A low intensity rural level of development including 200 dwelling
units.
The LAFCO study recommends that LAFCO allocate the study area to the
City of Dublin's Sphere of Influence. The study basically finds that
the area will be subject to significant urbanization pressure over the
next 10-20 years and should be planned accordingly. The area would be
more readily integrated into the circulation, commerce and developing
community of East Dublin area and would be best allocated to Dublin
for planning in concert with the East Dublin planning area.
The study also finds that the environmentally preferred alternative in
the long term is to allocate the area to a sphere of influence now to
allow the appropriate city to plan for future land uses. This would
allow land planning to occur now so that:
- Infrastructure planning can be more efficient
- Ultimate environmental impacts may be minimized
- Cumulative impacts can be considered in the land planning for
growth in the overall area
LAFCO Staff has stated that LAFCO has scheduled a public hearing to
review and allow comments on this item for Thursday, March 15, 1990,
7:00 p.m. at the Pleasanton City Council Chambers. LAFCO, however, is
not scheduled to take action on this item until the June 1990 LAFCO
meeting.
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Strongly support the findings and recommendations of the study
that:
a. Dublin is the appropriate City to plan for urban usage in
the Doolan Road/Croak Road area; and
b. LAFCO should allocate the study area to the City of Dublin's
Sphere of Influence.
2. Direct Staff to submit written comments (see Attachment 1) to
LAFCO.
3. Direct Staff and/or a City Council representative to attend the
LAFCO hearing and present the City Council's position.
' SUMM~Y • ~ i
~
SUMMARY
~ ~-~
The Doolan Road/Croak Road Sphere of Influence Study and an
Environmental Impact Report replaces the October 1989 Draft Study/EIR. The
~ Study Area comprises 2,645 acres around Doolan Road and 480 acres generally
east of Croak Road. The Study Area is situated between the cities of Dublin
and Livermore in Alameda County. The document provides information and
~ environmental review to assist the Alameda County Local Agency Formation
Commission in determining an appropriate sphere of influence for this area.
Land use change from agriculture to urban uses requires the provision of
~ urban services such as water, sewer and roads. As an unincorporated, rural
area, these services are not currently provided. The allocation of the Doolan
Road Study Area to an ultimate sphere of influence -- Livermore or Dublin --
~ is the first step toward annexation and future development. A city would not
process a specific development proposal until LAFCO determines a municipal
sphere of influence for the study area.
~ Factors of Consideration
The determination of which city's sphere of influence, if either, should
~ include the Doolan Road study area is based on consideration of factors
mandated by state law:
Present and Planned Land Uses. The entire Study Area is unincorporated
Alameda County, Croak Road and the upper portion of Doolan Canyon is
allocated to the Dublin Sphere of Influence. The lower portion of
Doolan Canyon is unallocated to a sphere at present. Both Livermore and
Dublin are planning urban uses for the area. Portions of the Study Area
are considered prime agricultural land based on its present use of
cattle grazing for commercial purposes. As open space, the Study Area
is a visual resource and provides recreational opportunities.
LAFCO policy is to guide development away from prime agricultural lands
unless that action would not promote planned, orderly, and efficient
growth of an area. A sphere allocation of the Doolan Road/Croak Road
Area is necessary to allow for planned development if the area is to be
more intensely urbanized than at present.
Provision of Public Services. The ability of Dublin and Livermore to
service the Study Area.is assessed on a high and low level of
development. Dublin is not in a position at this time to extend
infrastructure and public services to the Study.Area regardless of what
intensity of urban use is developed. Generally, Livermore is in a
better position to provide immediate services to the area'under a low
development scenario due to proximity. Under a high development level,
Livermore is in the same position as Dublin.
The ability to provide immediate public services and infrastructure is
_~ not a factor given that actual development in the Study Area will not
occur for a minimum of 10 years. By the time the land is free from
Williamson Act restrictions, the land is annexed and development plans
~ have been processed and approved, the available capacities of the
services, as evaluated in this report, will have changed.
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. SUMMARY
Economic and S~1 Communities of Interest. Exi ng residents of the
Study Area iden fy with the City of Livermore. nder a high level of
urban development, future residents will likely identify with the City
given jurisdiction. If development follows the existing rural pattern
of a low density residential use, the Study Area would develop as a
satellite community with orientation toward Livermore.
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Both Livermore and Dublin have substantial growth opportunities without
the Study Area. However, Dublin is more restricted than Livermore in
the direction of growth.and in land availability. Removal of the Study
Area from Dublin's planning area would probably significantly alter the
economics as well as the scope of Dublin's expansion potential.
Alternative Courses of Action
LAFCO has a range of possible actions:
1) No Action: leave the Croak Road property and the upper portion of Doolan
Canyon in Dublin's sphere, and leave the lower portion of Doolan Canyon
unallocated.
2) Unallocation: remove the Croak Road property and upper poolan Canyon
from the Dublin Sphere.
3) Partial Unallocation: retain the Croak Road property in the Dublin
sphere, but remove the upper poolan Canyon from the Dublin Sphere.
4) Allocation to Livermore: assign the entire Study Area to the Livermore
Sphere of Influence. '
5) Allocation to Dublin: assign the entire Study Area to the Dublin Sphere
of Influence. ~
6) ~lit Allocation: assign Doolan Road to the Livermore sphere and assign
Croak Road to Dublin Sphere.
Recommendation
A variety of recommendations can be counseled, depending on what
question is being asked and which issue is used as the dominant deciding
factor. The appropriate action for LAFCO depends on which factors should be
weighted most heavily. The recommendation is as follows:
1) Croak Property should remain in Dublin's Sphere of Influence.
2) Doolan Canyon should be allocated to a sphere of influence now and in
its entirety.
3) Dublin is the appropriate city to plan for urban uses in the Doolan Road
and Croak Road area. '
4) If Doolan Canyon were to develop gradually with a low density rural
residential land use, then Livermore is in a better position to serve
the area and should be allocated Doolan Canyon. However, it is the
position of the Doolan Road/Croak Road Sphere of Influence.Study that
the Doolan Road area will be subject to significant urbanization
FEBRUARY 28, 1989
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SUMMARY • ~ iii
pressure over the next 10 to 20 years and should be planned accordingly.
It is therefore recommended that Doolan Canyon be allocated to Dublin.
Environmental Assessment
An environmental assessment of LAFCO's actions is incorporated into this
study as required by the California Environmental Quality Act. The project
subject to CEQA is the sphere of influence allocation, not approval of
annexation or any development of the area. Sphere allocation only determines
which City will continue further planning in the Study Area. Allocation does
not permit development or changes in public services. Because LAFCO action
would not result in physical change, there would be no direct environmental
impacts.
The alternatives allocating the Study Area to a city sphere of influence
would be growth inducing; those actions would have significant secondary
impacts. There are no measures available to LAFCO to restrict the extent of
urban growth or limit the impact of induced growth resulting from a sphere
allocation.
Allocation of the Doolan Road/Croak Road Study Area would tend to
foreclose options in developing future urban services and infrastructure by
directing that future services be provided from one city or the other.
The environmentally preferred alternative in the short-term is
Unallocation which will direct urban growth away from the Study Area.
However, unallocation does not protect the land permanently and short of
outright purchase, this alternative simply postpones the issue of development
and sphere allocation to a later date. The environmentally preferred
alternative in the long-term is to allocate the Study Area to a sphere of
influence allowing the appropriate city to plan for its land use.
