The first neighborhood party at the new Brow Wood community was held on a beautiful autumn afternoon on Saturday.
It was in celebration of the groundbreaking ceremony for the planned community for active adults atop Lookout Mountain. The occasion was festive with live music, a bonfire, and food and drink. An estimated 100 to 120 people came to view what will become the new neighborhood over the next three to five years.
The visionary for this project, Frank Brock, was there along with realtor Beth Harrell of Real Estate Partners. They were providing information to prospective buyers and giving tours of the property, which is at 1,200 feet elevation, and includes almost 50 acres designated for living spaces and about 100 acres of green space below the brow.
The development is located only about one mile south of Covenant College on Scenic Highway, in Dade County, Ga., but has the feel of being in a rural wooded area.
For the last five years, Mr. Brock has worked tirelessly and persistently, to make this development happen. The present location is the third proposed site that was considered for the development, with stumbling blocks occurring with the previous two.
One new owner commented that thankfully, the other properties did not work out since this site is by far prettier than either of the others. The land spans both sides of Scenic Highway, with different living options. On the West Brow side, the land remains mostly wooded with clearings only to allow for roadways and home sites with beautiful western brow views above Wildwood, Ga. With the care and attention given, the building covenants to ensure stringent standards for “aesthetics and durability” and the extensive planning of the area, it is easy to imagine that the land will become an attractive mountain neighborhood with 48 lots for houses and spaces for eight townhomes. Additionally, there will be a brow side pavilion and fishing pond. Construction on these homes is slated to begin in early 2012.
The Eastern Woodlands area of the development on the opposite side of Scenic Highway is designed as a “Front Porch Neighborhood” with green spaces and streets planned for walk-ability. This part of the development will have eight cottage homes, 26 townhomes, and an assisted living facility for 48 residents, 14 of those designated for “memory care”. In the future, there will also be a clubhouse and small commercial area. The homes in this side of the development will be available for either lease or purchase.
Construction of the Assisted Living building will begin in 2012.
The overall plan was designed by Stewart and Conners Architects from Charlotte, N.C., who specialize in home communities for seniors, as a place where people can own their homes and manage their own health care.
During the groundbreaking ceremony, Mr. Brock emphasized that nowhere is this development referred to as a “retirement community”. Instead, it is considered to be a planned community for active adults. There have already been 11 of the brow lots sold, most of those from longtime residents of Lookout Mountain who are planning to downsize from their current homes, and who want to remain on the mountain in close proximity to friends and all the amenities of the mountain community that they now enjoy. With the region around Chattanooga attracting people from outside the area as a great place to live, the developers are expecting that Brow Wood will also appeal to those considering relocation to this part of the country. Part of the interest will come because the location is a mere eight miles from downtown Chattanooga and all it has to offer, while living with the charms of a small mountain community where people know and care about one another.
A development like this has been a long time coming. Mr. Brock told of first hearing discussion for the need of a community like this from his mother over 30 years ago. It became his mission after retiring as president of Covenant College to make the vision a reality. AALC, a non- profit entity was created to oversee and coordinate the project. It is being developed by Scenic Land Company headed by Duane Horton. AALC founders and directors are Joel Belz, president; Bob Avis, vice president; Frank Brock, treasurer, and Dick Croteau, secretary. Mr. Brock also thanked the 11 people who have already purchased property with the intent of building their homes, saying that those sales greatly influenced the approval of the loans which enabled the project to move forward.