Rancho San Miguel Walnut Creek Eichlers

About Rancho San Miguel

Joseph Eichler presented a tract map in November 1954 showing 563 lots on 176 acres next to Ygnacio Valley Road, according to the Rancho San Miguel Association. The Eichler Network dates construction to 1955–1958, and the homeowners association was incorporated in 1956.

Charles Dorsett, then a young architect at Anshen & Allen, helped design the neighborhood, and the Eichler Network reports that at least some houses used Jones & Emmons plans. The association’s history says the atrium plan arrived in 1957, during the build-out. The Eichlers share the streets with about 150 Jordan & Reed ranch houses.

Eichler gave the city land for two parks and for what became the Rancho San Miguel Swim Club. El Divisadero Park sits at the center of the tract and San Miguel Park at its edge. For the tract’s 50th anniversary, a neighborhood survey found 75 to 80 percent of the Eichlers kept their original exteriors, and residents sought National Register listing; we found no completed listing.

built

1955–1958

Eichlers

about 375 Eichlers among about 535 homes (Eichler Network, 2006); the neighborhood association says more than 350 Eichlers and about 150 Jordan & Reed houses

architect

Anshen & Allen and Jones & Emmons (Charles Dorsett of Anshen & Allen; at least some Jones & Emmons plans, per the Eichler Network)

builder

Eichler Homes

city

Walnut Creek, Contra Costa County

Streets

Sources we could use confirm only El Divisadero Street by name, so the live board also shows other Walnut Creek homes whose listings mention Eichler.

Sources: Eichler Network, “The Eichlers of Rancho San Miguel” (2006) and “Should Walnut Creek Create Eichler Park?” (2019); Rancho San Miguel Association history; Walnut Creek zoning code via a third-party mirror.

Eichler sales on these streets

Loading recent Eichler sales…

Closed sales reported to the MLS whose listings mention Eichler, on this tract’s streets. Homes that sold privately, or whose listings don’t say Eichler, won’t appear.

Buying or selling a Rancho San Miguel Eichler

• Radiant heatMost Eichlers were built with hot-water radiant heat in the slab. Ask whether the original system still runs, has been repaired or was replaced, and get a radiant-heat specialist to look before you remove contingencies.
• The roofThe low-slope roofs and their insulation are a common upgrade. Ask for the roof’s age, material and any permits.
• Glass and wallsOriginal single-pane glass and thin wall panels are typical. Many owners have upgraded; ask what was done and whether it was permitted.
• Walnut Creek rulesWe found no Eichler-specific rules. Walnut Creek’s zoning code, as published on a third-party code site, exempts most additions to detached houses from design review unless they pass set limits, such as 4,500 square feet in total or a large or close-to-the-line second story in R-8 to R-10 zones. Confirm the zoning and current rules with the city’s Planning Division.
• Eichler or ranch house?About 150 Jordan & Reed ranch houses are mixed into the tract, so confirm the house from the tract map or permit history, not the street.

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