FEBRUARY 28, 1989
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SPHERE OF /NFLUENCE ST~ FACTORS TO BE CONS/DERED - INT~T OF C/T/ES 43
~ i ovements can be met, develo ment can occur at other location If the
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Study is not allocated to the Livermore Sphere, the Ci would still have
adequate gro opportunity with the remaining acreage evelopment of the
. Study Area is not ential to the continuing dev pment of the City.
According to the North ' ermore G eral Plan Study, Livermore has a
relatively low ratio (1.20:1) of ompared to the number of housing units.
Livermore currently supplies of the st housing stocks compared to
other cities in the Tr' alley area. However, rding to the General Plan
Study, for Live e to provide its share of the curre e ional need, the
city would e to add 1,300 to 2,600 housing units to its cu t housing
stock. is could be accomplished with or without the allocation o he
D an Road/Croak Road Study Area to the Livermore Sphere of Influence.
F . RECOI~QiENDED ACTION
1. Reasonable Alternatives
The Doolan Road/Croak Road Sphere of Influence Study examines three
geographical units: Upper poolan Canyon (1550 acres), Lower poolan Canyon
(1095 acres), and Croak Road (480 acres) (see Figure 2). In principle, LAFCO
can take different actions on any of these units, and may even elect to divide
the Study Area differently. From the perspective of planning for orderly
growth and provision of public services, only a few of the possible combined
actions are reasonable.
~~ 1) No Action: leave the Croak Road property and the upper portion of Doolan
Canyon in Dublin's sphere, and leave the lower portion of Doolan Canyon
unallocated.
2) Unallocation: remove the Croak Road property.and the upper portion of
Doolan Canyon from the Dublin sphere and leave the lower portion of
~; Doolan Canyon unallocated.
3) Partial Unallocation: retain the Croak Road property in the Dublin
~ sphere, but remove the upper portion of Doolan Canyon from the Dublin
sphere. Leave the lower portion of Doolan Canyon unallocated.
~ 4) Allocation to Livermore: unallocate the Croak Road property and the
upper portion of Doolan Canyon from Dublin's sphere and allocate the
entire Study Area to the Livermore sphere of influence.
~ 5) Allocation to Dublin: allocate the lower portion of Doolan Canyon to the
Dublin sphere of influence.
, 6) Split Allocation: leave Croak Road property in Dublin's sphere of
- influence and allocate Doolan Canyon to the Livermore sphere.
~ 2. Different Perspectives for Decision.
A variety of recommendations can be counseled, depending on which of
LAFCO's policy objectives serve as the dominant deciding factor. Several
objectives bear consideration and are summarized below.
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FEBRUARY 28, 1990
SPHERE OF /NFLUENCE STUDY - RECOMMENDED ACTION 44
A ro riate Timin f here Allocation •
There is no immediate development pressure on Doolan Canyon. Recent
purchases by a land development interest demonstrate the normal speculative
acquisition pattern characteristic of suburban development in Alameda and
Contra Costa counties. The logical provision of major urban services to the
Doolan Road/Croak Road Study Area would follow development elsewhere in the
vicinity. Actual timing of development depends on many factors: IAFCO's
sphere action, site planning, annexation to a city, and provision of major
infrastructure. Even without policy restrictions, market forces and geography
would probably limit development for at least a decade.
However, the very lack of present infrastructure points to the need for
long range planning.. A variety of public service and facility expansion
programs are now underway. Some of these, such as the wastewater export
pipeline and the road network need to be sized for a long-range population
projection. Realistic projections of land use patterns in the Livermore-
Amador Valley show urban pressure reaching Doolan Road within the time frame
of the current round of infrastructure expansion. If there is a significant
development.potential for the Doolan Road/Croak Road Study Area, it would be
best that it be planned in the coritext of the current regional planning
effort.
If the area is Iikely to undergo significant urban growth in the
time frame of the next ten to twenty years, then the appropriate
action is to allocate the entire area to a city Sphere of
Influence.
Preservation of Agricultural and Open Svace_Land
Portions of the Doolan Road and Croak Road area are defined as prime
agricultural land based on its use for commercial purposes (Cortese-Knox,
Section 56064 (f), added in 1986). This designation reflects the current use,
not the presence of prime soils or economic value of agriculture here. If the
existing use as grazing land is to be preserved, only very low intensity
development can occur in the Study Area.
Strictly speaking, the flatter land along the I-580 corridor has the
greater agricultural value. In the Croak Road area, the land is used largely
for animal husbandry and veterinary services. This area serves as open space
for travellers on I-580. This area also has more immediate development
potential.
The upper reaches of Doolan Canyon and Croak Road have regional open
space value. The hills should remain open to allow continued cattle and horse
grazing. New urban services to the Study Area would be unnecessary; a few new
homes could be served by wells, septic tanks, and the present narrow two-lane
road. Development could remain in unincorporated Alameda County. Large-lot,
rural residential land subdivision is consistent with the County's current
zoning ordinance.
To direct urban growth away from the Study Area, the appropriate LAFCO
action would be unallocation. However, unallocation does not protect the area
permanently. As long as there are landowners willing to sell the property for
development, the pressure to develop the land will only increase with Valley
growth. -
FEBRUARY 28, 1990
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SPHERE OF /NFLUENCE STUDY - RECOMMENDED ACTlON 45
~ If the Study Area is placed within a city's control, the city may
designate it as permanent open space. However, open space designation by a
city cannot be preconditioned by LAFCO when it allocates the Study Area to a
city. Further, it may be argued that if a city intends to keep the canyon as
~ open space it doesn't need to have the land placed within its sphere; a sphere
allocation should be used only for areas intended for future urban growth.
However, if the Study Area remains in the county's jurisdiction, it will
~ always be a target for development pressure and a battle between the cities
for control.
Both Livermore and Dublin have land planning efforts underway that show
~ the strength of growth pressures in this area. The only way to ensure that
the area remains open-space is to place it in a public or private preserve.
As of this writing, no public agency, park district or private organization
~ has offered to purchase the area for protection. Short of outright purchase,
the unallocation alternative simply postpones the issue of development and
_sphere allocation to a later date.
y~ If the objective is to preserve the area as agricultural open
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space, at Ieast for the time frame of the next ten to twenty
years, then the appropriate action is to unallocate the area.
The Croalc Road and Iower poolan Road portion of the Study Area
could be allocated to a city Sphere of Influence, and the open
space of Doolan Canyon would sti11 be preserved.
The Environmentallv Preferred Action
Environmental preference has two aspects: 1) the impact of urban growth
induced by sphere allocation, and 2) the impacts of inadequate infrastructure
on existing and future communities.
Because sphere allocation is the first step in urbanization, and because
urbanization would and cumulatively significant adverse environmental impacts,
the environmentally preferred alternative is to defer growth and have the
Study Area remain as open space (see Chapter III, Environmental Impact
Report).
The Commission can unallocate the Study Area, but it is not empowered to
dedicate the land as permanent open space. This can only be done through a
land use authority such as the County or a city. Because unallocation alone
does not ensure long term conservation, and because unallocation does not deal
with current growth pressures, unallocation is only the environmentally
preferred alternative over the short term. Without protection, urbanization
of the canyon is inevitable. Urban development on adjacent lands will
continue without the foresight of connecting the canyon to the development.
This may lead to inefficiencies in the circulation network, and in provision
of other public services such as water and sewer.
~. Unallocation is the environmentally preferred alternative, at
Zeast for the short-term, because it forestalls urbanization of
~ the Study Area.
Because LAFCO cannot provide for the permanent protection of the
~ Study Area in non-urban Zand use, the environmentally preferred
~ CCQDIIADV'fo ~nnn
SPHERE OF /NFLUENCE STUDY - RECOMMENDED ACT/ON
alternative in~ Zon -~ is to allocate the dy Area to a
city sphere of Thfluence, thereb.y allowing the a ropriate city to
plan for its Zand use, including the orderly and efficient
provision of infrastructure.
