Trumark Homes has purchased nearly seven acres of the freeway-adjacent Borel Property farmland from East Bay Parks for $32 million at 3020 Fostoria Way in Danville, Contra Costa County. Trumark plans to develop less than half of the 17-acre former Walnut Ranch with plans to build over a hundred townhomes. The remaining ten acres will become a learning park run by the East Bay Regional Park District.
Construction is expected to start before the end of the year.
The property has been unused for the last 15 years after Armand Borel’s passing. The walnut ranch had been in the Borel Family since 1923. Borel was born in 1928 in Oakland and studied agriculture at UC Davis. East Bay Parks will transform ten acres of the property into an agricultural learning park to honor Borel’s land.
Park District General Manager Sabrina Landreth said in a press release that “the proceeds from the sale of the property will cover debts and provide funds toward making the park accessible and open for the community. We accepted the Borel Property with the understanding that a sale of a portion of the property would be needed to pay off preexisting debts and support the development of the agricultural park.”
Borel Property townhomes, illustration by Trumark
The 124 market-rate townhomes will be split across 15 three-story structures. Unit sizes will vary from 1,504 square feet to 1,802 square feet. Residential amenities will include a pocket park, children’s play area, walking paths, recreational space, and a dog park.
“Bringing the vision for this property to reality delivers on a promise from our team and the many community partners to uphold the historical elements of this property while contributing needed new homes and impactful open spaces for all residents and community members to enjoy,” added Trumark Homes Northern California Division President Tony Bosowski.
The 17-acre property is located at the corner of Fostoria Way and Camino Ramon, next to I-680. The site is close to several strip malls. Future residents will be just five minutes from the Iron Horse Trail on foot.
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Too bad there is no planning foresite in Danville: Why not develop this property as a park/open space, and utilize the surrounding parking lots with mid-high rise development facing the park…so open land is preserved, and surface lots are better utilized. Take paradise and put up an ordinary townhouse development where there is no there there.
I completely agree. We need more open space. There is so little of it left! Housing is not what Mr Borel wanted for his land. If you must build then do it across the street in the space Tuesday Morning vacated. 125 units?? Shame on EB Parks. What a disappointment in that Mr Borel thought you would protect his land!
So sad that the land owner and his will wanted the land to be preserved for open/park space. The debt was most likely accumulated taxes.