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Publication Date: Friday, February 14, 2003

Castlewood - an oasis right outside town

It's all about the views. The views, the heavily wooded lots and the country club.

Castlewood, just south of Pleasanton city limits, covers some 500 acres, which were purchased by George Hearst in 1886, to use for hunting. After his death in 1891, his widow Phoebe Apperson Hearst had architect Julia Morgan design a palatial home for the site, which she named La Hacienda del Pozo de Verona.

"People like the history of the area," said Marty Sborov, a Realtor who specializes in Castlewood homes and also lives there. "You can't find the same type of architecture or horticultural selections any place else in Pleasanton and we owe that to Phoebe Hearst. She set the standard for the Mediterranean and California mission architecture with all of these palm trees, big succulents, and tons and tons of trees."

Castlewood also enjoys 90 million gallons each year of free water provided by San Francisco in perpetuity per a deal negotiated by Phoebe Hearst. She died in 1919, and the estate was sold in 1924 to a group of businessmen. At that time, the acreage became known as Castlewood, in deference to the impressive appearance of the Hacienda and to its wooded hills.

"That's when we started seeing some of these larger type estates being built, around 1920-1935" said Sborov. These were mostly second homes for wealthy residents of San Francisco or Oakland, including those who made their fortunes from Weber pencils and Ghirardelli chocolate.

The group of businessmen formed a country club and hired architect William P. Bell to design the Hill golf course, known for its views and its challenge, according to club literature. In 1954 a more traditional course was added, known as the Valley course. In 1961, the country club members exercised their option to buy the club, said Anne Fay, assistant general manager.

The Hacienda served as the clubhouse until it burned to the ground in 1969. The new club was built on the same spot, retaining the steps leading down to the swimming pool and the pool itself.

Fay has worked there since 1974 and has seen some change. "One major thing that's happened is the transition from a men's club with a men's grill to a country club that is for wives and children and has family events," she said.

But she says most of the concerns stay the same. "The same issues they talked about then they are still talking about: drainage in the valley, the condition of the greens, recurring situations that have to do with Mother Nature, like when it decides to flood and the whole arroyo rushes through the golf course."

The lots in Castlewood are at least a half acre, said Realtor Sborov, and many houses are totally hidden. Roads are narrow with no sidewalks or curbs. Although some streets have been developed in the last 10 years, most of the homes are 50 years or older.

After the 1920s, the next building phase came in the 1950s, when ranch-style homes were built on the golf course, said Sborov. Then there was another wave of building in the late '80s-early '90s, and there are now 167 homes in Castlewood. She and her husband moved here from the other side of the Bay about 12 years ago seeking a home on a golf course, but she said a survey showed that only 39 percent of Castlewood residents belong to the country club.

Sborov said about eight homes are sold in Castlewood per year, and they mostly range from $1.1 million to $3 million. She has clients on a waiting list but most have specific preferences, desiring a certain location or era. And many want a new home. "A lot of people buy a house and tear it down," she noted.

Since Castlewood lies outside the city limits, it receives police services from the Alameda Sheriff's Department, and the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department provides fire protection. Children from Castlewood attend Hearst Elementary, Pleasanton Middle School and Foothill High.

Sborov, who is president of the Property Owners Association, said that residents like the individuality of their homes. When the homeowners board tried to upgrade and standardize the mailboxes recently, the opposition got up a petition to protest, so the project was dropped.

One main draw to Castlewood, Sborov said, is the proximity to Silicon Valley, San Francisco, and to Pleasanton. Another appeal is the neighborhood itself. "It is very secluded, almost a hidden oasis," she said. "There is one road in and out, which provides a tremendous amount of privacy, security and exclusivity."

She added, "Most of the lots are heavily wooded and provide privacy while still providing neighbors."

Estelle Newcomb, a resident since 1971, said her neighbors are an important part of her life. "We're a very caring neighborhood," she said. "Recently when our daughter was very ill, every neighbor offered to help us shop or do whatever."

Her husband, Peter, worked at Livermore Lab and they were living near there but found they were commuting everyday to Castlewood for the swimming pool for their three children. "We decided to look around here and found a four-bedroom house," she said. "It was a wonderful place to raise a family. The children could walk to the pool by themselves and I'd know they were well cared for."

Estelle Newcomb was head of the property owners committee 10 years ago when it revamped the sewer and water system, at a cost of $25,000 per homeowner. "We have good pressure now," she said. "It was worth all those meetings."

Newcomb, who was a community relations consultant and is known for her efforts to rebuild the Amador Theater and other work in the Tri-Valley, was also instrumental in getting the tennis courts installed at the club. "We had lots of meetings," recalled Newcomb. "This was a time when some people would have liked clay courts. And it was an adjustment for some golf members, they weren't excited about the change."

The Newcombs both retired in 1993 and Estelle says that even though they don't golf, "We just enjoy the nice green carpet we don't have to worry about." She said the beauty of the area makes up for "the inconvenience of climbing up the hill," which she would do nine times a day while raising her children.

But she touts the neighbors as one of the greatest assets. "We all enjoy peace and quiet and the views - and each other," she said.