The model homes of Hidden Hills rise in neat rows on Lincoln’s eastern edge, stucco walls facing open fields behind a chain-link fence across the street. Beneath the soil and giant metal blast doors lies a relic from another era; a trio of sealed nuclear missile silos built at the height of the Cold War.
For homebuyers, the site may be little more than a curiosity, a disclosure to consider when signing paperwork. For longtime residents down the street, it’s a reminder that California’s quest for more housing is now brushing up against places built for war.
The Hidden Hills housing development opened its model homes in September, with prices as high as $825,000. The developer, Century Communities, plans to build more than a hundred single- and two-story homes ranging from 1,600 to 3,700 square feet. One home has sold so far, according to the company’s website.
"We do not anticipate any concerns from prospective buyers regarding the site," said Dan Turpin, Division President for Century Communities' Northern California region, in a written statement. “Extensive information about the Titan Missile site is publicly available, along with comprehensive testing and environmental monitoring, all of which indicate that Hidden Hills remains unaffected by the former missile facility.”
The facility, once operated by Beale Air Force Base and known as Titan 1-A, was part of the 851st Strategic Missile Squadron, which oversaw three identical missile sites near Lincoln, the Sutter Buttes, and Chico.
Construction began in 1960, and altogether, the three installations cost the U.S. more than $40 million to build. The Lincoln site went operational in 1962 and was decommissioned just three years later, its tunnels sealed when the Air Force phased out the Titan 1 program in 1965.
A decommissioned Titan I missile silo stands sealed and fenced off near Lincoln, Calif., on Sept. 20, 2025. Built in 1960, the underground complex once housed nuclear missiles operated by Beale Air Force Base.Greg Micek/CapRadio
The underground complex is now flooded and sealed, and the land is owned by Placer County.
The Sutter Buttes and Chico facilities remain relatively isolated from development. That makes Lincoln’s unique. It's the only one where suburban housing is pressing directly against Cold War infrastructure.
In the early 1990s, testing revealed trichloroethylene; or TCE, a toxic industrial solvent, in groundwater at the site. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for cleanup and has been working under federal oversight to neutralize the contamination. The plume has slowly moved southwest toward the existing Sun City Lincoln Hills neighborhood, though regular testing has found no evidence it has reached homes.
The plume has moved anywhere from four inches to 51 feet per year, depending on soil composition. Based on the most recent monitoring data, the contamination is staying outside of western border of Hidden Hills hills. The Army Corps expects to complete a feasibility study this year, propose a remediation plan in 2026, and begin full cleanup work in 2027.
Alongside that effort, the county is funding remediation of a former gun and skeet range next to the silo property, where lead and other residues from years of shooting are now being removed.
The Restoration Advisory Board, or RAB, is a volunteer committee of community members tasked with keeping the public informed about the cleanup’s progress. Sandi Dolbee, a retired journalist and RAB member, said the cleanup process is slow but moving. "It's one gate after another after another," she said. "It takes a whole lot longer than a lot of people would like, but you want to make sure it's being done right."
Despite the long timeline, Dolbee and her fellow board members describe a sense of balance between skepticism and cautious trust. "We're not apologists for the US Army Corps of Engineers," she said. "We ask some pretty tough questions."
Century Communities said in a statement they have “…put extra layers of vapor barrier between the ground and foundation on each house for due diligence and extra precaution.”
Across the street from the Hidden Hills development, the contrast between the two worlds is striking: new sidewalks, solar panels and For Sale banners on one side, chain-link fencing and warning placards on the other. When visited recently, a family of deer grazed quietly within the silo and shooting range fence line.
The view from inside a Hidden Hills model home looks out toward open land once used as a county gun range and Cold War missile site on Sept. 20, 2025, in Lincoln, Calif. Model home prices start around $655,000.Greg Micek/CapRadio
For housing analyst Ryan Lundquist, the juxtaposition says as much about California's sprawl as it does about Lincoln itself. "It reminds us that land is scarce and it's tough to build," he said. "Builders are finding the few places where they can make it work, and buyers are willing to pay for the right location."
Lundquist noted that new home sales region-wide are down compared to last year, though Lincoln remains one of the few areas still expanding. "Lincoln's growing rapidly," he said. "It's one of the cities locally that has a progressive vision and available land. People are drawn to that."
That development around the silo site is guided by the city's Village 1 General Development Plan. It calls for a 55.8-acre community park on the silo property, featuring open fields, playgrounds, and a potential interpretive area "commemorating the former Beale Air Force Base Titan 1-A Missile site." The plan envisions a space for recreation and reflection.
For buyers, the silos do not appear to be a deterrent. "I just want to live away from the city a bit, in a new house that doesn't need constant work," said Bill Kowalczyk, a prospective buyer from the Sacramento area. He said he was not alarmed by the site's past. "I heard about the silos and think it's pretty cool, so long as it's being taken care of safely."
When asked if he had any concerns about the site, Kowalczyk laughed. "I'm a big Fallout fan, so it's fun," he said. "We'd rather have it be an old silo than an active one with nukes in it."
The Kowalczyks ultimately decided against buying in Hidden Hills; though not because of the silos. The new homes were simply too far from shopping and amenities. For now, construction continues while the silos remain sealed, Cold War relics giving way to California's push for more housing.
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