Work to start soon on first phase of Granite Springs Community

A new subdivision will be erected in southeast Springfield this spring.

Denali Development, owned by Mark and Mary Eck, will begin moving dirt Feb. 1 for its 18-acre, 41-lot subdivision named Ridge Crossing at Granite Springs.

But that's just the beginning.

The Ecks actually own 160 acres of land at the site, which is three-fourths of a mile west of Highway 65 and one-half mile south of Evans Road.

Ridge Crossing is the first phase of the couple's planned 100-acre Granite Springs Community. Future phases will be planned after zoning is approved.

Mark Eck said the remaining 60 acres may be developed as commercial property.

According to the Ecks, Granite Springs Community will have the best of Oklahoma, Texas and Alaska three previous places of residence for the couple.

"We're trying to use what we've learned," Eck said. "We've kind of picked the places we've seen and what we've liked and incorporate those into the development."

Eck said that in Alaska there is a large focus on nature and scenery, and they plan to carry that out here.

"Our purpose is to have a family-oriented neighborhood with walking trails and lakes," Mary Eck said.

Ridge Crossing, which will have its entrance at Sussex Lane and Southview Street, will include a lake.

"The lake and walking trails will be nice features of phase 1, Ridge Cross-ing," Mark Eck said.

The development will be upscale, they said, with houses expected to sell in the $200,000 range and higher, on lots one-third to one-half acre in size, most of them walk-out lots.

Eck said that while the subdivision's infrastructure will be complete July 1, reservations for lots now are being ac-cepted.

The subdivision will have covenants and restrictions, as well as a neighborhood association fee to pay for maintenance of green space and common amen-ities.

"We've learned a lot about covenants and restrictions and the value of them," Mark Eck said. "It maintains home values over time it's really a big plus."

He said the covenants and restrictions are modeled after similar upscale neighborhoods in Springfield as well as the areas where they have lived in Texas and Alaska.

The acreage was annexed into the city of Springfield last May, Eck said, so his development will have city of Spring-field sewer; City Utilities water, gas and electric; and Mediacom cable. It is in the Springfield school district; specifically, Glendale High School, Pershing Middle School and Eugene Field Elementary School.

Future plans and phases include a community pool, a community center and basketball and tennis courts.

"We want it to be more than a subdivision," Eck said, "we want it to be a community."

He said Signature Bank is providing the financing, and Gillespie Excavating and Hood Rich Engineers are doing the excavating and engineering work, re-spectively.

Eck is actually a second generation de-veloper.

"My dad was a developer here in town for a number of years, and we're trying to carry on the tradition," Eck said.

His father owned and operated Fred-erick J. Eck & Sons from the 1950s through the 1980s.

"He was a home builder and land developer when he came back from World War II," Eck said. "So, I kind of watched what he did."

Eck founded Denali Development one year ago. He and Mary are both retired engineers from ARCO Atlantic Rich-field Company Oil & Gas.