Tri-Valley Tract Tales

In the booming post-war years of the 1960s and 1970s, the Tri-Valley area embraced a unique housing innovation: the expandable home. Designed to grow with families, these flexible homes offered affordable initial pricing with the option to add bedrooms and living spaces later. This clever concept met the needs of young buyers eager to start their homeownership journey without sacrificing future space or comfort. What are expandable homes? Expandable homes were built with unfinished areas—often an upper floor or basement—that could be completed as families expanded or budgets allowed. This modular approach allowed buyers to purchase a smaller, more affordable home upfront, then customize and enlarge it over time. A 1968 bonus room in action—finished as a lively games room, showing the flexibility of expandable home design. Builders highlighted models like the “Room Maker,” which debuted in the late 1960s in Dublin. With 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms initially, it featured an unfinished ...

Before the term "active adult community" had made it onto brochures, Sunny Glen was quietly making history as San Ramon’s first over-50 neighborhood. Built by Volk-McLain, the community opened with fanfare on June 30, 1963, drawing an estimated 2,000 families to its grand opening celebration. Located at the base of the rolling hills and within walking distance of a country club and riding stables, Sunny Glen promised a lifestyle that was equal parts peaceful and perk-filled—AstroTurf lawns optional. Location of the Sunny Glen neighborhood in San Ramon, California. A “Carefree World” by design Sunny Glen was originally conceived under the name Carefree World —a title that left little ambiguity about its target market. Plans called for 132 duplex units, 144 apartments, and 296 individual homes spanning both sides of the Alameda–Contra Costa county line. From a June 1963 Daily Review ad—Sunny Glen promised an active, amenity-filled retirement: golfing, lawn bowling, pools...

In October 1973, Sunset Homes opened its newest neighborhood in Livermore: The Meadows . Built on a hilly site with panoramic views of Mount Diablo and the Livermore Valley, this project marked Sunset’s strategic pivot during a period of model and neighborhood transitions. Location of The Meadows neighborhood in Livermore, California. At the time, Sunset’s sales approach was refreshingly flexible: buyers could choose a home plan first, then decide which Sunset neighborhood to build it in. Two series were available—Wildwood, with models shown in Sunset East, and Quietwood, on display in Three Fountains. There was just one catch: the model homes were nowhere near The Meadows. So in November 1973, Sunset made things easier—and more marketable—by closing the Quietwood complex and opening a new model home center right in The Meadows, borrowing the neighborhood’s name for the updated lineup. From an April 1974 Oakland Tribune ad—“The best buy is today’s buy. Who can speak for tomorrow?”...

Between 1975 and 1976, Morrison Homes unveiled Heritage Valley, a 105-home neighborhood tucked into the rolling charm of Pleasanton, California. It wasn’t just another development—it was part of a grander vision for a town resisting the rush of urban sprawl. Location of the Heritage Valley neighborhood in Pleasanton, California. Builders of place and personality If Shapell Homes gave San Ramon its suburban soul, and Sunset Homes put Livermore on the residential map, Morrison Homes was Pleasanton’s architect of modern living. Their handprints are all over town—from the sweeping Pleasanton Valley and Valley Trails to the tucked-away cul-de-sacs that still echo with backyard laughter. Growth on a leash By the early '70s, Pleasanton was having growing pains. In Spring 1972, voters hit the brakes—approving a growth moratorium that capped home construction at just 15 units per quarter. Morrison had already bought a large swath of land in January 1971, spanning from Santa Rita Road t...

Explore the homes, materials, and marketing of Twin Creeks South during the pivotal years of 1977 to 1980 — a key phase in Damé Country’s evolution. In the late 1970s, San Ramon was transforming. What had once been rolling ranchlands and quiet hillsides was evolving into a vibrant suburban community. At the heart of this transformation was developer Carl Damé, whose vision for Twin Creeks had begun more than a decade earlier. Originally launched in 1969, the Twin Creeks neighborhood started as a modest, somewhat isolated suburban outpost—“the middle of nowhere” to many. Yet its promise was clear: a new way of living amidst the green hills of the San Ramon Valley. By the time Twin Creeks South broke ground between 1977 and 1980, it was the largest and most ambitious phase of this ongoing project with nearly 1,000 homes. But it was far from the last. Damé's expansion continued with Twin Creeks Hills in 1981, further shaping the landscape and lifestyle of this burgeoning East Ba...