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Tuesday, 10/04/05 Developers plan 1,800 new homes in DavidsonTwo large-scale residential developments are in the works that could bring 1,800 homes to northern Davidson County over the next decade. In the Scottsboro community, a group led by custom home builder and real estate developer Jeff Zeitlin is looking to build Bells Landing, a 1,200-home traditional neighborhood development on more than 800 acres south of Ashland City Highway and adjacent to Bells Bend Park. Meanwhile, in the Whites Creek area another group of developers is pushing ahead with plans to build 607 single-family homes on 370 acres north of Brick Church Pike. Prices for homes in the development, called Derby Downs, would be in the mid-$200,000 range, according to Roy Dale, whose Dale & Associates engineering firm is working on the project. Zeitlin's plans call for Bells Landing to be built using the guidelines of New Urbanism, a planning theory that harkens back to pre-World War II-era communities designed with pedestrian-friendly streets and a mix of housing within walking distance of shops, schools and other amenities. Other local examples of the concept include Westhaven in Franklin, Lenox Village in south Nashville and Carothers Crossing, a community in the planning stages at the Davidson-Rutherford County line. Zeitlin said Bells Landing would differ from those projects in several respects, starting with a broader range of housing options, with prices starting at $175,000 and rising to more than $1 million. About 25% of the 1,200 homes are expected to be higher density townhouse or condominium units. In addition, the community's homes are to be built at least 30% more energy-efficient than the average home, which Zeitlin said could save owners as much as one mortgage payment a year in reduced energy costs. Plans also call for preserving 55% of the property as open space. Zeitlin said he has committed to keeping some of the acreage as working farms, while other areas would incorporate what he called "farmstead architecture" — such as a single-family home built to resemble a grain silo. The community is also designed to connect directly to Bells Bend Park, providing visitors to the Metro park access to the development's open areas. Zeitlin's team still needs zoning approvals before pushing ahead on the project, but he hopes to break ground by next summer. Once started, the development is expected to be built in phases over the next 10 to 15 years, he said. Metro Councilwoman Brenda Gilmore, whose district includes the Scottsboro community, said she was impressed with the developers' attempts to preserve the area's rural character. But she said she — as well as some nearby residents — has concerns about whether the area can absorb the impact of such a large development. "I think 1,200 homes might be too many to put down in that area," Gilmore said. Zeitlin said he believed a series of public meetings with local residents last week helped ease some of those concerns. "People had a chance to digest and see what we're talking about," Zeitlin said. "You'll always have a few that will fight everything. But I think overall the community sees the value of this project." Zoning approvals may also complicate the development of Derby Downs. Some nearby residents are upset over the developers' attempts to get the community approved using a so-called cluster-lot option, a designation that would allow homes built on lots half the size of 20,000-square-foot minimum the current RS20 zoning would normally allow. The Metro Planning Commission heard the developer's request on Sept. 22 but deferred the matter until its Oct. 13 meeting. • |