San Bruno B.A.R.T.

  DUBLIN--Plans for new development near the proposed site of the West Dublin-Pleasanton BART station got its first round of approval from the Dublin City Council on Tuesday night.

  The complex, with a hotel, apartments, a restaurant and retail shops, would occupy 7.26 acres in the 6600 block of Golden Gate Drive, just north of the future BART station site. It is expected to spur development in adjacent areas.

  "We are going to open up downtown Dublin like it's never been opened up before," said council member Tony Oravetz.

  The City Council unanimously approved changes to the original plan approved three years ago. The hotel shrunk from 240 to 150 rooms, but the number of apartments increased from 160 to 210. Those modifications reflect a changing market, said Bob Russell of Ampelon Development Group. Ampelon is working with BART to fund, design and build the BART station and the area around it.

  Council members also agreed to waive the affordable housing requirement for the apartment complex to improve property tax income. New housing complexes with more than 20 units are required to set aside 12.5 percent of their total units as affordable.

  "The apartments needed to be kept at market rates for the project to work," said Mayor Janet Lockhart.

  The development near the BART station will serve two purposes, Russell said.

  "It's one avenue to pay for the BART station and to increase ridership," he said.

  Money to pay for the station will also come from taxes from the development, land lease payments and bonds. The land is owned by BART.

  The exclusion of affordable housing will increase the value of the property, and the city can collect more from property taxes to help pay for the adjacent BART station quicker, Russell said.

  Once built, the station will increase interest in future downtown development. That would bring more affordable housing, Russell said.

  Ampelon is looking for a high-quality, but not full-service hotel, Russell said. The developer is still looking for investors for the apartment complex and a hotel operator and commercial tenants.

  Ampelon hopes to break ground on Dublin's transit village and the station by early 2005, Russell said. The developer now has to come up with designs for the station's second development stage.

  The West Dublin-Pleasanton BART station, which will also serve San Ramon riders, was part of the original BART line expansion that took place in the 1990s that brought the current Dublin-Pleasanton and Castro Valley stops. It has never been built due to a lack of funding.

Reach Sophia Kazmi at skazmi@cctimes.com