DUBLIN — A new affordable housing project with more than 300 apartments near a BART station could be coming to Dublin after the City Council approved spending millions to help fund the project.
The City Council unanimously agreed Tuesday night to allocate $10 million to the project that will be located at 6501 Golden Gate Drive, close to the West Dublin/Pleasanton BART station. The project will have two, five-story buildings with 308 total apartments built out in two phases — the city’s funding will only contribute to the first 136-apartment phase.
The total cost of the project is expected to be $105 million.
The 3.6-acre site, to be developed by the nonprofit Bridge Housing, will also have ground-floor retail, such as a coffee shop. Those who live or work in Dublin could be given priority as tenants, if the city agrees, at a later date. In the first phase, 30% of the apartments (or 40 units) will be set aside for formerly homeless and/or veterans and will be fully furnished.
The apartments will also be split by affordability; for example, 41 units will be dedicated to those whose income level is at 20% of the area median income, 15 units at 40%, 40 units at 50% and 39 units at 60% of the area median income. Just one unit will be at market rate, reserved for the apartment manager.
According to a city document, the median income for a two-person household in 2020 was $95,350; so 50% of the average median income for two people, considered “very low,” would be $52,200.
The second phase, which will have 172 apartments, will be 100% affordable, although the range of who would qualify has not yet been decided.
Of the $10 million the city agreed to contribute, $7.1 million will be coming directly from the city’s affordable housing fund, while the remainder $2.9 million would come from Alameda County’s Measure A-1 funds. Voters approved the $580 million Measure A1 bond in 2016, aimed at funding permanent affordable rental housing, moderate-income homeownership, and homes for low-income seniors and those with disabilities.
In November, the city received a proposal for two projects, including a 77-apartment project by Bridge Housing at this location, and a 121-apartment project by nonprofit Eden Housing at 7922 Dublin Blvd. Since then, Eden Housing has withdrawn its proposal and Bridge has changed its plan to include more apartments.
Mayor Melissa Hernandez asked Bridge Housing if they would consider adding more services for the future residents of the property, including a child care center. Bridge Executive Vice President Brad Wiblin replied that although the nonprofit does have housing projects that offer a child care center, this location is not one of them because it would require more room, such as an outdoor play area space, and a parent drop off-pick up area.
The mayor also asked the developer to work with staff to make sure the property is fairly marketed toward those who live and work in Dublin. Wiblin said because some funding would come from the county, there may have to be preference given to those who live in the Dublin-Pleasanton-Livermore area.
Councilmember Jean Josey pointed out that although the council was approving funding for the project, the approval of the project itself rests with the Planning Commission; the project will go before the commission at a later date. The council was asked to agree to the funding and the community benefit agreement, which includes the cafe, enhancements to the BART plaza, and the apartments set aside for formerly homeless or veterans.
Livermore City Councilmember Brittni Kiick called into the meeting during the public comment portion and said she supported the project, especially because it is transit-oriented.
“As you all know, we as a region are given regional housing needs allocation,” Kiick said. “We need to work together to tackle affordable housing.”
The project will be located to the west of the future 499-unit St. Patrick Way residential project, which will be market-rate condos and apartments approved in 2018.
The council also recently moved forward in March with an affordable housing project for seniors, a byproduct of the St. Patrick Way project. The senior housing, which will have 70 to 114 apartments, will be located at 6541 to 6543 Regional St. and be developed by Eden Housing.
