Fontenay History

Written up by Bud and Dorothy Kulp when they moved in the Fall of 1997. Thanks also to Mary and Hap Hasty for the details regarding the Shaw/Woods period. Kindly shared by Betty Griffith.

About the family who developed Fontenay in 1976

Stanley (Bud) and Dorothy Mel Kulp, who purchased the property in December 1972 have a family connection to Fontenay that dates back to 1979. In that year, Dorothy’s great uncle, George Mel acquired the 250-acre property known as “Vine Hill” or “De Fontenay Vineyards”. The prior owner, George Jarvis, developed the original vineyard but fell upon hard times and lost “Vine Hill” to the Odd Fellows Savings Bank.

The Fontenay names traces back to Dorothy’s great grandfather John Mel de Fontenay who traveled from Francin in 1857 and settled in San Francisco. Dorothy’s father Charles Mel was born on the property in 1884. Ownership of the property transferred within the extended Mel family until January 1896. At that time Dorothy’s family unable to sustain Fontenay through their vineyards and wine making deeded it to the bank.

Grape Vines at Fontenay

At last one of the old grape varieties still growing on the property was identified bia a consultation with UC Davis in mid-1980. The Isabella, a grape used in red wine production. The Mel family sold their wine in bulk and did not have their own label.

A snapshot of Fontenay between 1896 and 1972

The property remained with Santa Cruz Bank of Savings and Loan until December 1899.

In the early 1900s it was developed as a first-class summer and winter resort with “knob and tube” electricity.

The Leonard family enjoyed the property as a private vacation home from 1929 to 1958.

The schoolhouse property remained with Leonard & Cooley when they sold to the Mainliner Club in 1958.

The Mainliner Club bought the property as a United Airlines employee retreat. When they identified that dire danger made it unsuitable for recreation activities such as campfires they decided not to develop it. And, asked Hap Hasty, a prominent Santa Cruz realtor to sell the property.

Hap introduced Joe Shaw and Claud “Smokey” Woods to the property in 1962. “Smokey” was the chief engineer for the Hungry Horse dam in Montana. Joe was the chief engineer with Bechtel. They purchased Fontenay intending to develop estate homes.

At the request of Shaw and Woods, Hap and Mary Hasty and their large family lived at Fontenay for the next ten years, keeping it secure and maintained. Dorothy Kulp’s father wrote to Hap in 1972 inquiring about the property; and Hap provided the recent history.

When Joe Shaw was killed by a lion in Africa, the plan to develop was dropped.

The property was sold to Villa Fontenay Associates in February 1972.

Villa Fontenay Associates spent heavily in an attempt to get a permit for a 1000-unit mobile home park. But were discouraged by their ever increasing costs, and lack of progress with the planning commission. As an example, one requirement was that they build an overpass on Highway 17 for access.

How Fontenay returned to the Mel family after the 1896 sale to the Santa Cruz Bank

In 1967, upon the death of her father Charles Mel, Dorothy discovered Charles’ correspondence in which he explored the possibility of purchasing the property. The correspondence hd been initiated just two months prior to his death. The sale of his pet food business to Borden provided the first financial opportunity to regain Fontenay after years in the hands of others.

Upon the death of Dorothy’s mother in 1972 at the age of 86, Dorothy and Bud enlisted the services of a business associate to serve as intermediary to investigate the purchase. This indirect approach was taken since one of the owners was a high school classmate of Dorothy’s/.The Kulp’s were concerned that if the owner knew of the family connection their negotiating position would be disadvantaged by having the seller know of their emotional attachment, and family ties to Fontenay.

The negotiations in late 1972 were bumpy. The meeting to close the sale may have set a record, five hours! One sticking oint was the availability of the schoolhouse property, which was needed to provide a non-highway 17 access to the property. The sellers had represented that they had an option to buy the schoolhouse property that they could convey to the Kulps. However, they left the option lapse. At 7:00 pm, giddy and in disbelief that they had pulled it off, the Kulps took ownership on December 20, 1972.

Kulp’s early use of the property

While a “subdivision” had always been in their plans, their personal use of the property was intended to be as a getaway, not a permanent residence. The villa didn’t have electricity, but the schoolhouse and two out buildings adjacent to the main house did. The out buildings each had four bedroom and one or two baths, and came equipped with tenants whom the former owner relied upon for property security. Kulps, seeing the benefit of “on-site security”, allowed the tenants continue to live on the property rent-free. The Kulp Family “camped” in the schoolhouse when they visited the property and enjoyed electricity, working plumbing and windows, luxuries not available in the main house.

When fire destroyed the out buildings (two separate incidents, in approximately 1974), the Kulps decided to have one tenant move to the schoolhouse, while they gradually restored the main house for their own use. When they initially occupied the main house, the camping was even more rustic than at the schoolhouse - no windows, camping stove in the kitchen, water faucet outside and the potting bench as a dining table. Being infrequent visitors, the Kulps never knew what possessions left at Fontenay would still be there on their next visit. One thoughtful thief left half of the kitchen utensils and other household property behind, while making off with 50% of the chairs, chaise pads, plates, frying pans, flatware etc.

Planning the Fontenay development

Bud and Dorothy hired Jerry Tucker, a Santa Cruz planning insider, to develop their plan. Initial consideration was given to 10-15 acre home sites. But, clustered 3+ acre properties with generous allowance for common space was finally proposed. This approach circumvented concerns the that 15-acre lots could later be subdivided; and the 3-acre lot minimum qualified for septic systems (smaller lots would have required sewer system, an added and unnecessary development expense).

One unanticipated development was the requirement to connect to Scotts Valley Water. The Kulps had envisioned a private water company. But, Gary Patton, an anti-growth advocate and others on the board of supervisors insisted on municipal water (a benefit we all enjoy today!).

It took four years to have the development plan approved. In 1976 after plans were finally approved, Granite Construction build the road, along the topography of the old ranch road. And Dave Bohmen was hired as the real estate agent to sell the lots.

How Charles Hill Road got its name

Initially the Kulps intended to name the road Vine Ridge, but the fire department objected citing possible confusion with the other “Vine” roads. When Bud Kulp learned of their objection in a phone conversation, he picked as an alternative a derivative of the first thing he saw out the window - “Charlie Horse”, their tractor, which coincidentally was named for two Charlies, Dorothy’s father Charles Mel and his associate Charlie Johnson of Johnson Oyster Company, Pt. Reyes, CA. “Charlie Horse” was bought with the first dividend issued on Charles Mel’s investment in Johnson Oyster. So today we have Charle sHill Road, a much refined version of Charlie Horse!

Kulps make Fontenay their permanent home

When Bud retired from Kaiser Engineering in the end of 1980, the Kulps began spending more time at Fontenay. As a result, they came to love the country lifestyle even more than that of Berkeley. So, in 1981 they made Fontenay their primary residence.

The phased development in Fontenay

Using Kulp’s 1981 permeant move as a milestone, here’s when the lots were developed.