Dublin City Council recently played it safe and christened the future park in the western hills of Dublin, CA simply Schaefer Ranch Park. The 10.6-acre site will feature 6.3 acres of developed parkland with open meadow, playgrounds, basketball court, tennis court, horseshoe pit, covered picnic area, game tables, pathways, and a restroom building. The park site is at a high point in Dublin’s western hills with spectacular views of the Tri-Valley to the east and the rolling hills of the ridge line to the south. The future park is bordered by Dublin Boulevard to the south, Schaefer Heights Road to the west, and Kelly Canyon Drive to the north.
The City of Dublin received over thirty name suggestions for Schaefer Ranch Park. Among the rejected names were “Dublin Canyon Park,” “Donlon Point Park,” and “Dublin Highview Park.” Other interesting suggestions included “Dublin’s Top Park,” “Four-Leaf Clover Park,” and “Diane Lowart Park.” Diane Lowart is the name of Dublin’s current parks and community services director.
The new Schaefer Ranch development would not be possible without Measure M. Led by then Dublin Mayor Janet Lockhart and former Dublin Planning Commissioner Morgan King, Measure M was the compromise between the West Dublin political machine and the developers of the land that ultimately became Schaefer Ranch. That compromise provided a huge windfall for the owners of the Schaefer Ranch property at the expense of the Nielsen family, as anti-development and anti-farming restrictions were placed on the Nielsens’ west Dublin holdings. Members of the Nielsen family were among of the early ranchers in Dublin to purchase large tracts of land before the post-World War II suburban population boom in the East Bay.
Although the Nielsen family’s parcel was rendered worthless by Measure M, the Nielsen name was not among the suggestions. Also missing from consideration were the names of Janet Lockhart and Morgan King, the two Dublin politicians responsible for Measure M.
Construction of Schaefer Ranch Park is expected to be completed by June 2013.
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