Immediate Availabilitv of Public Services
46 ~
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The City of Livermore has urban services closer to the Study Area than
does Dublin. Dublin is not in a position at this time to extend
infrastructure and public services to the Study Area regardless of what
intensity of urban use is developed. Existing services in Dublin are too far
away to practically and efficiently serve the area. Major infrastructure
improvements are needed to provide water, sewer, and roads. It is uncertain
at this time when Dublin will have adequate water and sewage capacity
available.
Under a low development scenario, Livermore is in a better position to
provide infrastructure and public services to the Study Area. Infrastructure
connections all already ad~jacent to the canyon at Triad Business Park.
Livermore has adequate water and sewer capacity. Under a high development
scenario, Livermore is in a similar position as Dublin -- substantial
investment in infrastructure would.be nee_ded.;.
If the objective is immediate or near-term (five years) extension
of 1ow capacity infrastructure to the area, then the sphere should
be allocated to Livermore.
Preservation of Existin~ Residents' Lifestvle and Communitv Identitv
The existing residents' lifestyle and community identity is rural,
traditionally oriented toward Livermore. The continuation of the existing
community does not require urban services and would be best preserved by
unallocation. This action does not eliminate the development pressure on the
land. Both cities will continue to express interest in establishing control
over the land, unallocation delays the decision to a future date.
Many current residents anticipate the continuing conflict over sphere of
influence and perceive allocation to Livermore as consonant with protecting
existing land use. However, even low intensity development would require some
urban services which could impose a cost on existing residents.
The Zifestyle of existing Doolan Road and Croak Road residents
would be best preserved if the upper portion of the canyon were
unallocated.
Enhancing Future Communit~ Orientation and Regional Circulation
The topography of the Study Area and its surroundings make road
connection more effective to the west. From this perspective, the Study Area
should be allocated to Dublin. Due to the canyon's location, the secondary
access road to the east required for urban development will not enhance the
circulation within the planned or existing urban areas of Livermore. In
contrast, if the study area is allocated to Dublin, a secondary access road
can improve the circulation for development planned within East Dublin.
FEBRUARY 28, 1990
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SPHERE OF /NFLUENCE STI~ RECOMMENDED ACT10N •
47
The road connection to the surrounding community is a significant factor
for a high intensity growth scenario. The establishment of a large community
in Doolan Canyon and on neighboring Croak Road will require more than ~
emergency access or even simple road capacity to leave the area. The location
of commercial areas and the availability of non-freeway connections to
schools, community services, and the like will influence the future community
orientation. Integration of Doolan Road into the future city expansion into
East Dublin could easily accomplish this form community identity.
With no connection to the west, the Doolan Road area would remain a
satellite community. It would be too small to develop adequate internal
commercial services, yet a road connection to Collier Canyon would not bring
the Doolan Road resident to "Livermore" in the sense of a city with city
services. Thus while Livermore can extend services to the Study Area from the
I-580 corridor, the connection does not tie the canyon into the present or
likely future commercial centers of Livermore as a city.
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If the Study Area is to undergo high intensity urban development,
it would be more readily integrated into the circulation,
commerce, and developing community of the East Dublin area and
would best be allocated to Dublin for planning in concert with the
East Dublin planning area.
Growth Ovvortunities for the Cities
The City of Dublin is restricted by Contra Costa County on the north and
the City of Pleasanton on the south; the only opportunity for expansion is
west and east. Ultimately, even these expansion areas will be~'bounded by
Castro Valley (west) and Livermore (east). Doolan Canyon marks the eastern
limit of possible expansion in areas of relatively low slope terrain. For
physical reasons, it is unlikely that the western expansion area would support
significant or diverse urban growth in the same way as would the Doolan
Road/Croak Road area.
Removal of the Doolan Road/Croak Road area from Dublin's sphere would
remove about half of the unincorporated land lying between Dublin and
Livermore. Allocation of the Doolan Road/Croak Road Study Area to Dublin
would maximize the City's ability to expand and develop.
The City of Livermore has substantially more acreage for growth
opportunity. Livermore can grow to the north, south or east -- uncontested by
other local land use jurisdictions. Gain or loss of the Doolan/Croak area
would not significantly impact Livermore's opportunities for expansion.
Considering the growth opportunities of the cities, the Study Area
is more significant to Dublin. "
~~
3. Conclusion
All of the perspectives described above are valid as a framework for
LAFCO's decision. The fundamental distinction is whether the Doolan
Road/Croak Road area needs to be planned for high intensity development or
whether it will remain in rural residential and agricultural use.
Essentially, LAFCO must prophecy whether the area will be developed in the
next ten or twenty years, and because of the role a LAFCO action plays in the
process, the action is in a sense a self-fulfilling prophecy.
FEBRUARY 28, 1990
SP. HERE OF /NFtUENCE STUDY - RECONINlENDED ACTfON 48
~ ~
The position taken by the Sphere of Irifluence Study is that the~regional
growth pressures on the Study Area are significant and appropriate land use -
- both urban and open space -- should be formally planned now. The Sphere of
Influence Study recommendation is as follows:
1) The need for a sphere allocation is apparent: Livermore and Dublin both
are now involved in planning for the Doolan Road and Croak Road area land use.
Allocation would allow a city to carry planning forward and determine the
appropriate size and financing for new infrastructure. Allocation would
encourage growth, much as it has throughout the Livermore-Amador Valley, but
the growth would at least occur in orderly manner.
The No Action alternative will serve only to postpone an inevitable
decision and does not resolve the land use issue. Both cities are spending
considerable effort planning for the Study Area - a decision should be made
now so that they are not wasting further time and resources in their planning
effort. If the Study Area is allocated much later, after the fact of sub-
regional planning, remedial planning would be necessary to provide services to
the canyon.
Sphere allocation now does not signify that the Doolan Road/Croak Road
area is immediately ripe for development and annexation. A clear distinction
must be made between the annexation and sphere allocation processes. An
annexation decision should not be made unless urban use is contiguous and
adequate wastewater, water, and other services can be demonstrated.
0
2) Upper and lower poolan Canyon should be allocated or unallocated in its
entirety. The canyon should be treated as a single planning unit, placed in
one jurisdiction. Otherwise conflicts could arise regarding viewshed,
drainage, acceptable environmental impacts, traffic impacts etc.
3) Croak Road should remain in Dublin's Sphere of Influence. The property
is physically separated from Doolan Canyon with separate access to the I-580
corridor. There is no compelling reason to attach it to the decision
regarding Doolan Canyon. It is in a separate watershed and viewshed from
Doolan Canyon and has, or can be readily provided with, separate access.
4) Based on a review of the forgoing factors, it is recommended that LAFCO
allocate the Doolan Road/Croak Road Study Area to the City of Dublin sphere of
interest.
Technically, with augmented infrastructure, either city would be capable
of serving the Aoolan Road/Croak Road area. For most evaluating factors there
is no compelling reason to allocate the area to one city or the other. The
recommendation is based primarily on the geography of the area and its effect
on future road access and community orientation.
If the area is to be planned now, it is appropriate that it be included
in Dublin's sphere of influence. Both communities contemplate urban
development in the Canyon. LAFCO is not to consider the qualitative
differences in land uses, such as density or site planning. However, the
plans do have a different relationship with the projected growth of the cities
around the Study Area.
