Dublin divided by its population boom

Some residents see progress, others say charm is lost

On a recent weekday morning, Mona Reed poured coffee for a smattering of regulars at Zac's Cafe in Dublin. Behind them, a mural of the city's eastern hills, deep green after the winter rains, covered the diner's wall.

“That's what it used to look like,” Reed said. “When I was in high school it was all country road up there.”

Today, those green hills east of the city have transformed dramatically. They're covered with rings of housing developments and boutique shopping centers — evidence of Dublin's explosive growth over the past decade.

Its expansion has inspired headlines, positioned Dublin as one of the few booming Bay Area cities and provided economic opportunities for a population that now numbers more than 70,000 residents.

It also has some of them asking what comes next, and whether Dublin can maintain a sense of community.

A relatively new city, incorporated in just 1982, Dublin was founded originally as a crossroads and remains one today as a city wedged between two major interstates. But over the past 10 years, it's also become the fastest-growing city in California.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau data, Dublin nearly doubled in size in 10 years, growing from 46,036 in 2010 to 72,589 people in 2020, an increase driven in large part by a growing Asian community. Those living in Dublin who identify as Asian tripled in the past decade. Kim Pak, the owner of Zac's Cafe, said more Asian customers patronize the restaurant than ever before.

Another major factor in Dublin's explosive growth has been the approval of thousands of new housing units — more than 8,000 since 2010.

Claudia McCormick served on the Dublin City Council in the early 2000s when many of the current developments were approved. At the time, she said, the goal was to help Dublin create more community-oriented neighborhoods.

“I had high hopes,” McCormick said. “I was trying to get developers to give us a couple acres so we could have a church, make it more of a community instead of just rows and rows of houses. But that was hard to do because it involved money.”

Today, it's almost as if there are two separate Dublins, McCormick said. In the hills to the west, there is the historic old town, and homes built in the 1950s. As you drive east, the city shifts to new developments — malls, box stores and fast food chains.

“You have the old town, you have the new housing, you have this retail stuff in the middle,” McCormick said. “We kind of wanted one Dublin.”

David Kwan, who has been living in Dublin's eastern neighborhoods since they were built 10 years ago, said he's indifferent to the growth. But he's aware that some residents believe all the development is leading Dublin in the wrong direction.

Residents have filed petitions opposing new development. Online, they've complained of traffic, congestion and overcrowded schools.

“People are really, really passionate about this,” Kwan said.

But this criticism hasn't done much to slow growth. In May, the Dublin City Council approved 573 more units in the east Dublin hills.

“Definitely there are those that are in favor and those that have negative things to say,” said Hazel Wetherford, Dublin's economic development director. “We're one of the newer communities in the TriValley, and with everything that's new, there's growing pains.”

The city has a plan to keep Dublin cohesive. Civic leaders are working to transform an old shopping center into a new, walkable downtown, and they're opening up a new community park in the center of the city to unite east and west Dublin. And they believe the housing developments will attract talent that will, in turn, attract big businesses.

Data company Snowflake has expanded its footprint in the area, and Kaiser Permanente opened its medical office and cancer center in Dublin.

Shari Jackman, a longtime resident and Dublin's communications manager, said Dublin's growth allows the city to add things they didn't have before. The city has amenities like Wave, an aquatic center and water park because of money from its tax base.

“I think it's changing for the better,” Jackman said. “By having that housing, we have the money to keep Dublin thriving and growing in a beautiful way.”

But not all residents find the growth to be beautiful. “It's hard to stop this stuff — the fast foods, the McDonalds, the Wendys,” McCormick said. “It's been an interesting ride to watch the city grow.”

As Dublin has evolved around it, Zac's Cafe, hidden in a little strip mall in the middle of town, has persevered. Zac's now has to compete with chains like IHOP and Black Bear Diner. There are at least a half-dozen Starbucks in the 14-square-mile city. But its regulars, and Reed herself, have remained loyal. Reed has worked at the cafe for more than 20 years and met her husband there. They have a son named Zac.

The diner opened in 1990, only eight years after Dublin was incorporated. Zac's Cafe, like its mural, is a reminder of what Dublin once was. But Reed believes the diner can also play a part in what Dublin becomes.

“Most of the people in here, I still know their faces,” Reed said. “It's still a family.”