Shortly after moving to Pleasanton's Oak Forest area in July 1997, Jack and Donna Keller decided to remodel their modest one-story, 3-bedroom, 2-bath, all-brick home. They obtained several bids and settled on South Texas Remodeling. One week and slightly under $2,000 later, they had transformed their home into this exquisite, two-story, classic Greek Revival ante bellum masterpiece. "The hardest part," confided Jack, "was rearranging those 28 massive oak trees to form a perfect central viewing lane to the front door. Some of those suckers are 250 years old, and they didn't want to budge. Our puppy helped with the digging...."
The structure's second floor and massive roof is supported by 28 columns, each 8 feet in circumference, with 15-foot high ceilings and 16-inch thick brick walls. The 13-foot wide veranda surrounds the house on all four sides, offering a splendid view and ample shade and protection from the sun or rain.
Asked if they have any additional remodeling plans, Jack's eyes lit up. "Well, we'd kinda like to drag the Atascosa River over here so that it meanders by the front of the house -- maybe a quarter-mile or so away. We think it would spruce up the view a bit." Asked if he thought this were actually feasible, he sighed, "Well, we'd probably have to get a permit or grease a few palms. I know moving a river can't be as easy as moving those big oaks, but I'm sure the puppy would help...."
"Oak Forest,*" claimed Jack, "is the perfect setting for this renovation. Can you imaging trying to create this effect in mesquite country? It just wouldn't work. I think we're awful fortunate there are plenty of oak trees in Oak Forest."
*Oak Forest is a 25+-year-old neighborhood on the northwestern boundary of Pleasanton. It was annexed by the city a few years ago to increase the city's property tax base. Property taxes immediately increased by 20%, but the homeowners didn't mind because the city put in street lights.