FEBRUARY 28, 1990 ~
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x , t "~'r' y ~'~ ' ~ - : e 'r.tdz -+'' a,*~`. „~~ ~ '~-srr ~~,'r~ `.a.' ~~t.„ ':` ~ ~t +s,~''-.~a;. . ~ ~~~ fi~ ~ a ~;. ~
~~~
SPHERE OF !NFLUENCE ST~ RECOMMENDED ACTION ~ 49
~ The Dublin plan more closely integrates future urbanization in Doolan
Canyon with a major planned eastward expansion of the city (East Dublin).
~ Conversely, the Doolan Road area is a significant portion of the
unincorporated area available for Dublin's expansion to the east.
~ The Livermore plan shows Doolan road as a rather isolated satellite to
that city's primary growth focus in North Livermore. Livermore's expansion
does not rely on the availability of Doolan Road.
The different planning focus reflects the current geography of the
cities and the significant topographic constraint to road access. Livermore
is an established city with a distinct, but old city center. Plans for
~ shifting residential and commercial activity to the north take advantage of a
large amount of open land contiguous with the existing city. In North
Livermore, an extensive network of new roads would connect with existing
roads, but it would be difficult to connect Doolan Canyon in the same way.
~ o ra h is onl a secondary problem. To be sure, the ridgeline
Top g p y y
bounding Doolan Canyon on the east imposes significant constraints to building
~ a major arterial. But a roadway could be built. The primary problem is that
a road east would not lead anywhere useful. The existing Doolan Road
alignment would allow connection to I-580, but eastward extension of Doolan
Road to Collier Canyon would direct residents to the North Livermore Planning
Area or significantly broaden the local circulation pattern.
Dublin's eastern growth is based on extending development into a series
~ of canyons, each with access to I-580 and to two new east-west roads. In this
context, Doolan Canyon is a logical extension of East Dublin development.
Here too, topography constrains road construction, but a westward route would
directly lead to projected commercial services. Both I-580 and a second
connection would directly lead to a complex of commerce and employment.
5) No one LAFCO action can satisfy all reasonable objectives. In the
Sphere of Influence Study, several factors yield to the recommendation.
Present land use is not a major determining factor. The Study Area does
not contain prime soils or farmlands of Statewide importance. The commercial
ti~~ grazing on portions of the Study Area trigger the LAFCO definition of prime
agriculture, but this definition is tied to continuing use of the land for
commercial grazing.
~ At all but the lowest intensity of urbanization in the Doolan Road/Croak
Road Study Area would completely supplant the present rural residential and
~ agricultural land use. That loss may be a secondary environmental impact of
sphere allocation, but feasibility of preserving the present land use is not a
factor in the sphere recommendation. A city plan can include open space or
~ greenbelt and the topography of the Doolan Road area suggests that development
will be clustered, rather than spread over the entire area.
Similarly, existing service caoacitv is not a major determining factor.
Both Dublin and Livermore have an adequate service base, but any urbanization
in Doolan Canyon would require a significant infrastructure improvement effort
by either city. With the exception of roads, the differences between
Livermore and Dublin approaches to public service are insignificant compared
~ with the overall magnitude of infrastructure expansion planned to accommodate
growth.
, FEBRUARY 28, 1990
SPHERE OF /NFLUENCE STUDY - RECOMINENDED ACT10N
50
The recommenda~ to allocate~the sphere to Du~ reflects the long
term needs of a high sity coiamunit.y: If by contra he land use future
for poolan Road was a continuation of the same rural residential community
found there today, Dublin would probably not be able to economically serve the
Study Area.
If the area were allocated to Livermore and were to experience only low
intensity development, then Livermore would be able to extend urban services,
including water and sewer, for lower cost than would be needed for the City of
Dublin to serve. Under a low density rural residential use, the traditional
ties between Livermore and the Study Area would be better preserved. The
Doolan Road area would still be a satellite community, not directly involved
in the urban activity of the city.
6) The Doolan Road/Croak Road sphere allocation has generated considerable
public controversy and conflicting planning efforts by both cities. LAFCO
action to allocate the Study Area to a city sphere is necessary to settle the
present issue and allow cities to plan for whatever intensity of urban
development suits its need. If a.city proceeds with land planning; the Doolan
Road/Croak Road Study Area will eventually reappear before LAFCO for
annexation. Many of the same issues will be involved, but then they will be
available for study along with an actual land use proposal.
FEBRUARY 28, 1990
~
^.. ?-. r'~'eva..: ut+&~~.~ ~, : . a^ ~'a~: ,~ ~.:~.~~, `~,~_ ".v;~ , ~~ ~ s.s~. . ~~§' . ~_":~.°. ~£_..~.;;...~a."F`~.'".jT±~ r ~.,... ,..,_ ,:'~'Wi, .~.'~~.r:,..r st~~~_l .._ ~?Xi~S% . ~~~., _.xx`:.
ENV/RONMENTAL /MPACT R~T - IMPACT ASSESSMENT ~
community center under
consideration for east Dublin
72 acres o veloped parks to
serve 9000 new re ' ents .
63
construction of one commu 'ty
park (30 acres)
construc ' of 2 neighborhood
p (b-10 acres)
The assumption of the service en by ity leads to impacts on its
infrastructure. The magnitude cost of the impa an be determined when
the scope of development ' known and when the condition o e city
infrastructure at actual time of development can be known. erence to
the discuss' of service capability in the Sphere of Influence Study ws
that s' ificant development of the Study Area will burden many infrastruct
a public services systems.
E. ENVIRONMENTALLY PREFER.RED ALTERNATIVE
LAFCO action to keep Doolan Road out of urban planning sphere would
forestall the secondary (growth inducement) impacts associated with allocation
to either city sphere. In the short-term, at least, Unallocation is the
environmentally preferred course of action.
The impact of unallocation would be more significant for the Doolan Road
portion of the Study Area than for the Croak Road portion. Croak Road is more
directly tied to the remainder of Dublin's eastern sphere, and can be
considered an extension of the I-580 corridor.
However, it is explicitly counter to LAFCO enabling legislation for
Alameda LAFCO to use withholding sphere of influence as a land planning tool.
The effect of Unallocation or No Action would be to keep the future land use
of Doolan Road in limbo, isolated from the current planning activities around
it. Without the opportunity to plan for a road network, pipeline sizing, and
other infrastructure investments that are tied to size and location of service
population, future interest in urbanization of the Doolan Road/Croak Road
Study Area could stress public services, if it were to undergo development in
the future.
If the Doolan Road/Croak Road Study Area is to develop as urban land
!~ uses within the infrastructure planning horizon of the next ten to twenty
_. years, it is best to allow the land planning to occur now. In that way
infrastructure planning can be more efficient and may have less ultimate
~ environmental impact and land planning of other areas can take into account
cumulative impacts along with growth in Doolan Canyon.
~ On the other hand, if Doolan Road should remain in open space, that
determination must be made through the planning process as well, and not by
~- LAFCO. LAFCO does consider preservation of agricultural land; portions of the
Study Area are considered prim.e agriculture while under their present
~ commercial grazing use. LAFCO does consider prevention of "leapfrog" growth;
_,_ the surrounding areas are generally undeveloped and not a~ present contiguous
to an urban area. LAFCO sphere allocation allows a city to plan the area, but
~ LAFCO retains control of leapfrog growth or premature development of the area
through the annexation process.
FEBRUARY 28, 1990
SPHERE OF INFLUENCE STUDY- FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED - LAND USE 6
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ATTACHMENT 1
DRAFT COMMENTS TO LAFCO REGARDING
FEBRUARY 28, 1990 DOOLAN ROAD/CROAK ROAD
SPHERE OF INFLUENCE STUDY AND
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
1. The Dublin City Council strongly supports the findings and
recommendation of the study that:
a. Dublin is the appropriate City to plan for the urban usage
in the Doolan Road/Croak Road area; and
b. LAFCO should allocate the study area to the City of Dublin's
Sphere of Influence.
