DUSD Trustees Approve Payment Agreement with AT Dublin Developer

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DUBLIN, CA — The Dublin Unified School District has signed off on an agreement with the owner of the AT Dublin project for a contribution more than $28 million, including up to $100,000 toward development costs of a preliminary design for the future high school at the Promenade site.

Under the agreement, which was approved during the Board of Trustees' Oct. 23 meeting, the DUSD is to receive a payment of $28 million in "development fees," according to the school district. The upfront payment is being offered by SCS to help DUSD with its facilities needs, including purchasing land and development of a new high school, the school district has said.

The agreement was designed to mitigate the cost to the district of students that could enter the school district as a result of construction of the AT Dublin project.

If the city approves the project, the school district is to receive lump sums of money from SCS in the form of two $14.05 million payments, with the first due either 12 months after city approval of the project, or issuance of the first residential building permit for the project, whichever comes first. The second payment would be due 12 months after the initial payment.

Additionally under the agreement, half of the design fees, or $50,000, became due within 10 days of the agreement's approval, and another amount of up to $50,000 would be due if and when the DUSD can establish that the work costs more than the initial $50,000.

The payments, however, are contingent upon the City of Dublin approving the AT Dublin development project, a 76-acre, mixed-use, infill project planned on Tassajara Road between Gleason and I-580. It's located near the "Promenade" site—a centrally located property situated in a high-density, residential and commercial neighborhood.

The school board vote was 3-1 to approve the funding, with members Amy Miller, Dan Cunningham and Megan Rouse voting yes and Dan Cherrier voting no. The fifth seat on the board is currently vacant. Cherrier said his 'no' vote was spurred by his opposition to what he considers overdevelopment of city acreage.

"Is it right for us to continue this unchecked growth that you hear time and time again that no one likes?" he asked rhetorically during the trustees' meeting. "SCS is making it happen. I cannot support this agreement."

The school district, however, has taken no position as to whether the development should or should not be approved, and has said that the funding agreement is a necessary step to ensure the availability of adequate school facilities if the city does approve the development.

Enrollment at the city's current high school, Dublin High, is over 3,000 students according to the DUSD, and is estimated to grow by another 1,300 students within the next five years, with the AT Dublin project expected to generate about five percent of those 1,300 students.

Earlier this year, the school district selected and is moving forward with the "Promenade" site as the best option for the location of a second high school in Dublin. The school is being designed for an initial capacity for of 1,000 students, with later additions planned to bring the capacity up to 2,500 students.

Photo via Shutterstock

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