Anchor Hill Ranch emphasizes large lots

by Ashleigh Behlmann

SBJ Contributing Writer

sbj@sbj.net

Anchor Hill Ranch in Rogersville is providing residents with an amenity not typically found in subdivisions space. The 920-acre development is divided into 101 lots ranging from 5 to 40 acres apiece. Undeveloped lots range in cost from $33,900 to $79,900. Price Residential Acreage purchased the land through listing agent J. Hopkins and Associates Inc.

Price Residential Acreage and J. Hopkins and Associates Inc. previously collaborated on the Windsor Oaks development off of Highway YY.

"We sold out Windsor Oaks in a three-year period. Probably 90 percent of the buyers at Windsor Oaks were empty nesters. Anchor Hill Ranch has taken a little bit of a different twist we do have younger families buying in this development," said John Hopkins, broker/president of J. Hopkins and Associates Inc.

"Most of our buyers already own their own home and want to get out of a tract situation," said owner/developer John Price, "It's not so much an economic decision as it is a lifestyle decision." Price's family company has been developing this type of subdivision for more than 50 years, according to Price. Other developments in the past 15 years include Sac River Farms in Pleasant Hope and several in Jefferson County.

"Our customers are a fairly broad demographic from fairly young, almost newlyweds to retired people. Basically, what they are wanting is to live in an environment where they have some privacy and a certain amount of discretion on how they design their home. They want a rural feel."

The privacy of the residents is safeguarded by both the county and residential requirements the lots at Anchor Hill Ranch may not be subdivided.

Price has set few restrictions for those who are building homes in his development. Buyers may leave their land undeveloped for as long as they like, however, once construction is started, it must be completed within two years, including landscaping and a paved driveway.

Buyers are required to build a home of at least 1,800 square feet with an attached two-car garage. Plans must be submitted to a building committee (which will eventually comprise other residents) for approval. Beyond this, the style of the home is up to the discretion of the builder.

"The thing that is so nice and so unusual about this community is that people can build their home right in the middle of their property and not really see their neighbor's home. So if one person has an all brick home and another has an all stone home, they don't really clash because they are so far apart," said Price. The end result is a subdivision with the appearance of an established neighborhood.

Darrin Roland recently purchased a parcel of land at Anchor Hill Ranch and said of the building committee, "If you meet all of the criteria, it's pretty simple." With his house plans approved, Roland looks forward to moving in to his new home.

"I think we're really going to like it. You have the benefit of a neighborhood, but you can also be out by yourself, " said Roland.

According to Hopkins, 12 of the 101 lots are either sold or in process, and Hopkins believes that the development is drawing attention in part because it "is five minutes from Rogersville and about 20 minutes to (highways) 65 and 60 without breaking the speed limit. So it's far enough out that it's away but still convenient." Residents will also have access to Rogersville schools.

"The new high school that they are building is really going to be first class," said Hopkins. Homeowners will also benefit from county maintenance on their roads.

"The county will handle the upkeep of the roads, but they are built above and beyond county standards. They are a little bit wider and have a little bit gentler slope than the county requires," Hopkins said.

To ensure that his development is as environmentally sound as possible, Price is working closely with the James River Basin Partnership. "The reason that's important is that what we are actually selling is the opportunity to live in a country environment with nature. I feel like we need to protect that product by doing our best to protect that natural setting," said Price.

"One thing that we were concerned about was septics. We had soil scientists do all kinds of testing and we designed the subdivision around the results of that testing. (The James River Basin Partnership) also requested that we require periodic septic tank inspections, so we put that in the (resident) requirements," said Price.

Another consideration was a dry streambed on the development. Holly Neill, executive director of the James River Basin Partnership, has been working closely with the development to craft long-term solutions to water quality issues, "We were at a planning and zoning meeting . During public comment time, I brought up several issues with concern to water quality aspects.

Immediately after that public hearing both John Price and his engineer approached me and said that they would like to talk more about these issues with me. We were excited to get some of the input on the restrictions in, and now we've got the go ahead to put in a stream bank restoration project," said Neill.

To prevent further erosion of the streambed a 50-foot line of trees will be planted on either side of the bank, and the completed restoration will include rehabilitation to the streambed itself. Resident requirements also provide a buffer zone in which fertilizers are forbidden to prevent chemical run-off from making its way into the stream. "Having these things in the regulations brings awareness to the buyer not only the developer," said Neill.