2. Technical Comments:
LAFCO, its Staff and consultants should consider the following
technical corrections to the study:
a. Throughout the study reference is made a"high intensity
urbanization" scenario.
The City of Dublin believes that the City can reasonably and more
accurately refer to the hypothetical development of 3,000
dwelling units and 100 acres of commerciallindustrial uses on 4+
square miles of area as a"moderate intensity urbanization"
scenario. The contrast between such a moderate intensity urban
level of development and the low intensity rural level of
development would still be clear.
b. Page 23, Roads, Dublin, first paragraph versus page 26,
Roads, Livermore, first paragraph:
- Dublin: "the access road into the box canyon from the
west would have to cut across the ridge line forming the
west boundary of Doolan Canyon." (page 23)
- Livermore: "this road does not cross a major ridge line
and would provide circulation for the entire canyon." (Page
26).
In preparing and analyzing the effects of the potential roads in
Dublin and Livermore, the statements made for the Dublin road should
be paraphrased under the Livermore road analysis. The Livermore
access road into the box canyon from the east would have to cut across
the ridge line forming the eastern boundary of Doolan Canyon.
Similarly, the statement made for the Livermore road is equally true
for the Dublin road and should be included in the Dublin road
-- - -- - - -- -,
^~ ~ ~ '
; ~:
~~
•
analysis. This road connecting to Dublin does not cross a major ridge
line and would provide circulation for the entire canyon.
c. Page 30, Police, first paragraph: "Dublin PD is completing
a station at the present east end of Dublin Road."
The Dublin PD is now located in the recently completed
Dublin Civic Center at 100 Civic Plaza, Dublin Boulevard and
Sierra Court.
d. Page 31, Police, Dublin, second paragraph: "Additional
office and administrative space would not be needed as a new
police facility located at the east end of Dublin Boulevard
is scheduled for completion in September 1989."
The statement should read: "Additional office and
administrative space would not be needed as the new police
facility located in the Dublin Civic Center is now complete
and available."
e. Page 37, Parks, Dublin, sixth paragraph: "Dublin presently
has inadequate park facilities to 5erve new development in
the eastern expansion area. New recreational areas must be
provided at the future residence of the study area are to be
adequately serve by Dublin".
The comparable analysis of Livermore parks shows the need
for two or three neighborhoad parks at 6-10 acres each and a
community park at least 30 acres in size. The total amount
of park facilities needed wauld be 40-50 acres.
The following statement should be added ta the Livermore
analysis: "The Livermore Area Recreation and Park District
presently has inadequate park facilities to serve new
development in the Doolan Road/Croak Road study area. New
recreational areas must be provided if the future residence
of the study area are to be adequately served by the
Livermore Area Recreation and Park District."
f. Page 42, Economic and Social Community Interests of the
Cities, City of Dublin, second paragraph: "According to the
Dublin Planning Director, the City has a balance estimated
at 2.04 jobs per available housing. Dublin needs to
increase its housing stock to provide housing opportunities
for those who would need to relocate due to new employment
from planned commercial development."
The statement should be corrected to read: "According to the
Dublin Planning Director, the City has a very good balance
(1.02:1) of jobs to available housing. Dublin, however,
will need to increase its housing stock to provide housing
opportunities for those who would need to relocate due to
new employment from planned commercial development."
~
u
g. Page 59, City of Dublin, second paragraph: "A proposal has
been submitted to the City of Dublin which would develop the
canyon with a combination of residential, commercial and
light industrial uses".
The City has not received any proposal to develop the
canyon.
,.. , , ~ ,., ,
N F J,.
f
SPHERE OF /NFLUENCE ST(~- FACTORS TO BE CONS/DERED - PUB~ERVICES 23
~ The treatment plant is located at roughly 400 foot elevation, about the same
as the mouth of Doolan Canyon. Commercial development along the I-580
~ frontage would need to be pumped up hill to reach the Livermore plant. It is
possible that some of the upper poolan Road area could be sewered by gravity
flow with careful collector design.
3. Roads
~ a. Present Conditions and Study Area Requirements
The Doolan Road/Croak Road Study Area is bounded on the south by
Interstate 580. The frontage road along here is a stub-end of Collier Canyon
~ Road that descends from Collier Canyon and swings west to dead-end in the
Croak Road parcel. Doolan Canyon is a closed canyon accessed by Doolan Road
from Collier Canyon Road. Doolan Road is a paved two lane road at its
intersection with Collier Canyon Road, becomes a single lane road 2.4 miles
~ into the canyon, and ends at a gate 0.4 miles after that. Regional access to
Doolan Road is from Interstate 580 and the Airway Boulevard overpass or from
Collier Canyon Road. The only freeway access to Doolan Canyon is in
~ Livermore. The roads leading to Doolan Road from the east and the first half
mile of Doolan Road are in the city limits of Livermore. The City of
Livermore maintains the two lane portion of the public road. .
~ Access to the Croak Road Area is from Coll.ier Canyon Road on the east,
and from Fallon Road on the west. Fallon Road has an interchange with I-580
~ and is presently unincorporated and in Dublin's Sphere of Influence.
In order to serve the high level of urbanization evaluated in this Study
Area, both Croak Road and Doolan Canyon need a circulation system. Leaving
~ Doolan Road as a cul-de-sac to serve large-scale development is impractical
and contrary to accepted transpartation practice. Doolan Road must be
connected to=a~local road network to provide access from a secondary location.
~ Several alternate routes are under consideration by either Livermore or Dublin
as presented in Figure 7.
If Doolan Canyon is developed at a low density, a second access road may
~ not be necessary. A cul-de-sac would provide adequate access for a few
hundred homes. A second access road may still be required for emergency
vehicles, but this could be accomplished by minor improvements to existing
~ ranch roads.
b. Capability of Providing Service
~ Dublin
If the Study Area is allocated to the Dublin Sphere of Influence, the
~ second access road to the Canyon would connect to contiguous developments in
the East Dublin Planning Area. The access road into the box canyon from the
..~, west would have to cut across the ridgeline forming the western boundary of
~ Doolan Canyon. In addition to providing needed circulation for canyon
_ development, this route could provide broad circulation opportunities for the
development currently planned for East Dublin. The back portion of the canyon
~ would remain as a cul-de-sac. Land uses would have to be planned accordingly
so as to provide adequate circulation. If the Canyon is developed with low
intensity, Doolan Road remain as a cul-de-sac_with_seco_ndarV_ access_fo.r__ _-. _---
emergency uses only. Q~~ Ch ~~ "~"O
~ . ~, ..
_'~~ ~z ~ ~ .
ti ~ ~.
_ ~ .
~ _ - - -- ~ -- - - -
S~HERE OF /NFLUENCE STUDY - FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED - PUBUC SERVICES 26
• ~ ~
The first half mile of Doolan Road marks the City limits of Livermore.
If the Study Area is placed in Dublin's Sphere of Influence and ultimately
annexed to Dublin, road expansion could occur within Dublin City limits by
swinging Doolan Road to follow the canyon slightly to the west.
The Dublin City Council recently adopted a position allowing a BART
Station to be located in the Eastern Dublin expansion area. The East
Dublin/Pleasanton Station would be located on the I-580 right-of-way with
parking provided on the north and south sides of the highway. Ground-breaking
is expected to begin next year ~with completion scheduled for 1995. This
station would be the terminus until the BART line is extended to Livermore.
