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OUR NEIGHBORHOODS
By GENE STOWE
Tribune Correspondent
May 19, 2006
Trees and rocks surround the villas on Sable Ridge Drive.
Tribune Photo/JANAR STEWART
The soothing setting of serene sameness at Sable Ridge comes with a sense of individuality and privacy that for many homeowners meant love at first sight.
"I drove in and I just stopped my car and I wrote down in a little notebook 'This is the place,'" says Karen Dowd, who moved from Virginia about a year ago and found Sable Ridge on the Internet. "I never imagined myself living in a place like this ... the houses looking so similar.
"The beauty of the place was really appealing. I love the evergreen trees. I just love the feel. You have a feeling of being in the country because of the trees. I liked the way the houses are sited. There's a feeling of privacy. The size of the houses is very manageable -- spacious, yet manageable."
The turn east from Ironwood on to Sable Ridge Drive or Ashmont Place quickly plunges the visitor into thickly wooded, gently rolling landscape that feels worlds away from the traffic and the city although it's just north of Cleveland Road.
Dense shade from the old hardwood forest that predated the development and from the numerous now-mature pines seems to protect the land. The strategically placed homes -- all of exactly the same brown color -- seem to have grown on the hills and in the curves along with the trees.
"I like the rustic look," says Debby King, who sold her house on a one-acre lot with 52 oak trees to move to her new home late last year. "That's what Sable Ridge has. I still have my trees, but I don't have to take care of the leaves now. I got tired of the leaves in the fall."
The beauty of Sable Ridge comes with the convenience of outside maintenance, including painting.
"We pay $155 monthly dues, which includes all our lawn care and snow removal and gutter cleaning," King says.
The service attracts many residents, including Dowd, who had lived in South Bend before and wasn't looking forward to winter work as she considered returning.
For Mike and Sally Russo, who moved from Elkhart 18 years ago, the service means peace of mind when they go to Florida for the winter.
"I was getting close to retirement age," he says. "I wanted to buy something that didn't take a lot of maintenance. They take care of everything. They do everything exterior except planting the flowers."
Although few families with children live in Sable Ridge and a significant number spend winters in Florida -- more than 10 percent, Mike Russo figures -- it's not a retirement community.
"Most of the people in here do work," he says. "It's a real nice community to live in. It's all I need."
Sally Derengoski was 27 when she moved into Sable Ridge from an apartment in 1988 -- younger than average, but immediately comfortable in the neighborhood.
"It was time to start buying a house," she says, adding that the maintenance services were part of the attraction. "It was a very busy point in my career. I really loved the designs. It is really a very beautiful area.
"It's a very eclectic neighborhood with a nice mix of diverse backgrounds. There have been kids here and there, but not many."
Despite the sense of sameness, the homes come in six distinctive contemporary designs, some with skylights and vaulted ceilings. They rise at various elevations among the sheltering trees, including one-stories, 1 1/2-stories and two-stories.
"I just loved the spaciousness and the contemporary feel, yet cozy interiors, the light-filled rooms," Dowd says. "The light fills the kitchen, the living room, the dining room. You don't get the feeling of being cramped. It's very much the open feel."
Although neighborhood-wide gatherings are rare, many neighbors get together for social activities. Turnover is about 7 to 10 percent a year, and many residents are original owners.
Dowd knew the neighbors were friendly from her first visit one fall. "Two different people came by who were walking. They both stopped and said hi, introduced themselves to me, told me how much they loved living in the neighborhood. I was really taken by how friendly people were -- not intrusive, just gracious."
The thick woods and careful siting of homes on the land help avoid intrusive window-to-window views.
"The houses are situated on the lots so you don't see the next-door neighbors," says Molly Gordon, who moved three years ago from Cincinnati. "They kind of blend in. I said 'This is where I want to live.' The layout is very nice, very private."
"It does make a difference, especially when the houses are so close together and look alike," Dowd says. "Even on your deck or your screened porch, it's just got a very private feel to it. It's a nice combination of feeling you're out in nature but surrounded by good people.
"You feel protected here. You know you can count on them if you need them. We're so happy with our choice. We feel very much at home here. Everything is kept up beautifully. The community's so assuring. That in itself can produce a feeling of calm and enjoyment."
