$1,895,000

San Roque / Above Foothill

Santa Barbara, California

A remote beautiful utopia where life approaches perfection!  This Santa Barbara Shangri-La has surroundings to enrich your spirits and enjoy life to its fullest. Build your dream home on the view foundation that is waiting for you while you live in the charming guest house with a Japanese Zen  garden. Work in your separate artist studio and wander through the idyllic landscaped gardens, feed the chickens and ride your horses on wonderful nearby trails…

Off San Roque Road, your own stone bridge spans a creek leading to your private driveway with gated entrance opening to six distinct areas in this 5 acre parcel.

First, upon entering the oak and pine trees, fruit trees, numerous shrubs and flowering plants, a giant outdoor chess board and chessmen greet you to begin your tour. From the chess board, steps lead up to the main lawn with brick patio/barbecue area, a twelve column Pergola with flowering vines and a bocci court area surrounded with trees and plants. Interfacing with the lawn is a Maze/Labyrinth garden with sacred circle of trees, a succulent garden, a Rose Allee and Koi pond.  Going up to the next level  one is “beautifully surprised” by the aquatic therapy pool and gazebo. There you can look out onto the Labyrinth garden and distant vistas of the city and ocean and quietly mediate in complete solitude.

Next, you want to visit the Art Studio and sit at the Sky Patio where the view is breathtaking and is stimulating to the mind of the artist. The private driveway leads to a modern corrugated steel building with electric rollup door, electric sky lights and an adjacent work area, both with abundant power.  Here one can sculpt, weld, paint or draw in a clean, white, friendly, light and airy environment.

The third stop is found by traveling on a private unimproved road which takes you to the highest point on the property. Here are rows of vegetable/ herb crops all under a drip system. From this site you can enjoy the magnificent vista and view the entire five acres, including the horse and chicken facilities, the foundation of the original home and the main lawn and Labyrinth gardens.  Steps from here lead down to those various parts of the property.

The driveway, parking area, garage and former home foundation are the fourth stops.  (The main house, garages and art studio were destroyed in the Jesusita Fire in 2009.) The previous Spanish Colonial Revival Home consisted of six bedrooms, six and half bathrooms, four fireplaces, a master suite and a yoga/media room plus other features. That home could be rebuilt on the existing foundation which has been inspected and found to be in buildable condition. The original Spanish-Revival home plans are available. Preliminary plans for a different style residential contemporary glass and steel home with modifications for the foundation are available. The county permit for rebuilding the garages is available at this time.

The fifth location is in a small ravine on the north-east side which provides a corral and shelter for horses and chickens plus areas for a workshop, welding shop, a sculpture studio, storage for hay and other equipment.  In addition there is ample space for trucks, a horse trailer and a small tractor shed. The propane gas and source for power for the property are in this area along with the City of Santa Barbara water. From here all utilities are distributed under-ground to the rest of the property.

The last stop is at the Guest House in a secluded location on the Ranchette.  Here one can enjoy the beautiful and relaxing Japanese Zen garden and a cup of green tea or a glass of wine.  The home consists of an expandable one bedroom, a full bathroom and living room with a ledger stone fireplace and wood floors. At the end of the day have a cocktail on the front veranda and later enjoy a special dinner with your own freshly harvested garden salads under a warm and inviting covered outdoor dining area.

This incredible five acre ranchette is private, quiet and with abundant wildlife and yet is only minutes to upper State Street where there are  restaurants, grocery stores and shopping  for your convenience.  Because of the extent of the property, and at the request of the owner, showings of the property may only be available with a least  a 48 hour notice and accompanied with the listing agents. Thank you.