Pocketful of Eichlers - Page 5

Mike Stasio, who grew up in the home that he and Donna bought from his parents, recalls when the rest of the Pocket was "all apricots."

Love of the Eichler aesthetic, while not universal according to some neighbors, is strong in this tract.

When Kamlesh and Meghana Rao bought their home three years ago, they heard other would-be buyers talk of altering the home and were horrified.

"Really, we are pure, pure, you know, Eichler lovers," Kamlesh says. He and his wife told the seller, "We will make sure that your home stays true."

Unbeknownst to some residents, the city of Sunnyvale is with them on keeping Eichlers true, at least when it comes to exteriors.

Rancho Sans Souci was named a "designated Eichler neighborhood" two decades ago, thanks to several neighbors, including the late John Mathews and Bill Santos, who convinced the city and neighbors to back the designation.

That means changes to exteriors must be approved by city planners and adhere to Sunnyvale's Eichler Design Guidelines.

The guidelines require sticking to Eichler building forms, materials, and details. They encourage expansion of homes into backyards rather than altering fronts. Additions should be compatible with the original house.

The guidelines do not ban second-story additions, but discourage them, noting the "tendency of many second-floor additions to look like boxes stacked on top of the original house."

Sunnyvale offers one other level of protection for Eichler tracts, a single-story district designation, which would ban second stories. Rancho Sans Souci does not have this designation.

A home on Laurentian Way that had been operating as a care home sold recently for $2.5 million. "One thing giving Chris heartburn is the fear that the people who bought the house are going to tear it down and build a McMansion," Shawna says.

Still, it seems the neighborhood should have a bright future, if Shawna and Chris represent the sort of Eichler-centric people who are seeking it out.

Shawna and Chris, who previously owned a compact Eichler condo in Palo Alto, decided "we're not going to settle for anything but an Eichler" when they sought a bigger home, Shawna says.

Today, nearly two years after making the move to Rancho Sans Souci, they are planning some upgrades but, Shawna says, "The idea is we will restore the house as it is—to its original 1968 integrity. That's what we want it to be—like a time capsule."

• The Eichlers of Rancho Sans Souci are located south of Homestead Avenue, east of Highway 85, north of I-280, with homes on MacKenzie Drive, Laurentian Way, Olympus Court, and one side of Pendleton Avenue

Photography: Sabrina Huang, Dave Weinstein