Golden Oaks Village follows open-space guidelines

Local builder Lon Goff is moving forward this year on three major building projects north of Interstate 44, the crown jewel of which is Golden Oaks Village, a unique development that took many hours of planning.

Approved by the Greene County planning board and the county commission in June of 2000, Golden Oaks Village will be the first conservation development in the county to meet and adhere to the open-space and other guidelines set up by the county for such projects.

Greene County officials have always encouraged open space in development, according to Dave Manary, associate planner for the county. But in the last year and a half the commission has become interested in the conservation approach to residential housing projects, which incorporates permanently setting aside large portions of the land in its natural state, along with the housing sites.

In return for the dedicated land the builder can divide the remaining portion of the tract into smaller building sites to assure he gets maximum value for his investment. The county is still working on the regulations to govern such projects, Manary said.

The Golden Oaks Village development will feature 1-to-4-acre home sites, the majority being about 1 1/2 acres. The sites range in price from $35,000 to $50,000. With a minimum restriction of 2,000 square feet for each house, Goff said owners will spend from $150,000 to $400,000 for construction of the homes.

A central community well system approved by the Missouri State Department of Natural Resources will provide water to each home in the development, Goff said, and each owner will be required to install an individual waste and water treatment system.

Goff said he already has had a lot of interest in the project, although it will be late spring or early summer before he'll begin selling home sites and late summer before home construction will begin. Permits have been obtained and engineer Rick Wilson of Wilson Surveying Company Inc. is working on the paving and drainage plans.

Once the final plans have been approved, grading will begin and pipes will be laid for the water system, Goff said. He expects that phase to start by April 1.

Goff has the layout firmly in mind after the infrastructure is in place. "I know what it will look like with the streets in. I don't know what the houses will be. The buyer will decide," he said.

The 80-acre tract will have 30 acres of wooded natural rolling hills set aside. Approximately one mile of nature trails wind through the woods for residents to enjoy. Many of the home sites are sloping, which Goff said is perfectly suited to walk-out basements.

Golden Oaks Village is located off Farm Road 88 with easy access to Highway 65. It is in the Springfield school district.

Goff's second project, called Village on the Greens, is about to begin. The development is adjacent to the newly constructed The Greens at Springfield Golf Course.

Village on the Greens is on city water and sewer and is also in the Springfield School District. It features average-size building lots starting at $30,000 and going to $40,000.

Installation of the infrastructure for the development will coincide with Golden Oaks Village and Goff expects construction to begin on the first homes in the Village on the Greens project late this summer.

A little farther out of town and east of Highway 65 is Goff's third recent land acquisition a 400-acre tract he calls "omega, the final resting place." The area is zoned agricultural and Goff wants to keep it that way.

"It is a unique piece of land with live water, large ponds, rolling terrain and scattered trees," he said.

Goff is in the process of dividing the building sites into 20- to 40-acre tracts. To guarantee the land will not be further subdivided, he plans in include deed restrictions. He and his wife Debbe, who works beside him in the office and bookkeeping side of the business, plan to relocate to one of the tracts after construction of Golden Oaks Village and Village on the Greens is fully underway.

Goff, owner of Lon Goff Custom Homes, began his building career in the mid-1970s after working with his father, Dale Goff, in real estate sales. "Working in real estate helped me learn the financial end and sales aspect of the business," he said.

Goff said he always knew building was his niche. When he started building homes, a family friend who was also a builder helped him with advice. After only two spec houses, Goff found buyers who wanted custom homes, and so he made the transition to custom building.

In the beginning he worked beside other tradesmen and craftsmen on his projects until he learned all aspects of the industry, Goff said, and even today he stays closely involved with each project, making sure he has time to devote to each one.

Prior to the three new projects Goff developed three other subdivisions, all north of I-44. Two of the projects he kept mostly as rental property. The third one he later developed as Grand Oaks. Located near Pleasant View School, it features 3-acre home sites.

Goff is a member of the Home Builders Association. He was a 10-year board member and is a past president of the organization.