[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 110 (Wednesday, September 7, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1783]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TO COMMEMORATE THE 60TH 
            ANNIVERSARY OF THE SAN LORENZO HOMES ASSOCIATION

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. FORTNEY PETE STARK

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, September 7, 2005

  Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, September 10, 2005, the San 
Lorenzo Homes Association in San Lorenzo, California will celebrate 60 
years as one of the oldest homeowners' associations in the United 
States.
  During World War II, thousands came to the San Francisco Bay Area to 
work in the shipyards. In response to the need for housing, David D. 
Bohannon purchased rich farmland south of the San Lorenzo Creek where 
abundant fruit and vegetable crops were grown.
  On May 18, 1944, builders broke ground on the first home in the 
Village tracts, which launched the wartime construction of the planned 
community. Bohannon applied a mass production method, the reverse of 
the normal prefab process, by moving the factory to the housing site. 
Each worker was trained to do a single part of the job. The assembled 
houses rolled off the line at the rate of one every seven hours.
  The first houses had a ``war worker's room'' with a separate entrance 
to help meet the housing shortage. The 1945 three-bedroom homes were 
priced at $5,950. Some rented for $55 per month. With the slogan 
``Every Lot a Garden Spot'' and In-Door-Outdoor Living, San Lorenzo 
Village grew at the rate of 1,329 houses per project.
  Land was set aside for schools, churches, stores, parks, restaurants, 
a movie theater and the Nimtez Freeway, which was built in 1953. The 
construction headquarters was turned into a playground, community hall 
and the San Lorenzo Homeowners' Association offices.
  The Association is controlled by a board of directors elected 
annually on staggered terms of three years each. The first meeting was 
held on April 5, 1945. After a few months, with the number of homes 
increasing so rapidly, it became apparent that it was necessary to have 
paid employees to devote their full time to Homes' Association work.
  Through the years, the Association, with its volunteer Board of 
Directors and professional management, has been successful in ensuring 
the appearance, safety, and financial accountability of San Lorenzo 
Village.
  Since 1945, San Lorenzo Village has grown from its original 1,329 
homes to 5,686. The value of San Lorenzo Village homes has increased 
over eight thousand percent over the past sixty years.
  I have a personal connection to the San Lorenzo Homes Association. My 
wife, Deborah Roderick Stark, was born in San Lorenzo and her parents, 
Frank and Mary Roderick, are long-time residents and members of the 
Association.
  On behalf of the Roderick and Stark families, I applaud the exemplary 
contributions of the San Lorenzo Homes Association. The Association has 
demonstrated its leadership to maintain the integrity of this planned 
community and its commitment to quality service delivery to meet the 
needs of Village residents.

                          ____________________