Mountain Meadows: Nepenthe Rd, River Rock Rd, Creek Stone Way, Meadowlark Way

19 Nov Mountain Meadows: Nepenthe Rd, River Rock Rd, Creek Stone Way, Meadowlark Way

Streets of Mountain Meadows, part 1.

1989 – 1997: From cattle ranch to first homes.

Phase 1: 24 detached homes on 4 streets.

36 photos from 1990s and 2020s!

Published November 2025.

1989 – 1997: Madeline Hill’s vision from cattle ranch to first homes

Mountain Meadows began as a vision of Madeline Hill. In 1989, Madeline and her husband Hunter took the first step toward turning her vision into the thriving retirement community that is here today by purchasing 22 acres of land along North Mountain Avenue in Ashland. You can be introduced to her vision by reading the brochure below, which was written and distributed even before the first homes were built.

To help you better understand this photo essay about the first four streets in Mountain Meadows, please check out my brief overview of Mountain Meadows history here. 

Six years of grueling work were required before the first house could be built. One major problem – Ashland zoning regulations. In general, zoning rules allow for one type of housing here, another type of housing there, and bigger buildings over there. The multi-dimensional vision of one retirement community with many types of housing, combined with a huge clubhouse and an assisted living facility, was a challenge. Now for some positive news — how the challenge was met.

Planning Commission meeting of April 11, 1995

Fortunately, Ashland had planning department leadership in the 1990s that was already encouraging walkable streets and mixed use developments. After several years of discussion, big picture thinking and consideration of hundreds of details, the Planning Department decided that a “Health Care Services” zone (on the books, but rarely used) would allow Mountain Meadows the flexibility to create the community envisioned. Madeline Hill and two representatives of the architectural firm Mithun Partners spoke at the April 11, 1995 Planning Commission meeting. Commissioners unanimously approved the zoning change for Mountain Meadows to move forward (including me, when I was on the Planning Commission!). City Council approval followed May 16, 1995. 

Then building began with sewer, water, electric, paving and other infrastructure

What has to be done before installing sewer lines, water lines, and other infrastructure? Round up the cattle, of course! Note the construction equipment in place, ready to go, in the rear of this photo.

North Mountain Avenue was an unimproved dirt road at that time. North Mountain Park was being developed nearby along North Mountain Avenue at the same time, so the upgrades had multiple benefits. First step was to install sewer lines and water lines to connect with the city system. Then came paving North Mountain Avenue, followed by installing the first four streets and future home service connections in Mountain Meadows.

Finally home building! Phase 1 was 24 detached homes and 4 streets

Phase 1 of Mountain Meadows included 24 detached single family homes on four streets: Nepenthe Road, River Rock Road, Creek Stone Way and Meadowlark Way. As you can see in the 1998 aerial photo and the current map, construction began at the south end of Mountain Meadows.

First two houses: model home and home for Madeline Hill’s parents

The first houses at Mountain Meadows were built in 1995. The first one completed was 621 Nepenthe Road, which served as a model home and an office for the first few years. Madeline Hill’s parents, Jack and Lillian Sanford, moved into the second home at 641 Nepenthe Road.. 

Madeline told me: “Here’s an interesting story. People ask me, ‘How did you get the courage to do Mountain Meadows?’ The more I thought about it, I go back to my parents and my grandparents. My mother was born and raised in Alaska, within a very self-reliant Norwegian culture. She wrote a family history about growing up near the small town of Petersburg, Alaska, where the family raised silver foxes.” 

Now, let’s fast-forward from the 1990s to 2025, and go for a walk on the first four streets of Mountain Meadows.

Nepenthe Road

I went for a neighborhood walk on October 3, 2025 with local resident Lee Bowman. In the spring of 2023, Lee had given me a tour of the fabulous daffodil plantings in Mountain Meadows, a multi-year passion project of his. In this photo essay, you will see some of my spring 2023 photos, along with many 2025 photos.

The first six homes of Mountains Meadows began construction on the north side of Nepenthe Road in 1995. From the very beginning, the homes were built with a modified or simplified Craftsman style of architecture, built along streets lined with trees. This gives the entire community, from the smallest home to the large Clubhouse, a comfortable and pedestrian-friendly feeling.

Parks Department land and a few homes south of Nepenthe Road

Here is why the south side of Nepenthe Road has a few homes that are not part of Mountain Meadows. For decades, the Lord family had owned about seven acres along the east side of North Mountain Avenue between Bear Creek and where Nepenthe Road was built. As North Mountain Park was created on the other side of Bear Creek in 1995, family members had a vision of someday donating their acres to the city for open space or possible future expansion of North Mountain Park. 

When serious discussions began with the city and Parks Department, the family learned that in order to donate the land they had to include funding for 20 years of maintenance of the land. In addition, there were expensive legal fees for a somewhat complicated process. This was a challenge.

The Lord family concluded they would have to sell a small section of the land, then use the proceeds from that sale to cover both legal expenses and a 20-year maintenance fund that would accompany the donation. The land they chose to sell, about ½ acre, was the farthest away from North Mountain Park. It was along North Mountain Avenue and Nepenthe Road, which made it more valuable. They negotiated with KDA Homes to purchase the land and build a few homes that would respect this site, which was also across the street from Mountain Meadows homes on the north side of Nepenthe Road. Mark Knox, formerly a co-owner at KDA Homes, told me: “It was a very heartwarming process to go through with this family. What we have now, by following their wishes, is this beautiful extra acreage of open space next to North Mountain Park.”

The 6.6 acre Lord Property, from Nepenthe Road south to Bear Creek, was donated to the city Parks Department in 2021. It is currently open space with several benches to sit on, but no other improvements that I could see.

River Rock Road

In the first photo below, Nepenthe Road ends and becomes a driveway into private property just past River Rock Road. In the second photo below, you’ll see my “guide” Lee, as we continued our walk north on River Rock Road, which is faced by six houses. 

The brightly blooming flowers below are from an April walk, not this one in October. It is common to see locals walking the streets and paths of Mountain Meadows. Benches like this one in the second photo below, at the corner of River Rock Road and Creek Stone Way, provide a “pause that refreshes” during these walks.

Creek Stone Way

We turned right on Creek Stone Way. One block that direction took us to the end of Mountain Meadows property, and one block the other way took us to Meadowlark Way, the last street of phase 1. Ten houses face Creek Stone Way.

Some of the highlights I saw on Creek Stone Way included the April 2025 Garden of the Month (chosen by the Ashland Garden Club), notable Halloween decorations and a large Raywood ash tree. 

Meadowlark Way

Only one house faces Meadowlark Way, which is a connector street between the 24 phase 1 houses of Mountain Meadows and the rest of the planned community. It is also the only road that passes through large Madeline Hill Park in the center of Mountain Meadows. I will write about Madeline Hill Park and Kitchen Creek in another photo essay. 

Beginning at its south end where it meets Nepenthe Road, Meadowlark Way is filled with flowers – especially springtime daffodils. The only house with an address on Meadowlark Way has a large and lovely garden, including architectural yard art. My concluding photos will feature the color yellow and some yard art.

The east side of Meadowlark Way as seen from Nepenthe Road, is lined by daffodils and another bench for a walking pause. The west side of Meadowlark way features “Papillon Park,” a pollinator garden and pocket park.

I hope you have enjoyed this four-street walk through a small part of Mountain Meadows. I will add five or six more articles to cover all of the streets and highlights of Mountain Meadows.