Masud Mehran and the creation of Sunsetown in Livermore
The story of Sunset Homes
Between 1958 and 1977, developer Masud Mehran and Sunset Homes built more than 3,500 homes across Livermore, California, transforming ranchland into some of the Tri-Valley’s most recognizable suburban neighborhoods. Developments like Granada Village, Sunset East, Whispering Pines, Shadowbrook, and The Meadows reshaped postwar suburban growth and ultimately housed more than 12,000 residents in Livermore.
More than a tract builder, Masud Mehran envisioned a fully planned suburban environment—parks, schools, shopping centers, swim clubs, and modern mid-century homes. His work reflected the optimism of postwar California, shaped by affordability, sunshine, and the growth of the nearby Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory workforce.
He arrived in Livermore in 1951 with a $7,000 loan and began with a small five-home project that soon expanded into Granada Village—Sunset Homes’ first large-scale neighborhood. Over time, this early effort evolved into a broad suburban system later branded as “Sunsetown.”
Neighborhoods built by Sunset Homes in Livermore
Sunset Homes developed several major postwar neighborhoods:
- Granada Village (later Sunset West)
- Sunset East
- Whispering Pines
- Three Fountains
- Shadowbrook
- The Meadows
Together, these formed the backbone of “Sunsetown,” a loosely unified master-planned suburban region spanning south and west Livermore.
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| Annotated aerial map of neighborhoods built by Sunset Homes. Spanning decades of development from 1958 to 1977, this master-planned community reshaped Livermore’s suburban identity and houses over 12,000 residents. Base imagery from Google Maps. |
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| Annotated aerial map of The Meadows neighborhood in Livermore, California, built by Sunset Homes. Base imagery from Google Maps. |
From ranchland to suburban Livermore
Before development, the land Mehran acquired in 1958 was open ranchland tied historically to Rancho Valle de San Jose. It reflected Livermore’s agricultural origins, with roots in early settlement-era landholding families such as Joseph F. Black and Dennis F. Bernal.
Bernal is also historically associated with the Centennial Light, a local symbol of Livermore identity.
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| This 1878 map of Livermore shows early roads, creeks, and land holdings. The area that would be developed by Sunset Homes was originally part of Rancho Valle de San Jose from early settlement days. |
This land later became Granada Village, eventually rebranded as Sunset West. Over the following two decades, Sunset Homes expanded outward, acquiring additional ranch parcels that would later be unified under the Sunsetown identity.
The rise of Sunset Homes
The postwar housing shortage and Bay Area expansion created ideal conditions for suburban development. Livermore offered land, affordability, and proximity to the industrial growth surrounding Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
Mehran’s vision emphasized more than housing. Granada Village was marketed as a complete suburban environment: schools, parks, shopping, and recreation integrated into daily life.
Granada Village and the first Sunset neighborhoods (1958–1968)
Granada Village was promoted as a new model for suburban living. By the early 1960s, it was expanding rapidly along Verona Avenue, Elaine Avenue, and El Caminito, contributing to a major annexation that significantly increased Livermore’s footprint.
By 1962, the development exceeded 1,000 homes and was marketed as a 1,700-home planned community.
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| This July 1960 Sunset Homes' ad highlights early marketing push to showcase Granada Village’s emerging community lifestyle, emphasizing suburban modernity amid Livermore’s evolving landscape. |
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| Livermore in 1961 with Sunset neighborhoods on Verona Ave., Elaine Ave., and El Caminito. Livermore increased its size by 1/3 after annexing the neighborhood in the late 50s. |
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| This 1962 Sunset Homes advertisement promotes Granada Village as Livermore’s premier planned community, boasting 1,700 homes. Highlighting the East Bay’s “greatest home show,” it invites buyers to explore the expansive neighborhood, with homes priced from $14,900 to $19,800—a testament to the ambitious scale and appeal of the development during that era. |
Model homes became central to sales strategy. Architectural styles emphasized ranch design, landscaped streets, and family-oriented interiors.
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| This December 1961 Sunset Homes ad introduces the 1962 line of homes with an invitation from Masud Mehran himself to tour the “superbly furnished new models.” Featuring an artist’s rendering of a sleek, contemporary ranch-style house, the ad highlights the modern design and quality craftsmanship that defined Sunset’s growing community. |
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| This February 1964 Sunset Homes ad celebrates the grand opening of a new model home complex, inviting families to discover Livermore’s unique blend of suburban convenience and natural beauty. The copy emphasizes local schools, shopping, and easy commutes to nearby East Bay cities, while highlighting Livermore’s fog-free climate and abundant recreational opportunities—appealing to parents and children alike. |
Innovation and architectural experimentation (mid–late 1960s)
By the mid-1960s, Sunset Homes shifted toward more ambitious architectural ideas and marketing strategies.
The Castillo Marques tri-level design became one of the company’s most successful models, breaking sales records in 1966.
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| From a June 1966 Oakland Tribune ad—the Castillo Marques was the star of Sunset’s boldest lineup yet—part of a series so popular, it helped break company sales records in 1966. |
In 1968, a modernist visitors center was built to showcase designs and materials directly to buyers, reinforcing the company’s emphasis on experiential sales.
