TractTales | Neighborhood history of the Tri-Valley

By the late 1970s, San Ramon’s transformation from ranchland to suburb was accelerating rapidly. Developer Carl Damé had already spent more than a decade shaping Twin Creeks into one of Contra Costa County’s most ambitious master-planned communities, and Twin Creeks South became its largest expansion yet. Among the many neighborhoods built during this phase was Courtside, a compact collection of detached zero-lot-line homes introduced in 1977. While much of suburban development during the era emphasized ever-larger houses and oversized lots, Courtside offered something slightly different: smaller footprints, reduced maintenance, and efficient family-oriented design within the larger Twin Creeks lifestyle. The homes combined contemporary late-1970s styling with many of the amenities buyers had come to expect in Twin Creeks — community pools, tennis courts, landscaped greenbelts, and access to one of San Ramon’s fastest-growing suburban environments. From a November 1977 Contra Costa ...

By the late 1970s, Carl Damé’s Twin Creeks development had become one of the defining suburban projects in the San Ramon Valley. As Twin Creeks expanded southward between 1977 and 1980, Damé introduced the View Homes — later renamed as the Twin Creeks South Estate Homes — a collection of larger executive residences designed to take advantage of the area’s rolling hills and open views. Built along the growing Norris Canyon corridor, the homes combined contemporary California styling with the amenities increasingly expected in upper-tier suburban developments: large floor plans, landscaped streets, recreational facilities, and access to one of San Ramon’s most ambitious master-planned communities. While Twin Creeks South also included smaller Courtside homes and attached Poolside townhomes, the View Homes represented the centerpiece of the development — larger houses aimed at buyers seeking space, prestige, and suburban comfort during the rapid growth of the late 1970s East Bay. Wher...

In the golden age of San Ramon’s suburban expansion, Rancho Solano stood out—not just for its hillside views or its catchy name, but for its size, sophistication, and flair. Built between 1966 and 1968, the 288-home neighborhood was a two-phase endeavor, beginning with Kay Homes and finishing with Carl Damè. These homes were larger than their mid-’60s counterparts—some by nearly 300 square feet—and filled with upscale touches that made everyday living feel like a custom experience. Rancho Solano wasn't simply another development. It was where open-beam ceilings, sweeping living rooms, and wide kitchen bars met families ready for California's next chapter. When the neighborhood was first planned in the late 1960s, the developers were clearly aiming for that Spanish-influenced charm so popular at the time. Though the land itself had historical ties—once part of the original Rancho San Ramon land grant—the builders chose to invent a fresh, romanticized name:  Rancho Solana . Th...