Orinda Prepares For A Wave Of New Homes

Slowly but surely over the next few years, more than 300 new homes will open their doors for new residents in Orinda.

Most of those houses will be found in the Wilder development in the Gateway Valley off Highway 24 and in the Orinda Grove subdivision near Orinda Village.

Both projects are completing their first finished houses with a lot more to come.

The largest is the Wilder development on the south side of Highway 24 between downtown Orinda and the Caldecott Tunnel.

When completed, it will contain 245 luxury homes as well as a community pool, fitness center and five athletic fields.

The homes are being built as people order them. Customers are paying $600,000 to $800,000 for a lot, then either bringing in their own plans or choosing from one of 19 Wilder models. All designs must be approved by the developer.

The homes range from 2,400 to 6,000 square feet and most will be worth $1.7 million to slightly more than $2 million.

Brooks Street Builders is the primary developer, but other home builders are buying up lots and will construct groups of houses.

So far, three people have moved in. Four homes are currently under construction.

The location might seem remote to some, but Michael Perry, a real estate broker with Brooks Street Builders, said the subdivision is ideal for families with children and workers who commute to San Francisco.

He noted the scheduled opening next month of the fourth bore of the Caldecott Tunnel makes the commuting angle even more appealing.

"We're a little oasis in the East Bay," said Perry. "The location is a huge draw for us."

He added the subdivision won't be fully completed for five years because of the custom design of the project.

"It's a very fluid process," Perry said. "It will have a custom feel to it."

The Orinda Grove project will roll out more quickly.

The subdivision tucked behind the Pine Grove Office Complex on the old John F. Kennedy University property will contain 65 single-family homes and eight duplex units.

Those houses feature six different designs that are between 1,500 and 2,600 square feet. They're expected to cost between $1.1 million and $1.3 million, except for eight homes that will be classified as affordable housing.

The developer, Pulte Homes, bought the 10-acre site from the Orinda Union School District. As part of the purchase agreement, the developer is building two new ball fields and a new 7,500-square-foot school district office.

Pulte held a grand opening on Saturday that hundreds of people attended. They have a ribbon cutting ceremony at 2 p.m. Thursday.

Steve Kalmbach, president of PulteGroup's Northern California division, said the subdivision's proximity to a number of amenities makes it attractive.

“There are very few opportunities to build new communities in Orinda, especially in a location that is adjacent to BART and downtown,” Kalmbach said in a press release. “We see this new community as a great opportunity for families and empty nesters seeking a new home in a tremendous location at a good value.”

The Orinda Grove, Wilder and other smaller developments are reversing a trend in Orinda.

According to the city's housing element, Orinda experienced only a 0.3 percent population growth between 2000 and 2010. One of the goals of that city plan is to encourage the development of new homes.

City Manager Janet Keeter said the city is looking forward to the influx of new residents.

"We're excited," she said. "These developments have been a long time in coming. They're well-designed and thought out."

Keeter said traffic and other impacts have been mitigated during the planning process. She added the subdivisions will create some additional need for city services, but the tracts are also bringing in extra property tax revenue.

Orinda School Superintendent Joe Jaconette said he doesn't expect any significant impacts from the new developments.

He estimated the new homes will bring in 10 to 50 extra students a year. He said the slow build-out at Wilder should also make it easier to absorb the new pupils.

The district also will be getting some new offices. At the moment, Pulte is paying the rent on the temporary space district administrators are using in Orinda Village.