Livermore
If the Study Area is allocated to the Livermore Sphere of Influence,
Doolan Road would likely be extended through the box canyon and eonnect to
Collier Canyon Road. An unimproved fire road currently exists through the
back of Canyon reaching 980 feet at its highest elevation. This route would
provide a connection to Collier Canyon Road in Contra Costa County. This road
,.~._~. does not cross a major ridgeline' and would provide circulation for the entire~
canyon. A second access road to Collier Canyon could be provided entirely
within Alameda County as shown on Figure 8.
Collier Canyon provides a second route to areas north of I-580 such as
Las Positas College, the Triad Business Park and possibly a new
commercial/retail area and a BART station in the future. However, these areas
can just as conveniently be accessed by traveling south on Doolan Road and
then east on Collier Canyon Road to North Canyon Parkway.
The connection to Collier Canyon Road does not serve to tie the urban
development within the Study Area to contiguous urban uses in Livermore or
Dublin. Collier Canyon is,narrow and unlikely to support commercial services
or other land uses that would serve future residents of the Doolan Road area.
Collier Canyon is further flanked by a high ridge that constrains eastbound
traffic to divert south to the I-580 corridor.
Without a second connection to adjacent communities, the residents and
employees of the future urbanization would likely use the south entrance to
the Canyon as the only point of egress. From a practical standpoint, this
connection would not adequately serve the circulation needs demanded by the
level of urbanization evaluated in this study. According to the Livermore
Planning Director, the circulation system is adequate to serve S00 homes which
is the level of development in the draft Livermore Study.
The amount of road construction
density development by improving the
to Dublin and therefore less costly.
required for Livermore to serve low
existing road network is small compared
4. Solid Waste
The Cities of Livermore and Dublin are served by one private solid waste
contractor, the Livermore-Dublin Disposal Company. The Company also serves
unincorporated areas such as the residences along Doolan Road. Solid waste
from Dublin and the Doolan Road/Croak Road Study Area is taken to Waste
Management's Altamont Road Landfill which has a 50 year capacity remaining.
FEBRUARY 28, 1990
- ~ ,•a .~.~ , r~
i .. . ..,~_. , ~._~~~ - . . ~~' .. ~ . .. .
. . _ .. . _,,,:,: ~' _ . . ~: .a, . . _.. _....: ._„ ._ t5. .;'; ~ . ~.. . . . . , . , . ~
SPHERE OF INFLUENCE STUDY - FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED -/'UljUG SEHVIC:ts
6. Police •
•
30 ~
.m
Police departments of either jurisdiction would have stations located
~~ ~ close enough to provide adequate emergency response to the Study Area. Dublin
PD is completing a station at the present east end of Dublin Road. Livermore
PD would provide a"storefront" substation at the Livermore Airport area. The _
number o£ officers available would vary according to department policy.
a. Present Conditions and Study Area Requirements
The Study Area is currently patrolled by the Alameda County Sheriff's
Department with offices in San Leandro. During daylight shifts, 2 patrol
vehicles, each with one officer cover the sector from Sunol to Tracy. During
night shifts, two officers in one vehicle cover the same area. The California
Highway Patrol responds for aid with traffic related incidents in the area and
the Livermore Police Department provides mutual assistance for criminal
incidents such as burglaries. Response time to the depends on the location
of the patrol officer at the time of the call.
The national average of police officers to resident population is
currently 2.1 officers per 1000 residents. The average in the western states
is 1.7 officers per 1000 residents. Assuming that 3000 dwelling units with an
average of 3 people per household (mean household size of Dublin and
Livermore),.9000 new residents would be generated by the development of the .
The City of Livermore calculates commercial development demands on police
services by estimating the number of employees to be generated by the project
(30% of total square footage providing one employee for each 500 square feet).
Using their calculations, the commercial project would employ 2600 employees.
The sum of the employees and residents is 11,600 and would necessitate the
addition of 11 police officers to the staff, and in addition, support staff
and supervisors.
The Chief of Police of Dublin and the head of the Crime Prevention Unit
of Livermore were asked to estimate staff increases that would be necessitated
by the addition of 3000 dwelling units and 100 acres of commercial/industrial
park in the Doolan Road/Croak Road Study Area.
b. Capability of Providing Services
Livermore
The City of Livermore currently has a police officer to resident ratio
of 1 officer per 1000 residents which is below the Pacific States average of
1.7 per 1000. Their support staff ratio of 0.7 staff per 1000 residents is
also better than national average and appears adequate to meet current needs.
The police department currently employs 46 officers, 8 sergeants, 4
lieutenants, 2 captains and 1 chief. Based on their population estimates for
the Doolan Road/Croak Road Study Area, the proposed level of development would
require the department to hire an additional 12 officers, 2 sergeants and 6
clerical support staff to serve the new residents and workers. The department
would also need to budget for vehicle, safety equipment and miscellaneous
costs.
Access to the project would be from Airway Boulevard or Kitty Hawk, if
the latter is improved to become new_Highway 84. A"storefront" patrol office
FEBRUARY 28, 1990
1
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SPHERE OF /NFLUENCE STU~ FACTORS TO BE CONS/DERED - PUBL~ERV/CES
31
in the Airport area could be used to provide better service and quicker
response time to residents north of Interstate 580. Emergency response time
to the Doolan Road/Croak Road Study Area for the Livermore Police Department
is estimated to be three minutes. - -
Dublin
The City of Dublin contracts with the Alameda County Sheriff's Department
for police services. The Chief of Police for Dublin is a lieutenant in the
Sheriff's Department. Sheriff:s officers rotate in and out of the Dublin
Police Department like any other duty station. If staff shortages occur in
the Dublin Police Department, even of a temporary nature, the position is
filled within ten days by transfer of an officer from another duty station.
The Dublin Police Department estimates that the 3000 unit development
scenario would produce a population increase in the Doolan Road/Croak Road
Study Area of 7800 new residents. The police department assumed 1500 single
family dwellings and 1500 multi-family dwellings to generated this figure.
The 100 acre commercial/industrial park is not expected to increase this need
since it represents a commercial to residential ratio lower than currently
exists in the City of Dublin. To serve this level of development, the Dublin
Police Department would increase staff levels by 6 deputies, 1.5 sergeants,
1.5 detectives, 1 clerical position and 1 administrative position. Five
additional vehicles would be needed to equip the staff. Additional office and
~ administrative space would not be needed as a new police_facility located at
the east end of Dublin Boulevard is scheduled for completion in September,
1989.
Dublin would assign a patrol unit to the Doolan Road/Croak Road Study
~ Area on a 24-hour basis. As a result, the response time to Doolan Canyon ,
with or without a second access road, is estimated at 3 minutes. :Access to
the area, in case of emergency, would be improved by the construction of a
~ second east-west roadway which could intersect the northern portion Doolan
Road and provide an alternate entry from Dublin to the area.
7. Schools
a. Present Conditions and Study Area Requirements
The Doolan Road/Croak Road Study Area lies entirely within the Livermore
Joint Unified School District (Figure 10). The District is legally required
to serve the Study Area regardless of city jurisdiction and would continue to
do so unless a petition to reconfigure the school district was made to and
approved by the State.
Based on the following generation rates, the two hypothetical levels of
development would produce the following numbers of school children:
Grade Generation rate
K- 6 0,30 children per unit
7- 8 0.15 children per unit
9- 12 0.20 children per unit
:
~
School aged children
3000 Units 200 Units
~ 900 children 60 children
= 450 children 30 children
= 600 children 40 children
FEBRUARY 28, 1990
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~ SPHERE OF /NFLUENCE STU~ FACTORS TO BE CONS/DERED - PU~SERV/CES 37
The City of Dublin Recreation Department is considering the potential for
~ a community center and community park in the East Dublin area as it deve~lops.
