Monterra® - The Pinnacle of the Monterey Peninsula

Monterra®…in the News

Marin Magazine
Oct/Nov 2005

Monterra® - Build it and they will come

By Mimi Towle

Roger Mills makes quite an impression when he's leading visitors around his brand new lO,OOO-squarefoot dream home on lot 33 in Monterra®, the private community he created with his brother Basil. At first blush, this seventy-something produce farmer who came from a modest Midwest background personifies old-school charm-he is kind, humble, and wildly successful. He takes the teasing about his home's excess like a pro. "Well, you never know when you're going to need one," is his droll defense regarding comments on the 10 bathrooms. "I just don't like mixing the vegetables with meats. and you need a separate sink for hand washing," he says with a smile as shows off five stainless-steel Franke sinks in his kitchen. Is he moving in? "Sometime soon," is his standard response. Actually, word has it he'll most likely stay in his cozy home in downtown Salinas, where he can walk to work at Mills Family Farms-one of the largest lettuce producers in the country. This new home will continue to be used (as it has throughout construction) as a venue for fund-raising events for local organizations and charities.

"My brother and I created Monterra® because we love this area and want to make it available to others who appreciate what we have up here," says Mills. What they have are 168 home sites spread out over 1,700 acres (70 home sites already sold. with 15 homes built and 20 under development), panoramic views of Monterey Bay, the Santa Lucia Mountains. and the Salinas Valley, and 283 days of sun a year. The price tag ranges from $1.5 to $3 million per 2- to 5-acre lot. If you want a home here, all plans must meet architectural guidelines that include a 3,SOO-square-foot minimum. The neighboring development, Tehama, owned by Clint Eastwood, has 90 home sites, with lots from 4 to 17 acres as well as a private golf course designed by Jay Morris, a communal sports and fitness facilities, clubhouse, and a bar (shared by both communities). To ensure sustainability, the Mills brothers built a state-of-the-art osmosis water filtration system and established stringent rules regarding cutting down trees. "We want to preserve the integrity of the landscape for the generations to come," Mills explains. His wish had already come true as of last summer, when his seven grandchildren moved in just down the street into their own home in Monterra®. -M.T.

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