Legal Strategies Shift on the Front Lines of the Bay Area's Housing Debate

The threat of a lawsuit by the California Renters Legal Advocacy has the city of Dublin rethinking a housing proposal that would add 220 units near the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station.

2 minute read

January 22, 2018, 11:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Suburban California

Dublin, California | Vlad Valeye / Shutterstock

The Dublin City Council was "headed toward rejecting a proposed 220-unit condominium development near the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station," until the California Renters Legal Advocacy showed up.

Ron McNicoll reports on the unfolding political and legal saga of the Ashton at Dublin development. The council voted 4-1 in December to reject the proposed project, with different councilmembers citing different reasons for no votes. One councilmember cited building height, and another cited building materials. However, Vice-Mayor Don Biddle, who cast the lone no vote, said the project is already vested and is exactly the kind of development that should be approved near a transit station.

Dublin City Attorney john Bakker is also cited in the article warning the council that the city could be liable under the state’s Housing Accountability Act (HAA), and the California Renters Legal Advocacy has put the city on notice that they plan to do so, as reported by McNicoll:

Victoria Fierce, Executive Director of the California Renters Legal Advocacy (CaRLA), told the council that unless the city is very careful and specific about reasons for rejecting the map, the group could sue the city. It’s possible that CaRLA could gain $10,000 per unit, if it were successful in such a suit, said Fierce. That would amount to $2.2 million for the development, Ashton at Dublin Station.

The Dublin City Council has since decided to table its decision on the project, but the California Renters Legal Advocacy is still working this legal angle in other parts of the Bay Area, namely Lafayette, Sausalito, and Berkeley. 

Thursday, January 18, 2018 in The Independent

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight