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Published March 12th, 2014
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Where Good Fences Make Good Neighbors
A peek inside Lamorinda's gated communities
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| By Cathy Dausman |
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| Although Baywood lies in unincorporated Contra Costa County land, its houses bear a Lafayette address and its children attend Lafayette schools. Photo Cathy Dausman |
Lamorinda residents often and easily cross civic boundaries for errands, schools, meals and shopping but there are still a few residential areas where access is limited. These are Lamorinda's gated communities. For those on the outside looking in, here's a neighborhood primer:
Baywood lies just north and outside Lafayette city limits off Reliez Valley Road, abutting Briones Regional Park land. Resident Ron Rothenberg describes the homes as "traditional East Coast style." Rothenberg and his wife, Susan, both realtors, moved to Baywood 20 years ago to raise their two sons. The couple was drawn there because they sensed "a real closeness" among its residents. Both generations have since developed best friends inside Baywood gates.
Unincorporated though it is, Rothenberg said Baywood remains "Lafayette centric" through its shared police and fire service providers (Contra Costa County Sheriff and Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, or ConFire) and Lafayette school district affiliation. Baywood residents are just minutes by car from Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill and Martinez, and the community maintains a "very active" yet "fair and benign" homeowners' association, said Rothenberg.
That HOA administers common areas, provides upkeep on Baywood's private streets and mailboxes, and maintains liability insurance. While Baywood "has always been gated," Rothenberg said the gate simply "wasn't a factor" in making the decision to move there. "The real appeal was aesthetic," he said.
Olympic Oaks homes line the south side of Lafayette's Olympic Boulevard at the foot of Pleasant Hill Road. Although these well-built homes back to a busy intersection, they offer easy access to Highway 24 and Walnut Creek, great curb appeal and floor plans with three or four bedrooms and multiple bathrooms. Home sizes range from 2,300 to 2,700 square feet. The predominantly shake-sided homes give Olympic Oaks community a "Northeast feel," realtor Diane Reilly said. Many homes also feature a detached "cottage" room for in-laws or an au pair, she added.
Lafayette's Sky Hy Ranch is a gated community of 28 custom-built homes sitting just below the crest of Moraga Road. "Many drivers pass by every day not knowing of its existence," said Reilly. Lafayette Historical Society's website explains that Sky Hy's original ranch was a Spanish-style home custom built in 1941 and owned by Judge O.D. Hamlin.
Hamlin originally had a cabin on what was then a 200-acre parcel of land his family owned since 1871. A developer purchased 45 acres of land from Hamlin and sold lots to others to build custom spec homes between 1974 and 1980. Sky Hy children attend Lafayette Elementary School, Stanley Middle School and Campolindo High School.
Greg Wolff, Lafayette's senior planner, said the city does not have a policy on gated communities in its municipal code and that the city "is largely built-out," explaining most subdivisions at this stage would be smaller infill. "The Planning Commission would evaluate homes on those new lots for compatibility with the existing neighborhood," he said.
Northridge, with just 13 homes, is the smallest of the gated communities Lamorinda Weekly explored. Its north hillside location overlooks Highway 24 and the Lafayette Reservoir can be seen in the distance from the entry gates. Northridge was rezoned and approved for subdivision in 1980, said Wolff. Calls to the Northridge homeowners' association representative were unanswered.
Sanders Ranch was originally a working ranch, and is the only gated community within the Town of Moraga. It is also the only community to have a security guard at its entrance. Many of its first residents were Moraga families who sold their older home to "move up" to a newer home, said Reilly. She estimates the development occupies about three square miles.
A total of 275 units were approved for Sanders Ranch in three phases, with the initial approval for the subdivision in 1981, said Kelly Clancy of the Moraga Planning Department. About 231 acres of the development are protected as open space. Lot sizes range from 10,000 to 40,000 square feet, and homes have three to five bedrooms. The units are a combination of single family and "patio homes" on smaller lots, Clancy added.
"Harold Smith was the original developer and built most of the semi-custom homes beginning in 1983," Reilly said. Sanders Ranch attracts many relocation transferees because of the style and size of the homes and generous lots, she added. While potential buyers may feel the drive from Sanders Ranch to BART is too far, others love backing up to undeveloped rolling hillsides.
When it comes to having built gated communities, Orinda is a holdout. Planning Director Emmanuel Ursu said his city has no gated communities, although there are a few private drives serving more than one house. In fact, during development talks for the Gateway area (now known as Wilder) Ursu said "the city specifically requested that it not be gated." And last year, the Orinda City Council even decided to remove an existing Emergency Vehicle Access gate between Knickerbocker Lane and Stein Way. "We are not a city of gates," said Councilmember Dean Orr.
Although each community shares a gated access, each is different. And the Lamorinda population residing within represents just a tiny fraction - slightly over half of 1 percent.
While gated communities don't loom large within Lamorinda, they do beckon with amenities.
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| Sky Hy Ranch, as seen from Moraga Road. |
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| Sky Hy residents straddle the hillside between Lafayette and Moraga. Its high school students attend Campolindo. |
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| Olympic Oaks in Lafayette |
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| Moraga's Sanders Ranch is the only gated community to employ a gate guard |
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA