The proposal calls for an adult community comprised of 4,050 units, a retail development covering roughly 108 acres and an office park that would span more than 35 acres. Interspersed would be a winery, three lakes and an olive grove.

City officials have begun scrutinizing the plan and have asked Nunn for a study that would provide numbers and information on the kind of financial benefits the development could potentially bring to the community. "The city doesn't want to build homes for the sake of building homes," Nunn tells GlobeSt. "Residential developments are a fiscal drain on a city. But I think we have a strong argument here."

Nunn says that because it is a private development, the city would not have to dip into its coffers to cover police and fire services or maintain the roads. "The homeowners would pay for all of this," says Nunn, estimating that the project would cost the city less than $100 per home annually, compared to $200 to $300 per home in a public project. "This type of project is a different kind of animal," says Nunn. "The impacts are different. There are no school kids, so there will be no fees and less than 10% of the residents will be employed, so that minimizes traffic."

Nunn says the need for active adult communities is among the fastest growing segment of housing nationally. "Baby boomers have turned 50," says Nunn, whose Brentwood project has seen more than 1,200 homes built and sold. "This is one of the most successful active adult communities in Contra Costa County," he says. "There is a real need for this kind of housing, especially in Antioch, where one does not currently exist."

Nunn anticipates that the planning commission will give preliminary approval at its Feb. 7 meeting. "I think they will approve of our concept," he says. "There is a lot of work ahead of us."

Located at the southernmost area of Antioch, approximately one-third of the property is in Antioch's Future Urban Area No. 1 Plan. That means Nunn will have to approach the county Local Agency Commission to seek a softening of the line that will allow the city to annex the land, but it could take up to eight months before an environmental report can be conducted.

"I think if all goes well, we will see this completed by 2020," says Nunn.

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