Moving into Varenna

The $110 million complex, which opens this week, boasts a spa, movie theater and even its own wine cellar.

It's not cheap. It costs anywhere from $345,000 to $1.2 million to move into the gated community, while monthly charges range from $2,700 to $5,400.

But there's nothing like it in Sonoma County, say Bjorn and Maxine Karlsen, who will leave their Oakmont home this month and move into a luxury apartment at Varenna with maple floors, high ceilings and a private patio overlooking Santa Rosa.

"The location and the view, it's pretty spectacular," Bjorn Karlsen said.

The 162-unit development is the creation of Bill Gallaher, a longtime Sonoma County builder who constructed much of Oakmont and founded First Community Bank.

Nearly three-fourths of the homes and apartment units are reserved, said Gallaher, founder of Oakmont Senior Living.

"People are willing to pay and come and live here. This is the future," he said.

Built into a Fountaingrove ridge, Varenna is the first of several large, luxury developments Oakmont Senior Living plans to build after putting up smaller retirement communities in California, Washington and Nevada over the past decade.

Sonoma County, with its moderate climate and Wine Country allure, has long been a retirement destination. Varenna adds to the handful of high-end complexes that draw well-heeled retirees, said Susan Ziblapt, director for Senior Advocacy Services, a nonprofit agency in Sonoma County.

"It's very elegant. It is filling a niche at the high end," Ziblapt said.

Varenna is a Continuing Care Retirement Community, as designated by its state license. Residents don't require the care and supervision provided at assisted living facilities and skilled nursing homes.

The number of continuing care facilities has grown in tandem with the nation's aging population, and newer complexes increasingly target retirees who want more services and grander surroundings.

"There's a demand for this type of product because that segment of the population is expanding but also because the pool of people that can afford these services is growing as well," said Bob Thompson, a state Department of Social Services official.

Varenna is open to residents 60 and older. Most reserving spots so far come from Sonoma and Marin counties. Varenna also is drawing interest from across California and other states, often from retirees wanting to move closer to family, said Sam Faye, Varenna's executive director.

The complex is managed by Aegis Living, a Bellevue, Wash., senior housing company. It also manages neighboring Villa Capri, an assisted living and dementia care operation opened last year by Oakmont Senior Living.

"We're conducting this opening as if we're a resort," Faye said during a break from staff training. "Our residents will have a very high expectation. That's why we're devoting significant time and resources to the staffing, the training, the supplies, the silverware, the furnishings."

Varenna features sizable residences with high ceilings, large kitchens and decks or patios.

Apartments range from 857-square-foot, one-bedroom units to 2,775-square-foot, two-bedroom units with den and office. Entrance fees range from $345,000 to $1.05 million, while monthly costs run from $2,724 to $5,208.

The homes, called casitas, range from 1,316-square-foot, two-bedroom residences to 2,540-square-foot, two-bedroom ones with a den and office. Entrance fees start at a $589,000 and reach $1.2 million, while monthly fees range from $3,850 to $5,485.

Residents don't own units. Instead, 90 percent of the entrance fee is refunded to a resident when they move out or is passed to their estate when they die.

The monthly fee pays for most services including weekly maid service, home maintenance, breakfast daily and 21 lunches or dinners monthly. They also include concierge and valet service, a fitness program, emergency call system and transportation within a 10-mile radius.

"There's always a relationship where you get what you pay for. When you have a nice house, you have to pay for it. And there's so much in the common area," Gallaher said.

Some hopeful residents, however, have put off moving plans because they can't sell their current homes during the lingering housing slump, Gallaher said. Varenna could lose 10 percent to 15 percent of those who have reserved residences, he said.

"We are feeling some effect," Gallaher said. "We will hold the apartment for them for some time on a case by case scenario."

Occupancy should reach 90 percent by the end of this year, Gallaher said.

"The traffic's really started to pick up. We're a little bit ahead of schedule," he said.

Marilyn Diamond was No. 20 on the reservation list, putting down a deposit before construction began three years ago. She is moving from a 2,100-square-foot Oakmont house to a 1,952-square-foot third floor apartment at Varenna.

"I fell in love with the view," said Diamond, who also loves the amenities. "The big difference is the lifestyle, the indoor pool, the outdoor pool, the theater. It's going to be like a vacation."

The main building, where many of the apartments are found, features a spacious patio looking west over the Santa Rosa plain with Fountaingrove Lake and Golf Course bordering the property.

The outdoor pool and bocce court are below on the terrace level where the wine storage and tasting room also is found. A tram to be installed will transport residents down to a small boat dock also to be built.

The salon and game room, with billiards and poker tables, are on the second floor. A floor up is the movie theater, lounge and great hall for classes and dancing. Back down on the first floor, there is a video game room, art studio, First Community Bank branch, and small store, as well as the dining rooms and a full bar.

Between Varenna and Villa Capri, there are 34 buildings totaling 350,000 square feet on the 29-acre site.

Architectural features including stucco, stone and tile are befitting of the community's namesake Italian city.

Three apartment buildings on the grounds are exclusively for Varenna and Villa Capri employees, offering lower cost housing near work.

"I think that's very creative to keep turnover down," Ziblapt said.

Buildings on the site step down the ridgeline to reduce visibility from other areas of Santa Rosa. To further reduce ridgeline development, much of the parking is tucked underground beneath the three apartment buildings.

"When I walked up here, I knew what I wanted to do," Gallaher said. "To be able to come home and do a project like this is real exciting."

You can reach Staff Writer Michael Coit at 521-5470 or mike.coit@pressdemocrat.com.