City, Contra Costa County
© McCormack's Guides
Zip Code: 94563
Probably
the most prestigious town in Contra Costa. School rankings among highest in
state. Low crime. www.mccormacks.com
Home to
bosses, professionals, professors. Located just over the hill from University
of California and in many ways a university suburb. The INDA in Lamorinda
(Lafayette, Moraga, Orinda). Population 17,669.
In 2001,
built a new library and put up funds to expand its hours and open it on Sunday
afternoon. Library, a handsome building, has a toddlers' area, a tutoring room
and an auditorium.
Slow-growing
town. In the 1990s, added about 1,000 residents and since 2000 has taken on
fewer than 100 residents.
Click for regional or detailed map
About 20
years ago, developers submitted plans to build 271 luxury homes, a golf course
and hotel-resort on 1,400 acres just east of the Caldecott Tunnel, at the
entrance to Orinda.
Residents
and environmental groups said, No Way, and fought the developers through the
city council, through the federal courts, back to the city council again where,
through a referendum, they overthrew a council decision. www.mccormacks.com
Finally,
the project won grudging acceptance: 245 homes, no golf course, no
hotel-resort, no gates to the development, no access roads that lead to other
parts of Orinda (therefore no traffic passed along), the construction to be
limited to 215 acres. Orinda lacks playing fields. The development, called Wilder, includes
five playing fields and a community art and garden center and private swim
club.
In
addition, the developer donated $5 million to the school district and $12.5
million to the city. The money helped pay for the library and a community gym
and, in time, will partially fund some seniors housing near the downtown.
Construction
started in 2006, the first homes may be ready in 2010. The average home is
expected to go for $2.5 million. About 700 residents, of which 75 will be kids.
Orinda children
attend Orinda Elementary District schools then move up to Miramonte High in the
Acalanes High School District.
The
educational push is very strong. Miramonte High scores usually in the 98th and
99th percentile in comparisons with other California public high schools. In
2006, on the annual state tests, Orinda district was tied with Hillsborough
Elementary District (San Mateo) for the top scores in the state. www.mccormacks.com
Award-winning
debate team practices by arguing before school board. Many parents work at the
school daily and parents in general stay in close contact with teachers and
administrators, and fund programs, extracurricular activities and the arts.
When the
schools need money, the push comes not from the teachers or school administrators
but the parents. If you move into Orinda and you're a parent, you are expected
to support fund-raising events and through the parents' clubs kick in money for
this program and that.
The
payoff: kids that get into the top schools in the nation. Every year in
California only about three dozen schools break the 600 mark on the math SAT.
Just about every year, Miramonte (and Acalanes and Campolindo) make this select
group.
In the
1990s and 2000, Orinda approved bonds to overhaul and improve all the
elementary schools and to reopen Wagner Ranch Elementary as a
kindergarten-to-grade-five, relieving crowding at other schools. Orinda
Intermediate has added a science wing and a gym, Glorietta Elementary a large
multipurpose room, Sleepy Hollow Elementary more space for music and computer
instruction.
Bonds were
also approved to renovate all the high schools in the district and to add
classrooms and facilities. Miramonte added a swim center. www.mccormacks.com
Many
districts in Northern California have passed renovation-construction bonds. Few
have approved taxes to maintain and improve instructional programs. Orinda and
Acalanes districts have approved parcel taxes to keep instructional quality
high.
Occasionally,
voters do turn down a school measure. Proponents then rework into something
more palatable and try again. In 2002, on the second time around, voters
approved $44 million bond to improve playing fields and modernize labs. A year
later, Orindans approved a $385 parcel tax for smaller class sizes,
neighborhood schools and programs and in 2005, another tax increase was
approved for high-school programs.
In 2009, the state, running a deep deficit, took money from the school districts. Orinda responded by voting in higher taxes for the elementary and the high schools. Some people grumble about these taxes; the majority wants the schools well funded. Deeply held value in this town.
Although
UC-Davis, not UC-Berkeley, is the preferred university for Lamorinda high
school seniors, Berkeley greatly influences Lamorinda, especially Orinda.
Berkeley used to be a bastion for progressive Republicans. Many of them moved
to Orinda and turned Democrat. The split now is about 50-50.
In the
1990s, Orinda fixed up its downtown and in a movie-office complex, called
Theater Square, constructed a potpourri of small shops and restaurants that add
to the charm of the town.
But the
stores in Theater Square have had trouble attracting customers. In 2006, the
place was sold again. The new owners said they favor high-end shopping. www.mccormacks.com
Orinda has
won some software and high-tech firms but the town has no intention of erecting
the office and commercial buildings that would bring in many firms.
Homes
nice, some opulent, many modest, many custom, upscale but not ostentatious.
City council has restricted size of homes but arguments continue on what is too
big. All homes built in Orinda must go before a design review board.
