Fluvanna Enters a New Frontier
November 15, 2006 |
For many years, Fluvanna County was one of the fastest growing counties in Virginia (per capita). During that time, most of that growth occurred in one neighborhood, Lake Monticello. Now, new construction growth at Lake Monticello has slowed due to the community getting closer and closer to build-out. Fluvanna has been trying to prepare for growth to move to other neighborhoods, many of which are brand-new. One way the county has decided to direct and restrict growth is through new planning and zoning regulations. One such regulation creates what are known as “cluster subdivisions.”
The purpose of cluster subdivisions is to allow for growth while still maintaining open space. Under the regulations, a new subdivision in Fluvanna County must remain at least 75% open space. This means that if a subdivision is a total of 100 acres, the homes in that subdivision must all be located on 25 acres, and the rest must remain undeveloped. This regulation is even more restrictive than a recently passed state-wide law regarding growth planning in the Commonwealth.
Since the passage of the cluster subdivision regulations, there has been much discussion in Fluvanna as to how this will affect growth in the county, and the physical appearance of the county. Until very recently, there has been no way to answer that question, as there haven’t been any cluster subdivisions built. Such is the case no more.
Enter Sycamore Square. Sycamore Square is a new-construction subdivision being developed in Fluvanna County right now. It has been easy for me to watch its progression, since it is located directly behind our office. Sycamore Square is remarkable for at least 2 major reasons reasons:
1) This is the first major cluster subdivision in the county. It consists of just over 100 building lots. Most of these are +/- .5 acres in size. The open space required by law is going to be used for walking trails, picnic areas, and other common areas. Being a cluster subdivision, the community will be planned in a way that is currently not found in Fluvanna. The community will have curbs, and it will have public water and sewer. Most subdivisions in Fluvanna are quite rural, and do not have these features.
2) The homes in Sycamore Square are being built by four different builders. Three of these builders have never built in Fluvanna in any significant way. Ryan Homes, Craig Builders, and R.D. Wade Homes have built all over the Charlottesville area, but building an entire subdivision in Fluvanna will be a first for all of them. The fourth builder, Southern Development, began building homes in Fluvanna a little over a year ago. All of these builders are known throughout the Charlottesville area for their construction. Having attended informational sessions with all of the builders, they seem very excited about this opportunity to build in Fluvanna.
For some people, the news of a new subdivision is no news at all. In Fluvanna, however, the development of Sycamore Square is something that will be watched very closely by not only the real estate community, but also the community at large. As of right now, most of the roads have been cut, and curbs have been started, and all of the builders have begun work on their first homes. I will try to keep everyone updated as more begins to develop at Sycamore Square.
[tags] real estate, realtor, fluvanna, charlottesville, virginia, sycamore square, development, zoning, planning, ryan homes, cluster subdivision [/tags]
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3 Responses to “Fluvanna Enters a New Frontier”
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Disclaimer
My name is Daniel Rothamel. I am a licensed real estate agent in the Commonwealth of Virginia and a member of the National Association of REALTORS. As such, I adhere to a strict code of ethics and all laws with regard to equal housing, which is reflected in the content of this blog. My broker is Strong Team REALTORS, 86 Joshua Lane, Palmyra, VA 22963; (434) 589-5800. My VA Real Estate License number is 0225 077325. All of the opinions in this blog are mine, unless otherwise noted.
Those sure are some restrictive regulations!
75% undeveloped? Yikes!
How much is that pushing up the cost-per-square foot?
[Reply]
As of right now, the entire county is about 75% undeveloped. That 75% is currently in land-use taxation, meaning that those owners are receiving tremendous tax breaks to leave the land undeveloped.
As far as the cost-per-square-foot is concerned, it is hard to tell what type of effect the planning is having on it. That is because it still remains cheaper to build in Fluvanna than it is to build in neighboring Albemarle. My opinion is that the main factor driving up the building costs is land cost. Land in the entire area has become very expensive. This area also suffers from a lack of competition in just about every sector, construction supply and skilled labor included. This also has an effect on cost-per-square foot.
[Reply]
See the correction to this post that I made entitled, “Sycamore Square Correction.” It clarifies that Sycamore Square is not actually a cluster subdivision, but zoned R-3. It has similarly restricted lot sizes and open space requirements, but it is not a cluster subdivision, as such. Sorry for the error.
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