Saddlebrooke: Community located along Springfield-Branson corridor poised for growth

The more than 2,800-acre project of owner and developer Clyde Lorance is split, with about 850 acres on the west side of Highway 65 and almost 2,000 acres on the east.

Lorance would not disclose the purchase price of the property he has owned for about 13 years.

The project is in phase six of its development and accounts for only about 300 acres of the area total, said Rick Billington, marketing director.

When Lorance purchased the first 2,200 acres, he wasn't quite sure what his investment would become, although he knew the location was favorable for building. Over time, he added acreage to get the site to its current total.

Most lot sizes range from one to three acres and start at $39,000; home prices begin at $250,000, Lorance said. Three families currently live in the development in addition to Lorance.

Saddlebrooke has four homes "that are finished or are nearly finished that are for sale right now," said Billington.

Home prices range from $289,000 to $618,000.

Annual dues for Saddlebrooke's homeowners' association are $275 and are applied toward snow removal, upkeep of the parks and mowing of the common areas, as well as overall general maintenance of the village, Lorance said.

The Branson and Spokane-Highlandville school districts will serve the community, Lorance said.

Twelve homes are under construction and 115 lots have sold, said Billington, who has used television, radio, select print, outdoor signage, direct mail and the Internet to lure would-be buyers from an approximately 200-mile radius. The first lot sold in June 2002, he added.

While not offering an income range for the market it's seeking, Billington said the development is "not an entry-level community. It's professionals and upper-middle class, I would say."

Amenities

Saddlebrooke's amenities include a central sewer and water system, underground utilities, eight miles of paved streets, 40 acres of parks and common areas, a wastewater treatment system, an Amish footbridge, a swimming pool, tennis courts, indoor and outdoor horseback riding areas and a 250,000-gallon above-ground water tank drawing on a 1,500-foot well with an aquifer of 900 feet of standing water, Lorance said.

Potential groundwater pollution issues have been addressed through the installation of an Advantec wastewater treatment system, Lorance said.

The system is approved by the Department of Natural Resources and is a self-contained operation, prohibiting any discharge, he added.

Two natural bonuses the site enjoys are 13,000 acres of Mark Twain National Forest nearby and three miles of Bull Creek frontage, Lorance said.

The Spokane Volunteer Fire Department will be on site in 2004 in a facility Saddlebrooke is building and donating to the department, Lorance said.

There is no post office on the grounds, but an 8,000-square-foot convenience store is planned to open May 1.

Homeowners

Todd Oliver, ventriloquist on the Showboat Branson Belle, said he and his wife will be moving next spring from Branson's Sunset Cove into Saddlebrooke. He bought 8.5 acres in phase I in August 2002.

Independent contractor Marc Ekhause is building the Olivers a 3,900 square-foot French country farmhouse with a barn for their horses, he added.

"The last coat of stucco is going on this week. By the time the bad weather gets here, they'll be doing most everything on the inside," Oliver said.

The location is convenient for Oliver. It's about a half-hour drive for Oliver to get to work or to the Springfield-Branson Regional Airport when he leaves for out-of-town engagements, he said.

His act, Todd Oliver and Irving (a Boston Terrier) appeared twice this year on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and has performed Las Vegas shows with Penn & Teller and The Oak Ridge Boys.

It was the great outdoors that prompted Oliver's move.

"I wanted to live out in the country, but also have my property values protected," he said, noting Lorance's attention to preserve nature through selective tree removal, replanting and grass reseeding.

Covenants and restrictions

Lorance said an extensive list of covenants and restrictions govern property ownership.

Notable among these regulations: homes must be a minimum of 1,800 square feet and cannot use metal or vinyl siding; any out-buildings must conform, continuity-wise, with the basic structure and look of the home; no portable or pre-fabricated structures can be used; and any tree removal is limited to those located where the house will be.

And, generally, depending on the phase, 50-foot setbacks are enforced.

In short, all plans require approval by Saddlebrooke's architectural control committee.

Incorporation

Incorporation for Saddlebrooke was approved by the Christian County Commission on Aug. 29.

Incorporation took several months to achieve and involved indirect costs "because of all the things that we have to do to operate as a municipality," said Gary Champion, in-house legal counsel and CFO for Saddlebrooke.

Among its advantages are the sense of community it creates and the freedom it affords in streamlining zoning, allowing commercial to be added later, he said. It also gives Saddlebrooke its own tax base for potential revenue generation, if necessary, Champion said.

"Although, right now, we have no plans for that."