One of
best commutes in the county but some complaints about street traffic at rush
hours. BART station near downtown. Back streets feed into Berkeley; if you work at the university
and the freeway is jammed, the alternate roads are there.
Many
streets lack curbs and sidewalks. This accentuates the country feeling but if
you are walking those streets, you miss the sidewalks. Hill and dale town. Many
trees. Orinda has open land but much of it is slide prone or too steep to build
on.
The state
in 2009 counted 6,849 residences: 6,348 single homes, 188 single-family
attached, 306 multiples, 7 mobiles. www.mccormacks.com
Residents
on the mature side. Median age 45. Children under age 18 make up 25 percent
of population.
Zero
homicides between 2003 and 2008. For previous years, one, zero, zero, one,
zero, one, zero, three and zero. Orinda contracts with the sheriff's
department for police protection under an arrangement that gives the city, in
effect, its own police department.
Orinda's
homicides are sometimes unusual. In 1999, a woman who often dressed as a man
and kept gold and valuable coins in a hidden safe was bludgeoned at home. The
key suspect, her adult son, committed suicide. To everyone's surprise, the
woman bequeathed her home and seven acres to Orinda for a park.
Lamorinda,
in a subdued way, is into society. Every year, a few of its girls are presented
as debutantes at a charity ball. www.mccormacks.com
Annual Shakespearean festival just outside
city limits. Popular and well done. Annual book fair raises money for library.
Most libraries in the county are open fewer than 40 hours a week. Orinda taxes
itself to keep its library open 54 hours.
Orinda
borders Tilden, one of the biggest and best-equipped regional parks in Bay
Area, (trails, merry-go-round, playing fields, lake, golf course, botanical garden).
Within a
short drive are two reservoir parks and another regional park. Lots of open
space.
Residents
funded a mile-long trail along the freeway. Many groups interested in special
pursuits: bird watching, protecting creeks, hiking, etc. Residents ga-ga for
hiking. Trails all over the place.
Orinda is
an old town but, having incorporated in 1985, a young city, and still building
a park system. Wagner Ranch Elementary includes a community gym and exercise
rooms paid for by the city. Kids use schools for ball fields, gyms and swim
meets. Large exercise club near Orinda border. Trout fishing at local reservoirs. www.mccormacks.com
Three community parks, more coming with the Wilder development — one reason why the development won approval. Orindans wanted more playing fields.
Plenty to
do — at Tilden regional park and UC-Berkeley, which is loaded with
activities open to public (sports, plays, concerts, recitals, top names).
Farmers market.
City hall
runs activities for kids, adults, elderly — soccer, football, baseball,
bridge, flower arranging, pilates, camps for kids (drama, basketball,
engineering, science, cooking, musicals, etc.). Tai chi, creative writing,
computers, art, Spanish, French, and so on. Many adult sports: basketball,
softball, tennis, volleyball, cycling clubs.
Clubs
many, society lively, people interesting, often accomplished, rarely lacking
for opinions. Close to the restaurants and cultural ornaments of Berkeley and
San Francisco (See also Lafayette and Moraga).
Chamber of
commerce (925) 254-3909.
• In 2004,
residents' protests forced benevolent agency to scrap plans for a seasonal
homeless shelter. Much hand wringing over this, with many in town arguing that
Orinda should do its part to help the unfortunate. But other residents see
Orinda — and this generalization is true of many Contra Costa towns
— as a refuge from the problems of the larger society.
• In 2006 and 2007,
voters turn down a bond to repair the local roads. Needing two-thirds approval,
the measures lost by less than 5 percent. Orinda has a tradition of try-try-again
until it gets its bonds passed but for the foreseeable future, keep an eye out for potholes. www.mccormacks.com
• Work underway to construct a new Caldecott Tunnel in the hills separating Contra Costa from Alameda County. Orinda is the first town on the other site of the Caldecott. The new tunnel will speed the drive to Oakland and San Francisco and take some time off the Orinda commute.
• Thanks!
Henry and Elsie Clay donated almost $1 million for a scholarship fund for
Miramonte High students. Scholarships awarded range from $5,000 to $20,000. www.mccormacks.com
• E
pluribus unum. Miramonte High teaches Latin. “Out of many, one.”
• In spring and summer, fogs often shoot through the Golden Gate and dissolve against the Oakland-Berkeley hills. But the cool air often makes it over the hills into Orinda, taking the edge off the summer heat. And occasionally a little stream of fog will find its way through. During some Shakepeare productions, little swirls, for a few minutes, will sometimes obscure portions of the stage. No matter how tragic the play, the fog gets laughs.
Orinda School District (Elem): www.orindaschools.org
Acalanes High School District: acalanes.k12.ca.us
City web
site: www.ci.orinda.ca.us
March 8, 2010