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| From a March 1968 Oakland Tribune—Sunset’s sleek visitors center wowed buyers—until it went on the market itself. Listed “as-is,” no one bit. It was torn down soon after. |
Granada Woods and executive housing
Granada Woods (1963) represented a more exclusive vision: a walled enclave with underground utilities, landscaped streets, and custom homes designed for professionals, including executives working at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
It demonstrated that Livermore’s suburban identity could support both affordability and exclusivity within the same development ecosystem.
Sunset East and Sunset South expansion (1968–1970)
By the late 1960s, expansion moved east and south. Sunset East became one of the company’s largest and most ambitious neighborhoods, introducing new home series and larger-scale planning.
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| A 1968 map of Livermore shows Sunset East and Sunset South under construction, while Granada Village is fully built out. Holmes Street was softened to accommodate suburban traffic flow. Sunset’s developments were now reshaping the city’s edges—physically and socially. |
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| This February 1968 grand opening ad for Sunset East features bold, space-age styling—inviting buyers to discover “homes of tomorrow.” With expansive layouts and modern features, it signaled a new era in suburban design. |
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| From March 1968, this ad celebrated the “Kitchen in the Round”—an architectural centerpiece that blended form and function. Buyers were captivated by its novelty, and sales soared. |
One of the most distinctive innovations of this period was the “Kitchen in the Round,” designed by Ken Gooch. This circular kitchen concept became a major selling point, helping Sunset Homes generate nearly $1 million in sales in just 40 days—an early indicator of how design innovation was driving demand as much as location or price.
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| A Design 600 tri-level home still stands on Vancouver Way today, showing how Sunset’s ambitious 1968 designs continue to define the neighborhood’s unique character. Imagery via Google Street View. |
Sunsetown and consolidation (1970s)
By 1970, the expanding network of neighborhoods was unified under the name Sunsetown—a branding strategy that reflected not just geography, but a planned suburban identity.
A new sign appeared along Holmes Street, declaring:
Sunsetown
growing beautifully
population 12,500
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| A pop culture footnote: a parody Sunsetown sign appears in Let's Go All the Way, the 1985 music video by Sly Fox, satirizing suburban idealism. |
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| What south Livermore used to look like. The southern portion of Whispering Pines opened on May 7, 1972. |
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| 1972 ad announcing the grand opening of Sunsetown Livermore’s new homes, featuring the Ripplebrook, Quietwood, and Wildwood series. Highlighted in the ad is the innovative Kitchen in the Round, adding a unique, functional twist to modern suburban living. |
Slow-growth era and final buildout
By 1972, Livermore voters approved a building moratorium in response to rapid suburban growth. Sunset Homes adapted by shifting toward lower-density planning and increased open space.
Shadowbrook became the clearest expression of this new approach.
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| A $100 million community planned and built by Masud Mehran, the grand opening of the Shadowbrook model complex from June 9, 1974. |
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| April 4, 1976 ad promoted The Meadows’ hillside lots and easy freeway access. |
By 1977, Sunset Homes had completed its final major neighborhoods. The company had built more than 3,500 homes, shaping a significant portion of Livermore’s suburban landscape.
The legacy of Sunset Homes in Livermore
Nearly one in three Livermore residents eventually lived in a Sunset-built home. What began as a small postwar development effort became one of the most influential forces in shaping suburban Livermore, defining how the city expanded across its southern and western edges.
Mehran’s work extended beyond residential tracts into a broader vision of planned suburban life—parks, schools, commercial centers, and carefully structured neighborhoods tied together under a unified identity. While he would later find even greater commercial success with large-scale projects such as Bishop Ranch in San Ramon, Sunsetown remained his most visible and personal achievement.
From tri-level homes and experimental kitchen designs to wide boulevards and integrated open space, Sunset Homes helped define not only Livermore’s physical layout, but its suburban character.
In a final postscript to that era, Mehran’s son returned in 1978 to develop Sunset Oaks, a small 21-home infill project at Via del Paz and Desconsado Avenue in Sunset West. Modest in scale compared to what came before, it marked a quiet end point—closing out nearly two decades of continuous expansion that had reshaped Livermore’s southern edge.
Today, Sunset-built neighborhoods remain among the most recognizable examples of postwar suburban planning in California’s Tri-Valley. From Sunset West to Shadowbrook and The Meadows, the imprint of Sunset Homes continues to shape how Livermore looks and functions more than half a century later.
Sunset Homes' homes series
- Granada Village (Sunset West) — Sunset Homes tract series in Livermore 1961-1964
- Granada Woods — tract homes in Livermore 1963-1965
- Granada Village (Sunset West) — Sunset Homes tract series in Livermore (1964)
- Granada Village (Sunset West) — Sunset Homes tract series in Livermore (1965)
- 600 (Sunset East) — Sunset Homes tract series in Livermore (1968)
- Young Americans — Sunset Homes tract series in Livermore (1969)
- Wildwood — Sunset Homes tract series in Livermore (1970)
- Ivanhoe Villas — tract homes in Livermore (1970)
- Ripplebrook — Sunset Homes tract series in Livermore (1971)
- Quietwood — Sunset Homes tract series in Livermore (1971)
- Sunset Oaks 1978-1979
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