The park would occupy 25 to 30 acres and~have developed recreation facilities.
Plans for the park include a multi-use room/gym, a classroom, a pre-school
~ room, tennis courts, ballfields and a group picnic area.
~ The City of Dublin recently received a donation of 90 acres that is
~ slated to be developed in the near future as the East Dougherty Hills Park and
~ used for hiking and picnicking. The Park site is located between Dougherty
Road and Stagecoach Road in eastern Dublin. In addition, the Recreation
Department currently has four developed neighborhood parks, a swim center, a
~ community center and a small undeveloped parcel.
The Department is funded through the City's general fund, park dedication
fees collected through the planning process and grant monies. Open space
areas can be accepted in lieu of park dedication fees in certain cases.
There are currently 8 acres of park recreation facilities per 1000
~ residents. With the addition of 9000 more residents, the parks department
would need to provide an additional 72 acres of developed facilities to
maintain the current standard.
~ According to the 1985 General Plan, Dublin has three main outdoor
recreational sites: the Sports Grounds which is 23 acres, Shannon Park and
~ Community Center which is 10 acres, and Valley Community Swim Center which is
3 acres. Three small neighborhood parks adjoin school yards,,,
All these parks are located west of Camp Parks. These facilities would
~ not be close for convenient use by the future residents of the Doolan
Road/Croak Road Study Area. Dublin presently has inadequate park facilities
_ _$ to serve new development in the eastern expansion area. New-recreational
~ areas must be provided~if the future residents of the Study Area are to be
adequately served by Dublin. The type and size of the parks needed will
depend on the development intensity.
~ Livermore .
The Livermore Area Recreation and Park District (LARPD) encompasses most
~ of the eastern half of Alameda County. The District currently operates a
system of 30 parks covering 750 acres. Of the 750 acres, 300 acres are owned
by the City of Livermore but operated by the LARPD. Maitland R. Henry Park, a
~ 5 acre neighborhood park with picnicking and playground facilities, is
approximately one and a half miles from the intersection of Doolan Road and
Interstate 580. This is the closest neighborhood park to the Study Area.
~ The LARPD proposes to provide a neighborhood park within 3/4 to one mile
of any home in the urbanized areas of Livermore. These neighborhood parks are
designed to serve 3000-5000 residents within that area. The neighborhood
~ parks are 6 to 10 acres and usually have a open, grassy area, street parking
~ and a paved court area for basketball or tennis. Given these requirements,
the hypothetical level of development at Doolan Road/Croak Road would be
~ served by two to three neighborhood parks.
Community parks, having more facilities than neighborhood parks, are
~ proposed to serve 15,000 to 20,000 residents living within 2.5 miles of the
FEBRUARY 28, 1990
SPHERE OF INFLUENCE STUDY - FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED - PUBUC SERV/CES 38
site. These parks, ~east 30 acres in size, will i de facilities such as
picnic areas, ballfie s and swimming pools. Given t~istance of Doolan
~ Canyon from the existing Robert Livermore Community Park, it is possible that
a community park would be developed to serve the new residents of Doolan Road.
The LARPD anticipates the development of a 200-400 acre special use or
regional park in the Doolan Road/Croak Road Study Area. The park would be
developed for passive recreational uses much like the regional parks of the
East Bay Regional Park District with hiking trails and minimal impact
development.
Parks are acquired through direct purchase, donation or dedication
assessments on new developments. Dedication fees can be either in land or
money depending on the development project under consideration. A density
transfer program is being studied for the North Livermore Study Area. This
would allow developers to exceed zoning densities on parcels in exchange of
dedication of other lands to the City.
Existing residents of the Doolan Road/Croak Road Area are served by the
Livermore Park District facilities. Livermore has a equestrian trails and a
large network of biking trails. The District also provides numerous
neighborhood parks to serve localized areas within the City of Livermore.
Due to its size, the LARPD is capable of offering the future residents
of the Doolan Road/Croak Road Study Area a broad variety of recreational
facilities. Subsequently, the residents would likely use LARPD facilities to
meet recreational needs beyond a neighborhood.park.
D. ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMUNITY INTEREST IN STUDY AREA
Community interest for the Study Area is the attachment or sense of
belonging to one community versus another. Whether the existing and future
residents of Doolan Canyon identify with Dublin or Livermore on a day-to-day
basis is a factor which can be considered in determining the allocation of the
Doolan Road/Croak Road Study Area. A variety of factors are used to assess
the community interest of Doolan Road/Croak Road residents including community
services such as schools and post office, the location of shopping areas,
social clubs or functions and community goals or policies.
1. Identity of Existing Residents
There are nine residential parcels in Doolan Canyon which vary in size
from 5 to 20 acres. The remaining agricultural land is divided into 12
parcels ranging in size from 87 to 568 acres. A few residences are scattered
across these parcels. Residents have located in the canyon seeking a rural
lifestyle in a quiet setting. Many of the residents have horses, some have
cattle and raise sheep. Horseback riding throughout the Canyon properties is
common recreation.
The City of Livermore has traditionally served the rural interest of the
present residents. Stores providing tack, feed, saddles and western clothing
are located in Livermore. The high school offers a rodeo program. 4H Clubs
are also based in Livermore. Historically, Livermore is concerned with growth
management and provision of open space -- policies canyon residents endorse.
FEBRUARY 28, 1990
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•Dublin's planning a may affect the development pa ern of the remainder of
the planning area. ~e northern half of the proper s steep and may not be
suitable for high density development. The southern ortion is considerably
less steep and offers a higher development potential. Removal of this land
from Dublin's planning area would reduce the amount of land available for
dense development. It is not clear how critical this loss would be to the
City's development strategy of the East Dublin area.
Dublin is a young city (incorporated in 1982) with a strong employment
and commercial base. According to the Dublin Planning Director, the City has
~ a balance estimated at 2.04 jobs per available housing. Dublin needs to
increase its housing stock to provide housing opportunities for those who
would need to relocate due to new employment from planned commercial
development. The development of the Study Area with the residential units
evaluated in the case study would assist Dublin in balancing the new jobs with
new housing. However, with or without the Study Area, Dublin can provide a
balance in order to comply with the City's existing jobs/housing balance
policies. If the Study Area is not allocated to Dublin, the commercial areas
now planned may need to be downsized.
Development of the Canyon would require costly infrastructure
improvements. Probably the single largest expense would be installing a road
which connects Doolan Canyon to other developments planned in the eastern
Dublin area. Road configurations under consideration are presented in Figure
7. The road would need to be built to the standards of a major arterial and
would climb over the ridges forming the western boundary of Doolan Canyon.
Road expense combined with the expense of providing a water system, expanding
sewer treatment capacity and securing export line capacity will likely delay
any development of the Canyon in the near term. -
2. City of Livermore
The Livermore area has a long history beginning as an agrarian community
in the mid 1800's and moving toward a technology-based economy dominated by
nuclear research at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, Sandia Corporation
nuclear research facility, and General Electric Vallecitos Nuclear Center.
During the 1960's and early 1970's Livermore experienced rapid residential
growth prompting the City to enact a growth management ordinance. This
ordinance places restrictions on growth levels in order to ensure sufficient
public facilities and services are available to accommodate the new
development. The current per annum growth level allowed by Livermore is 3.5%
Livermore has growth opportunities north to the County line, east to the
base of Altamont, south along Highway 84 and south of Grant. Livermore is
restricted to the west by the City of Pleasanton. The primary area under
present consideration is the large expanse of open land located north of
Interstate 580. Livermore is currently preparing the North Livermore General
Plan Amendment Study which comprises 15,500 acres reaching from the existing
city limits west to Fallon Road. The North Livermore Study generally
advocates a south to north pattern of development.
