Monterra®…in the News

Luxury Living Magazine
Summer II 2005 Pages 80-82

Waking Beauty

Although it feels like a fairytale, Monterra® is a dream come true
BY MEREDITH. RAE NELSON

Purple lupines wrap the rolling hills, speckled with vibrant orange poppies that sway in the breeze. The road meanders around aged oaks, some covered in Spanish moss, standing as monuments to the cyclical beauty of nature. Sunshine spotlights deer that graze in the tall, native grasses, pausing to look up unquestioningly as we pass.

Sound like a scene from a fairytale? It feels that way, too. But this is not the Enchanted Forest, it is the very real-although still magical-private gated community of Monterra®.

Cradled in the hills of the Monterey Peninsula above Monterey Bay, Monterra® is the sister community to Tehama, a private community owned by actor and director Clint Eastwood. Taking its name from the Native American word meaning "abundance of nature," Tehama-and Monterra®-offer just that and much, much more.

We enter the gates from Carmel Valley Road, pass the road named Este Madera (Spanish for "East Wood") and head onto the property. Immediately, things feel different. Time seems to slow down,

"The roads weren't designed in an engineer's office," notes Michael Waxer, vice president of Carmel Development Company, and one of our guides for the day. The roads ramble around trees and follow the flowing hillsides, dictated by the lay of the land. In fact, the roads follow the original horse-and-cart trails of the land's initial owners, Leonard and Emily Williams-one of many ways in which the property reflects, and respects, the history of this beautiful area.

Roger Mills, owner and deve1oper of Monterra®, refers to the community as a "timeless place" that beckons self-discovery and a reconnection with "friends, family, nature and yourself." The community invites residents to remember what it feels like to have a mindful pace, to stop and smell the roses or, rather, the lupines. the lupines.

As we drive, the fresh, early-summer air resonates. In these hills of central California, subtle variations in land and sea temperatures create distinctive microclimates, which result in sunny, moderate weather and unique vegetation. It is clear that this is a sanctuary, a place of refuge and protection not only for wildlife, but also for those who are fortunate enough to call it home.

"There is enough room around what we are doing that [the wildlife is] comfortable, too," says Alan Williams, president of Carmel Development Company. Much of the land-approximately 85 percent-will never be developed, allowing wildlife to prosper and ensuring that future generations can experience the beauty and quality of life here.

We reach the Tehama Golf Club, set gracefully atop a hill above Monterey Bay. Even here, the land is respected: Maintenance and parking facilities are underground-right below the driving range-so views are not impacted. The Jay Moorish-designed, 18-hole golf course (membership is by invitation only) covers 2,000 incredible acres.

Standing on the balcony of the Tehama Clubhouse overlooking seemingly endless green hills, this is, indeed, a fortunate place to find yourself. The views are spectacular. The air is refreshing. I get the feeling that the red-tailed hawk soaring above me agrees.

Monterra® is described as "a rare opportunity to own your piece of history." This is true, yet it is also an opportunity to protect your own piece of history.

"We al'<'" creating a private-senor formula of preservation," says Waxer. The goal is a balanced "economic engine" that not only develops the land, but also sustains it indefinitely.

In fact, Eastwood, a long-time advocate of sustainable preservation, has considered the future of this choice property for decades. Twenty years ago, he worked with horticulturalists to harvest native tree seeds-Monterey pine, buckeye, oak-from the land. The seeds were planted in Carmel County, where some 4,000 trees grew. Each homesite in the sister communities uses these trees or others that have been moved, so no foreign species are introduced into the area. (During the last 12 years of development, only 10 trees have been lost out of the more than 1,000 transplanted.)

Another element in the private-sector formula of preservation is water. It doesn't take a J.J. Gittes investigation to uncover that the resource is limited in California. But these two communities lay claim to a private utility company, which provides residents an ample supply of purified water. Free from county and city restrictions, the water source is sustainable even in the worst-case drought scenario.

We leave the golf club to visit more of the property, including custom estate homes and homesites.

"Most of the lots are tucked back in their own private places," Williams says, pointing out a particular homesite in Tehama. The design review committee has developed guidelines such as these to provide privacy while valuing the environment.

The philosophy behind both communities is to preserve a rural experience through home designs that enhance the natural surroundings. Architectural styles of homes in Monterra® draw from many influences, including historic Monterey, and the Spanish, European and Western traditions of nearby coastal towns. Each style offers variations in design details, so homes are visually diverse and unique. All the building materials selected are, or look, as natural as possible. One home, for example, has Palomino mosaic stonework on the exterior, Douglas fir beams flanking the garages, and travertine floors and rod-iron accents from Mexico gracing the interior. From inside, the panorama is so spectacular. picture windows become the artistic focal point of a room. And it's all by design-a combination of great architecture and a creatively landscaped site.

Custom estate homesites in Monterra®-including hillside, meadow or canyon lots-will be limited to 168 spanning the community's 1,700 acres, Sites will range between two and 20 acres, with price's starring at $1.3 million. The purchase price includes a private Tehama Golf Club Social Fitness Membership (monthly dues are separate). The facility will encompass nearly four acres and will include swimming pools, tennis courts and meeting space. Scheduled to open in 2006, residents can also indulge at Callahan's Grill, a nod to Eastwood's legendary "Dirty Harry" character, or dine and socialize' at the Tehama Clubhouse.

And while Monterra® is a peaceful and private sanctuary, it is located only a few miles from the rich history of sea wayfarers and wordsmiths in Monterey, the quaint culture and boutiques of Carmel-by-the-Sea, and famed Pebble Beach.

As one of the community's slogans states: "You could live anywhere in the world. You chose Monterra®." Perhaps even more appropriately, Monterra® will choose you.

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