NEIL WILEY
Located a little over two miles east of Highway 17 on a southern slope off
Summit Road is the mountain community of Villa del Monte (House of the Mountain). A
mature development consisting of approximately 165 homes on 341 acres, the
"Villa" blends some urban advantages with rural mountain living. The
county-maintained streets are relatively wide by mountain standards. A non-profit public
water system serves most of the community. And drainage is well developed.
The typical parcel is about an acre in size, but because of the topography
and light forest cover, the density seems less. Many of the homes have excellent views of
Monterey Bay, Laurel Canyon and surrounding forest. And, after the noise and congestion of
Silicon Valley, it is blessedly quiet.
Villa del Monte might be called a "semi-gated" community. The
western entrance is flanked by a pair of white gates. Once upon a time, the eastern
entrance also had gates (red ones). Neither set of gates, however, has ever been closed.
All roads in Villa del Monte lead nowhere. The main road, Skyview Terrace,
forms a loop with Deerfield Road and Cove Lane through the Villa, and other roads end in
cul de sacs. The loop provides an excellent two-mile aerobic walk up and down several
hundred feet elevation. The dead-end roads eliminate through traffic, improve security and
help lost visitors, who may repeat the loop several times before finding their desired
destination.
Although real estate prices flattened with the Loma Prieta earthquake of
1989, the Silicon Valley boom has increased Villa del Monte values. Estimated 1998 home
values range from $450,000 to $850,000.
The original Villa
The community gets its name from a country house built over a two-year
period from 1918 to 1920 by a San Francisco stockbroker, Clarence Schmitt. Villa del Monte
was a replica of an Italian villa, a popular architectural style of the late teens and
early 1920’s. It was built with bricks imported from Stockton, concrete poured
pillars and wood cut from the Villa’s own 365 acres. Nineteen rooms surrounded a
central courtyard, complete with fountain. Oak beams and paneling were imported from
France. English Regency furniture and Oriental rugs highlighted polished floors. And the
kitchen’s floor was black slate.
Befitting a summer vacation house, the Villa had its own bowling alley in
the basement, a reflection pool, tennis court and a greenhouse for growing Mr.
Schmitt’s favorite flowers—begonias. A nine-foot-deep reservoir contained over a
million gallons of water. (This same reservoir is now owned by the Villa del Monte Water
Company.)
Several succeeding owners have poured large amounts of money into
restoration. Although damaged in the 1989 earthquake, the original Villa is still
standing—a historical landmark and a proud symbol for this mountain community.
The community
Developed as a subdivision in 1958 by the Bellush brothers, Villa del
Monte was transformed from a declining estate with a large orchard of about 400 trees to
179 parcels for custom homes. The brothers built roads, a water system and basic drainage.
PGE was given right-of way to bring electricity down Sunset. The Bellushs built their own
houses-- John’s on the northeastern border, Joseph’s on the northwestern border.
Ed Mitchell was given a contract to act as the Bellush’s agent,
selling property, and later, building custom homes. In return, he received land, including
110 acres of property later donated to the Salvation Army.
When the brothers moved into their new homes, they sold the Villa for
$28,000. At that time, the most expensive home in Villa del Monte sold for $45,000.
Over the next forty years, Villa del Monte grew relatively slowly. Each
year would bring several new houses, until virtually every buildable lot was sold.
When we bought our house in 1965, there were only about forty houses.
It’s hard for newcomers to believe, but the cost for our three-bedroom, two-bath
house was $33,000.
In those early years, the Villa was very social. Several neighbors loved
to host parties, and they would invite everyone in the area. It was a small,
interdependent community, a great place to raise children and a good investment.
Of course, the Villa was not without its problems. In the 70s, the
community suffered from legal problems when the water company was unable to serve new lot
owners. After several years of lawsuits, the courts agreed that the water supply was
insufficient to serve more lot owners, and the water company (owned by the residents) was
freed from payments to the developer for added hookups. (Now, a new pipeline promises to
end the problem.)
The Villa also endured a few natural disasters. The great snow storm of
January 1974 closed roads and cut off power for four days. The forest fire of 1984 forced
an evacuation. The 1989 earthquake damaged many homes, created more than 200 breaks in the
water distribution system and led to a comprehensive geological study that showed no
continuing slides.
Major logging operations on the property next to the Villa were attempted
in the 80s, but the company went bankrupt before they could do much damage. Last year, the
Summit Watershed Protection League was formed to block a new logging plan. Working with
Santa Cruz County and other environmental protection organizations, the League has
successfully (if only temporarily) prevented logging through political action. A final
solution, purchasing the property for public use, is still a possibility.
The Villa is now undergoing a significant demographic changes. As older
residents retire, die or move, a new younger generation has moved in, complete with still
another generation of children. The school bus stop in front of our house, which had
declining numbers of users for the last decade, is now one of the mountain’s biggest
bus stops.
Hopefully, these new families will begin to devote more time to their
community. The roads are deteriorating. Growing population density is requiring more
attention to control of litter and pets. Brush and weeds need to be removed. And we need
to improve our consideration of neighbors in terms of esthetics, noise and traffic.
Perhaps for social and community needs, Villa del Monte could resurrect a
Homeowners’ Association. But whether this happens or not, the Villa is a pleasant,
quiet neighborhood filled with good people . It’s a great place to live.
Although Neil and Marlene Wiley didn’t live in the Villa when it was built in
1920, they have lived in the subdivision since 1965—a long and happy 33 years. We
invite others to share stories about their mountain communities.