If the Doolan Road/Croak Road Study Area is allocated to the Livermore
Sphere of Influence, it is uncertain how quickly the area would be developed.
It is likely that the southern portion of the North Livermore Study Area which
is flat and close to existing urban development would be the first to develop.
However, if the financial requirements of providing infrastructure and service
FEBRUARY 28, 1990
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•
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT - CONFORMANCE WITH PLANS AN•OL/C/ES
the Study Area, with possible commercial development of the I-580 corridor
portion of the area and only rural residential development in the canyon is
used in the Sphere of Influence Study as_one test of the cities' capacity to
serve the area.
59
The alternative of sphere allocation to Livermore would meet the policy
goals of the City. To the degree that rural residential development could be
permitted, relying on well water and septic tank in lieu of urban services,
the alternatives of Unallocation and No Action would partially meet policy
goals of the City.
4. City of Dublin
The City of Dublin incorporated as a city in 1982 and adopted its first
General Plan in February 1985. The City is currently preparing a
comprehensive plan for the area from Tassajara Road east to the ridgeline
forming the eastern side of Doolan Canyon. A recommended preliminary plan,
with alternatives, will be prepared by the end of this year.
Dublin has an interest in developing Doolan Canyon although the actual
intensity has not yet been determined. A proposal has been submitted to the
--~ City of Dublin which would develop the Canyon with a combination of
residential, commercial and light industrial uses. The scope of land uses
considered by Dublin falls within the range of land use intensity considered
in the Sphere of Influence Study scenarios.
Only the alternative of sphere allocation to Dublin would meet policy
goals of the City. -'
'°'~"-'! D. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
~ Sphere allocation only determines which City will continue further .
planning in the Study Area. Allocation does not permit development or changes
in public services. The potential for environmental impact from LAFCO's
action comes about in two ways: 1) growth inducement, and 2) foreclosure of
'~ options in developing future urban services and infrastructure.
1. Significant Environmental Effects and Mitigation
~ None of the alternative actions would result in any direct, or primary.,
environmental impact. No growth can occur, nor can infrastructure be expanded
without further review by LAFCO (annexation request) or by local government.
No mitigation of direct impacts is needed.
~
~ As described below, alternatives allocating the Doolan Road/Croak Road
Study Area to a city would be growth inducing; those actions would have a
significant secondary impact. Under its enabling legislation, there are no
measures available to LAFCO to condition the sphere allocation to restrict the
~ extent of induced growth or the impact of induced growth. Through the
annexation process, LAFCO does retain control of the timing of development and
can determine the adequacy of urban services for development.
~ The EIR identifies induced growth as a significant unavoidable adverse
impact of alternatives which allocate the Study Area to a city Sphere of
~ Influence. It is LAFCO's responsibility to limit urban sprawl and it
'~ FEBRUARY 28, 1990
~
~
AGENDA STATEMENT
CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: November 13, 1989
SUBJECT: Report on the Alameda County Local
Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO)
Draft Doolan Road Sphere of
Influence Study and Environmental
Impact Report
REPORT PREPARED BY: Laurence L. Tong, Planning Director
EXHIBITS ATTACHED: Exhibit A; Draft Alameda County
LAFCO Doolan Road Sphere of
Influence Study and EIR (under
separate cover)
Attachment 1: Draft comments to
LAFCO
RECOMMENDATION:
~ ~"' 1. Strongly support the findings
, and recommendation that LAFCO
allocate the area to Dublin's
sphere of influence.
2. Direct Staff to submit written
comments to LAFCO; and
3. Direct Staff and/or a City
Council representative to
attend the LAFCO hearing and
present the City Council's
position.
FINANCIAL STATEMENT: None
DESCRIPTION:
The Alameda County Local Agency Formation.Commission (LAFCO)
has had a consultant prepare the Draft Doolan Road 5phere of
Influence Study and Environmental Impact Report. The study area
includes a majority of the property located in the Doolan Canyon
Watershed. Of the total 2645 acres, 1Q95 acres of the northern
canyon are within Dublin's existing sphere of influence.
A hypothetical level of urbanization (3000 dwelling units
and 100 acres of combined commercial and industrial space) was
only used in the study to estimate likely demand for municipal
services. It was not meant to show what level of urbanization
would be appropriate. The East Dublin Study, which is
independent of the LAFCO Study, will address potential land use
for the area.
The LAFCO Study recommends that LAFCO allocate the Doolan
Road area to the City of Dublin sphere of influence. The
recommendation is based primarily on the geography of the area
and its e£fect on future road access and community orientation.
The area is a closed or "box" canyon.. In order to serve the
level of urbanization evaluated in the study, Doolan Road must be
connected to a local road network to provide access from a
secondary location. That secondary access road would best serve
the region if connected to Tassajara Road.
~
[a:LLTll-13:ga) ~,
- 1 - ~
-------------------------- ~:
----------------- ~,:,; `,-- -- - - -- ~- - - -
-
ITEM N0. / • o< COPIES T0: - - -- - - -- - - - -
~.>
~ ~
The recommendation reflects the more likely integration of
future residents in the eastward growth planned by Dublin. A
westward extension of Doolan Road, as part of Dublin, would
connect to commerce and employment, as well as to the I-680 urban
corridor. An eastward extension of Doolan Road, as part of
Livermore, would connect to a rural Contra Costa County area
remote from commerce or employment.
The study also found that, under either Livermore or Dublin,
there would need to be extensive new construction of roads,
water, sewer, and other public facilities to serve an urban
population in Doolan Canyon. LAFCO Staff has indicated that
LAFCO has scheduled a hearing on this item for Thursday, December
7. 1989, 7:00 p.m. at the Pleasanton City Council Chambers.
Staff recommends that the Council:
1) strongly support the findings and recommendation of the
study that LAFCO allocate the Daolan Road Study Area to
the City of Dublin Sphere of Influence;
2) Direct Staff to submit written comments (see Attachment
1) to LAFCO; and
3) Direct Staff and/or a City Council representative to
attend the LAFCO hearing and present the City Council's
position.
. ATTACHMENT A ~ ~
DRAFT COI~'II'~IENTS TO ALAMEDA COUNTY LAFCO
REGA.RDING DRAFT DOOLAN ROA.D SPHERE OF INFLUENCE STUDY
AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
1. The Dublin City Council strongly supports the findings and
recommendation of the study that LAFCO allocate the Doolan
Road Study Area to the City of Dublin Sphere of Influence.
2. The LAFCO Staff and consultants should consider the
following technical corrections to the draft study:
A• Page 9 and 46;
owners has been
which would dev~
of residential,
uses."
"A proposal by some property
submitted to the City of Dublin
~lop the Canyon with a combination
commercial and light industrial
The City has not received any proposal from any
property owner or developer to develop the Canyon.
B• PaSe 22: Figure 7- Road shows Hacienda Drive
extended north of Dublin Boulevard.
The Dublin General Plan does not show Hacienda
Drive extended beyond Dublin Boulevard and such an
extension has not been proposed in the East Dublin
Studies.
~• Page 32 (and page 49): "The City of Dublin
Recreation Department is planning a community
center and community park in the East Dublin area
as it develops." .
The City of Dublin is considerin in the East
Dublin Studies the potential for a community ~
center and community park in the East Dublin area.