Developers seek mixed‑use plan on Emerald Parkway; commissioners press on height, trees and drive‑throughs

Developers Vantrust/Antrust presented a concept plan for a 16‑acre site at the northeast corner of Emerald Parkway and Warner Temple Road that would add townhomes, three four‑story multifamily buildings and retail outlots at the intersection.

Phil Racy, executive vice president of Antrust Real Estate, said the team has refined multiple iterations over nine years and is seeking feedback on a plan that includes about 35 townhomes and roughly 210 multifamily units plus a central network of pedestrian connections, a large northern open space with a pond and what the applicants described as “curated retail” including two proposed drive‑through lanes. “We’ve included a large walking path, a large pond,” Racy said during the applicant presentation.

Staff framed the hearing as a request for nonbinding feedback and highlighted several points for commission guidance: whether three‑story townhome massing is appropriate along Emerald Parkway (where the Emerald Corridor Special Area Plan calls primarily for one‑ to two‑story fronting), whether the plan adequately preserves the site’s mature tree line, and whether drive‑throughs are appropriate at the gateway intersection.

Commissioners split on support. Several praised the applicant’s proposed materials and added landscaping, and one commissioner said the layout shows “a lot of nice things about the architecture.” Others pressed the applicant for a height study to show how the proposed townhomes and four‑story buildings would step down to adjacent lower‑scale uses, and several urged more effort to preserve the mature tree stand in the site’s center. Commissioner comments repeatedly returned to whether the proposal too heavily weights residential uses against the Envision Dublin guidance for mixed‑use and neighborhood‑scaled office.

The applicant said the design reflects market realities and a desire to create walkability and amenities to attract tenants; staff and commissioners recommended the team return with more analysis — specifically, a study of heights and massing along Emerald Parkway, clearer tree‑preservation analysis, and refinements to open‑space placement so green areas are better integrated through the development rather than located only at an edge. The commission did not take a formal vote; staff said the next step would be a preliminary development plan and rezoning where development text, stacking for drive‑throughs and final parking would be addressed.