Livermore - Los Altos Heights subdivision - 1967

Often considered part of Sunset's The Meadows subdivision, the first development north of Portola Avenue (and south of I-580) is the 81-unit Los Altos Heights subdivision, built by Duc & Elliott, builders of "finer communities."

Los Altos Heights featured standard tract homes as well as lots available for custom homes. The tract homes were built between 1966 and 1968, but custom homes were built through 1971. Most of the custom homes are along the top of the community, which afford fantastic views of the Livermore Valley.

This advertisement from the Oakland Tribune dated October 8, 1967, shows a living room scene in one of the Los Altos Heights' homes, complete with cheesy Sixties art above the fireplace. At $27,500 to $30,950, prices were around $3,000 higher than the lowest-priced home in the Pleasanton Valley subdivision. However, these homes have air conditioning and a view!

Today, this neighborhood has some attractive attributes: easy access to I-580 and downtown, views, a hill between it and the large commercial areas to the north, big lots, fancy homes, and peace and quiet.

Enjoy!
Scott

Pleasanton - Heritage Valley subdivision - 1975

Morrison Homes is to Pleasanton what Shapell is to San Ramon... a home builder that established the modern character of their chosen communities.

Morrison Homes created the enormous Pleasanton Valley and Valley Trails subdivisions, and marched along developing more of Pleasanton. After a slow-growth initiative passed in Pleasanton in the mid-Seventies, Morrison was forced to build less. Each builder was only allocated a set number of permits. Most of the land between Mohr, Santa Rita, Valley, and the train tracks was owned by Morrison. However, it took until the Eighties to develop it fully... completed by the Danbury Park subdivision around Orloff Park.

Morrison Homes, building on earlier successes, took some of the most popular floor plans of the earlier developments, updated elevations and opened Heritage Valley in September 1975. Three model homes were shown on Morganfield Court (on the map in the darker tint), but four models were available. The two-story model came in 4 or 5 bedroom options.

The 105-unit development finished a year later in 1976. Prices began at $47,500 in 1975. Not a bad deal! Most of these homes are set on cul-de-sacs and enjoy large lots. A pool is de rigueur and why not? It's Pleasanton after all!

Enjoy!
Scott

San Ramon - Fairway Hills subdivision - 1965

Located on the San Ramon Royal Vista Golf Course, the Fairway Hills subdivision was the second development to border the greens. The first, Country Club Park, started in 1961 on the western portion of the golf course. Fairway Hills, developed by Alpha Homes, is a 117 unit subdivision that featured good-sized homes on even larger lots. The original 5 models were located on Burning Tree Court (in darker red on the map).

The advertisement is clearly written towards a male audience, especially with the hint of cynicism about Harry the horse. Perhaps developed by the advertising professionals of 1965, now popularized with AMC's MadMen TV series.

Homes started at $25,950 in 1965 and sales continued through 1966. Much of the remaining land around the golf course went undeveloped until 1977 when Paseo San Ramon and Rancho Ramon were built.

San Ramon Country Club golf course, designed by Clark Glasson, opened its first 9 holes in June of 1962, with the remaining 9 holes opening in fall that same year ("Golf Course Now Open to Public", 1962). The golf course has been renamed a number of times, now at Royal Vista Golf Course.

Enjoy!
Scott

Reference
Golf Course New Open to Public. (1962, June 17, 1962). Oakland Tribune, p. 2-R.

Pleasanton - Valley Trails subdivision - 1972

Valley Trails in Pleasanton was Morrison Homes' foray into the new lifestyle communities gaining popularity in Pleasanton. In this advertisement, Morrison described Valley Trails as "... a unique, totally different cul de sac land plan. Valley Trails - A new contained community features a wide, landscaped park running through the community to the elementary school site. In this pastoral green belt, your children will have room to roam, to run, to ramble with complete safety."

Like Oliver Rousseau's Pleasanton Meadows subdivision off Santa Rita Road, Valley Trails has a park running down the center of the community. However, the elementary school was never built. The school site is currently occupied by a church and mostly a weedy lot.

Cleverly, the streets in Valley Trails are named after national parks, abet abbreviations. No one in this neighborhood can claim geography ignorance.

Featured in this ad is the Valley View House model; the classic tri-level home with three bedrooms. This model was value priced at $34,040 in 1972.

