If you’ve spent any time driving through Scotts Valley these past couple of months, you’ve probably noticed a few new developments around town. A notable housing development behind the Shell Station on the intersection of Mount Hermon Road and Scotts Valley Drive, the Terrace, plans on opening quickly after the new year. The Terrace has been under construction since last May and will ultimately be made up of 19 homes. Each will have 3 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms, in blocks of five.
Chris Perri, of Apple Home Developments Inc., took me through a tour while answering questions about the new development. The model home I viewed is currently in escrow, the first of the batch to be sold. Throughout my walkabout I was struck by Terrace’s emphasis on sustainability, storage, and ambience, which is no surprise since Perri has been constructing homes near Scotts Valley for almost 30 years now.
Perri is quite proud of his efficient usage of space, allowing for lots of storage, parking availability, and spacious rooms on smaller lots. Perri is particularly proud of the layout of the houses. They aren’t crowded in on the plot of land, so you wouldn’t have neighbors in front our back. He’s planted fast-growing Monterey Cyprus in the back of the lot, to give an additional hedge of privacy to Terraces’ owners and the surrounding neighbors. “We worked with the neighbors for years and we wanted to make sure there was a nice separation. You have to [communicate with the neighbors] when you live in the town you build in.”
To create a more sustainable home, Perri included a charging station for electric cars in the garage, solar panels on each roof, recycled quartz countertops, large windows, skylights, and a modern ventilation system in each room, which can be controlled on a room-by-room basis. Called a “mini-split,” each room in the homes have a ventilation unit, responsible for both heating and air-conditioning. Perri proudly listed benefits of the modern system, “It’s ductless… individually controlled, and has high, high, HIGH efficiency in terms of electrical use.”
The developers used the natural resources already in place to help construct the homes. Perri mused that building on the hill was difficult, but ultimately created a better backyard for the homes. “If we had dumped the whole [hill] out, it would be a much bigger environmental impact on the land… The way we did it works very nice.” Perri acknowledged struggling with “a lot of granite, more than we thought” in the land, which at first slightly slowed down the work, but then it was used to create rock walls around the property, saving expenses and the emissions that would be needed to haul out the large slabs. “All of our rock is reused.”
Standing in the spacious kitchen, Perri muses on what sort of homeowner might live at the Terrace in the coming year, “Any and all. Someone who wants to move out of a single-family home with a big backyard… or someone who is over the hill and would like to be out of there.”
Over the roar of bulldozers, Perri finally adds, “I think this is one of the few modern looking developments, but it doesn’t feel cold. The combination of wooden and stucco helps. Initially I didn’t want to do something modern, but my architect talked me into it. I knew we didn’t want to do the same old ‘your Grandma’s townhome…’ It’s hipper. I think it’s a nice balance to add something like this to Scotts Valley’s housing mix. There’s room for all kinds of housing.” The Terrace still has a way to go before they’re ready for move in, but the finished project will be gorgeous, cozy, and green.
If you’d like more information on the new development, you can visit www.TerraceSV.com. If you’d like to schedule a visit of the model home, you can get in touch with Paul Burrowes at (831)295-5130.
Katie Evans just graduated from Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington. When she’s not writing articles, you can find her hiking in the redwoods, baking, or reading a book cuddled up to her favorite pug. Reach her at
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