High end goes smaller at Monte Sereno

The first houses in a new 15-home project will be ready next June in Monte Sereno, the resort residential community near the Santa Fe Opera that started up in 2004.

The Compound at Monte Sereno will have one-acre lots with two- and three-bedroom homes from 2,900 square feet down to 2,200 square feet. “I think the market is telling us that people are downsizing, and as they’re aging they’re interested in more of a lock-and-leave lifestyle with low maintenance,” said Don Beauregard of 21 Club Holdings, LLC.

“My company, HMB Partners, sold this property to JimWhipkey in November 2015 and he formed an entity called 21 Club Holdings to hold his ownership,” Beauregard said in a recent interview. “I am director of development and Al Lilly is director of operations; we’re managers but not owners.”

The Compound will have flat-roofed homes built in the “soft Santa Fe contemporary” style and “integrated into thoughtful landscaping that will create a private yet synergistic ambiance,” according to marketing materials.

Two of the homes are pre-sold and now under construction. “They have broken ground; they’re putting pads in now,” said Realtor Paul McDonald in August. “The owners interviewed probably a dozen builders and they chose two: Scott and MaikaWong [Solterra + Design + Build], who won the Grand Hacienda in the Parade of Homes last year, and Anthony andWendy Odai, who have been doing the Las Colinas project on Gonzales Road— he has three units left to sell there. Lorn Tryk is the architect forThe Compound.”

Beauregard said the houses will be $500 per square foot. “That’s a high watermark for out in the northwest quadrant, but we’re seeing that people who are downsizing are putting a lot of emphasis on interior specifications. We will be using local artisans, for example for our courtyard gates, and local stone masons.”

“We’re big believers in a concept called wellness communities. It really is all about wellness, but what I call well being and integrating that into your community, and it’s everything from sustainability in terms of energy and water use but it also includes connectivity, creating opportunities for people to gather, and also integrating local culture,” Beauregard said.

In Monte Sereno overall, 150 estate lots have been sold in the 600-acre subdivision and 50 homes have been built on them. Future plans include 55 “cluster sites,” 102 additional estate lots, and a 38-acre hotel/ spa site. The access is Exit 168 (Tesuque Village, Opera Drive, Ave. Monte Sereno) off U.S. 84/285. For more information, see monteserenosantafe.com or contact listing agent Paul McDonald at Sotheby’s International Realty.— PaulWeideman