Valley Trails is still considered an affordable neighborhood by Pleasanton standards. The reason for affordability is often cited as foundation issues that the neighborhood has been perceived as having. Although it is unknown whether these claims have been substantiated, the perceptions persist.

Enjoy!
Scott

San Ramon - Daybreak subdivision - 1978

In the latter half of the Seventies, the land around Montevideo Drive in San Ramon exploded with growth. Although dominated by Shapell, smaller lots were developed by infill developers, such as the San Diego-based Pacific Scene, Inc. The Daybreak subdivision was Pacific Scene's debut into the East Bay home market ("Daybreak Preview", 1978).

In 1978, Pacific Scene built 50 unique homes offering 2, 3, and 4 bedrooms around Foxboro Circle ("Daybreak Preview", 1978). Similar to detached townhouses, homes in the Daybreak subdivision offer smaller lots, shorter driveways, and for some along Montevideo, no fenced backyards. Instead, the center of the subdivision is a private pool and park for its residents.

Pacific Scene offered 6 floor plans with innovative elevations, now epitomizing the experimental late 70s designs. The garages on most of the homes are flat-roofed while the rest of the homes featured high peaks.

Greatly affected by the savings and loan collapse in the early 90s, Pacific Scene, Inc. virtually disappeared from the real estate scene ("Like Father, Like Son", 2005). However, the founder's son is now back with his successful "Pacific Scene Homes."

Pictured above in the artist's rendition of a home in Daybreak from the Oakland Tribune. The model as it appears today is also shown.

Enjoy!
Scott

References
Daybreak Preview. (1978, March 5, 1978). Oakland Tribune, p. 1-C.

Like Father, Like Son. (2005, July 24, 2005). San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved September 24, 2009 from http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050724/news_1h24sceen.html

San Ramon - Danridge subdivision - 1969

Touted as homes for country gentleman living, William Lyon opened the Danridge subdivision on June 1, 1969 (Fremont Argus, 1969). Located on the far north-eastern portion of San Ramon (at the time), Danridge originally offered four models, all with "terrace kitchens" (Fremont Argus). Some plans offered the unique "parent saver retreat," which placed master bedrooms away from the other bedrooms.

The exterior elevations offered were both ahead of their time as well as experimental. Unique roof lines with unconventional pitches were common. Yet, other homes appear as if they could have been built 20 years later. William Lyon homes were always innovative.

In 1969, prices ranged from $27,500 to $34,500. While the subdivision seems far from everything, it's actually close to schools and thanks to a walkway over the creek, adjacent to California High School.

In late 1973, The Larwin Group acquired William Lyons Homes' assets in Danridge and the subdivision was renamed Larwin's Encore San Ramon.

Enjoy!
Scott

Reference.
Danridge Opens Today. (1969, June 1). The Argus, p. 14.

Pleasanton - Pleasanton Meadows subdivision - 1968

Along with Oliver Rousseau Homes, Galli Homes started construction of a number of homes in the lifestyle-oriented Pleasanton Meadows subdivision. Responsible for many of the homes on the north side of Fairlands Park, Galli Homes built some of the largest homes available at the time, with up to 5 or 6 bedrooms. Only Morrison Homes' Pleasanton Valley subdivision offered comparable bedrooms.

Pictured in this advertisement from 1968 is the Century House, popular with more affluent home buyers. The Century House model was on the higher end of the price range, starting about $34,950 in 1968. This model still remains popular today due to its number of bedrooms, a rarity even in today's construction standards.

Galli Homes in Pleasanton Meadows had its four models on the western corner of Churchill Drive, with its sales office at 4267 Churchill Drive. Galli Homes built many of the homes along Fairlands Drive and Churchill Drive from Churchill Court through Chelsea Court. Around 1971, H. C. Elliott acquired Galli Homes' assets in Pleasanton Meadows and finished out its portion of the development. H. C. Elliott closed out the old models on Churchill and opened four new models on Cambridge Court. Model names included the Capistrano, the Newporter, and the Sandpiper, Eventually a fifth model, the Partridge, was added in 1971 (The Argus, 1971). The same models were used to sell another H. C. Elliott development in Pleasanton, Vintage Hills (The Argus).

Enjoy!
Scott

Reference
Elliott adds model series. (1971, July 4). The Argus, p. 14.