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Fifty years ago, local developer Joe Whelan built a community of homes that were unlike others in Portola Valley — a clustered development of earth-toned houses that seamlessly blended into the natural landscape. Portola Valley Ranch recently celebrated its milestone with a three-day celebration recognizing the community and history of the unique neighborhood.
Whelan, who died in 2013 at the age of 83, had the idea in the 1970s to create a housing development that was inexpensive and would not require leveling the land. Over the years, Portola Valley Ranch grew to what is now 205 single-family homes.
Nature was the focus when the ranch was built, said General Manager Leo Gonzalez. The property covers 435 acres with over 200 acres of open space in the neighboring Coal Mine Ridge Nature Preserve.
The clustered development model is aimed at conservation by increasing housing density to preserve the remaining land for open space. Portola Valley Ranch residents benefit from proximity to neighbors down the road while also enjoying the nearby hiking trails and views.
Located in a wildland urban interface community, ranch residents often see skunks, coyotes, mountain lions, deer, turkeys, quail, raccoons and ground squirrels in their backyards.
The overall design of the neighborhood allows for the coexistence of humans and wildlife. With no fencing, only native plants and its brown and wooden home designs, Portola Valley Ranch houses become one with nature.
“It really is a nice place to live because it has community as well as all the beautiful nature around us and the trails,” said Portola Valley Ranch resident Helen Quinn. “We found it a wonderful place to live and raise our family.”
Dan and Helen Quinn are among the longest-tenured homeowners of the ranch. They believe their house was the 10th to be developed in 1976. As former Stanford University graduate students, they were looking to buy a house after renting in Palo Alto. After hearing about the new Portola Valley Ranch development from a Realtor, they decided to put in an offer before their house was even built.
The couple describe their lives on the ranch with joy and serenity, recalling their early years raising their son and daughter in an open space and being able to look out at the Windy Hill Open Space Preserve from their deck.
Lifing mist crowns snow-covered Windy Hill after a rare overnight snowfall on Jan. 28, 2002 at 9:41 am. Courtesy Dan Quinn. 
Sunlight kisses snow-dusted Windy Hill; Coal Mine Ridge and lower Spring Ridge remain in shadow on Feb. 5, 2019 at 7:58 am. Courtesy Dan Quinn. 
Rainbow over Frog Pond in Portola Valley. Courtesy Dan Quinn.
“In our first year (living on the ranch), I probably took 100 photos of Windy Hill,” said Dan Quinn, an avid photographer. “Every morning when I’d wake up and go, ‘Whoa, what a beautiful view.’”
With public trails running through the ranch, the Quinns said they are outside walking or hiking every day.
“We hardly go anywhere else to hike these days, especially because we have several trails within Portola Valley Ranch, and then close by there’s Windy Hill and other town trails connecting us to neighboring lands. It’s really wonderful living out here,” said Dan Quinn.
Emergency preparedness is always important
Like many neighborhoods in the Peninsula, the San Andreas Fault runs through the middle of the Portola Valley Ranch property along with dozens of minor faults. Houses have been strategically placed on either side of the fault lines, said Dan Quinn.
Wildfire is also a top concern. According to Gonzalez, Portola Valley Ranch may have been one of the first communities in the area to be certified as a Firewise Community.
Within the community center, the ranch has a preparedness room supplied with water, first-aid kits, a radio, tools and other emergency equipment. The ranch community also provides monthly newsletters to residents about pruning vegetation, importance of removing invasive plants around the property and fire risk management. Portola Valley Ranch was the one of the first to do individual home inspections as well, said Gonzalez.
The ranch also partners with the Woodside Fire Protection District’s chipper program to maintain the land and its vegetation.
A sense of community
Unlike other areas of Portola Valley, where the nearest neighbor might be an acre or more away, ranch residents have been able to build their own community of close-knit neighbors through Portola Valley Ranch events and welcome parties.
Gonzalez, who has been working at the ranch for 13 years, said each new resident receives a gift, information and resources about the ranch and an official acknowledgment during an occasional Friday social event.
As a homeowners association, Portola Valley Ranch also has its own board and nearly 10 committees dedicated to design, finance, emergency preparedness, landscape, nature preserve, wine, the community Ranch House and more.
“People that typically buy into the ranch understand or have a love for nature and the idea of doing right by the land and nature and coexisting together with it,” said Gonzalez, adding that the volunteerism within the community is very unique.
The community treats Gonzalez as one of its own. He said the ranch has been welcoming of him and his family from the moment he joined the staff. Many residents have gotten to know him and often ask about how his family is doing, Gonzalez said.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Portola Valley Ranch, the community recently enjoyed three days of special events including a Friday night cocktail party, Saturday morning nature hike and a Sunday afternoon barbecue serving over 150 guests.
“As we look back on the weekend, and on five decades of life here, one thing is clear: the heart of the ranch is strong,” wrote the Ranch Committee co-chairs Rebecca Johnson and Michelle Rapp in the community newsletter. “We honor the past, we celebrate the present, and we look forward with joy to the next 50 years of community, friendship,and connection to the land.”
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