Mining for a Golden Lifestyle

There was a time when the rallying cry for expanding one’s horizons was “Go West!”

But for those in California, already living in the West and looking to expand their pricey homes, that call has changed to “Go South”--as in underground.

High-priced homes dotting the rolling hills that line Silicon Valley have been squeezed by zoning restrictions. Such local laws prevent much farther upward or outward expansion. So some homeowners are constructing opulent underground floors full of amenities to increase the size of their houses.

“They can’t go up and they can’t go out, so now their only alternative is to go down, and they are doing it,” said Darlene Monroe, a Los Gatos building inspector.

But don’t mistake these subterranean add-ons for dank and dark unlivable quarters. With plenty of cash on hand, these lower floors are bring stocked with home theaters, billiard rooms, wine cellars--even bowling alleys.

“I’ve seen a virtual-reality golf course underneath the home,” Monroe said. “It has a camera and a big-screen TV. The owner can watch a video of himself when he swings. It’s unreal.”

The underground opulence comes out of necessity. Zoning restrictions designed to keep monster homes out of more humble neighborhoods are on the rise.

Tom Paquin, a software engineer for Geocast, tired of fighting the traffic to the gym after work, has decided to construct his own gym in his basement this summer. But this is no mediocre barbell set and a treadmill.

Paquin plans a 25-foot-high squash court and gym under his $3-million home, currently under construction. His basement will take up 5,000 square feet--and there will be additional room for Paquin’s planned four-car garage, theater, game room and wine cellar.

“We’re already spending so much money on the land, we wanted to optimize the use of it,” Paquin said.

The underground amenities are often considered bonus space by homeowners. A Los Gatos home has a bowling alley, a family in San Carlos has an underground dance studio and an Orinda home boasts a carnival-style shooting gallery.

“The key to the basement is it’s not imposing on the community,” said Bill Patterson. He owns Shelter Development Corp., builders of upscale homes in Menlo Park and Atherton.

Patterson says the push for basement space is a purely market-driven phenomenon.

“As long as that demand for basements is there, builders will try to deliver,” Patterson said.