Walden Monterey is finally poised to sell lots to ecology-minded buyers with millions to spend.

In 2018, the Walden Monterey housing development had its debut, touting simplified living among a 600-acre oak forest off Highway 68, in the tradition of 19th-century poet and philosopher Henry David Thoreau. Unlike Thoreau, who used lumber from the land and recycled materials, spending just $28.12 (equal to $852 in today’s dollars) to build his cabin on Walden Pond – on friend Ralph Waldo Emerson’s land – Walden Monterey undeveloped lots were set to go for up to $5 million each for buyers to build eco-friendly homes.

Almost as soon as the project was announced, lawsuits began, with a complicated title dispute between the neighboring Monterra Ranch of Monterey Homeowners Association, Walden Monterey’s developer Signature York Highlands and other parties. Several lawsuits were combined into one, and after four years were recently settled.

The development company, led by Nick Jekogian, is now ready to put the first four lots (out of 22, averaging 20 acres each) up for sale on the property, near York School. Lots will start at $3 million and range upward to $5 million depending on views of Monterey Bay.

“We are mainly focused on pushing the envelope of sustainability,” Jekogian says, noting that means making sure the homes are powered by solar or a renewable source of energy. Sample designs are around 5,000 square feet, smaller than some sprawling Mediterranean-style homes in nearby upscale developments.

Jekogian plans on building a home there himself, splitting his work and life between New York City and Monterey. It’s a trend since the Covid-19 pandemic that he expects other buyers will follow.