The Orinda City Council green-lighted a land swap agreement this week that will put another major residential development project in motion.

The agreement authorizes an exchange of properties between the Pulte Home Corporation, the Orinda Union School District and the city of Orinda.

The exchange allows relocating city and schools property, making way for a Pulte 73-unit residential development project. It also lets the City Council turn its attention to developing separate senior housing at the site of Orinda's old library.

Significant elements of the swap were finding a new space for school district offices, and avoiding interruptions of the city's parks and recreation programming, Orinda Mayor Victoria Smith said.

Substitute locations for sports programs have been set up, and demolition and grading on the properties could begin as early as January.

"There has been a lot of interest in this (Pulte) development," said Smith. "Before it could move forward, all (of the) details had to be worked out."

With the school district's 11-acre property and Orinda's 3-acre property, Pulte has proposed developing a 73-unit residential project houses and condos along with new school district office buildings, relocation of two baseball diamonds, a playground and picnic area, parking facilities and a pedestrian trail.

On Aug. 19, the City Council approved land use map amendments and supplemental development plans which made Tuesday's land exchange a seamless transition for all parties.

The transaction benefits the schools, Orinda schools superintendent Joe Jaconette said, in that it adds $25 million to the district's coffers the price of the 11-acre lot. That, plus Pulte will build the new district offices on an as-yet-undetermined new site, Jaconette added.

Public interest in the project can be attributed to Pulte's plans to make eight units in the residential development affordable to "families of four," Smith said.

The affordable units are just a small step in the direction of more affordable housing which the city hopes to begin developing in the near future.

In signing its agreement with the Wilder development group, the city received grant money that will fund the redevelopment of Orinda's old library site into senior housing.

Smith is calling the development of the old site the second step in the city's affordable housing goals.

A representative from the school district could not be reached before press time.

Reach Aaron Morrison at 925-943-8326 or amorrison@bayareanewsgroup.com .

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