SDH Happenings
Hyland Ridge Welcomes First Neighbors
Southern Development Homes welcomed its first homeowners in the Hyland Ridge neighborhood this month.
Conveniently tucked away between Fontana and Ashcroft in Albemarle County and less than two miles from downtown Charlottesville and Martha Jefferson Hospital, Hyland Ridge features classic single family homes on half acre homesites with spacious rear yards – many backing to wooded preservation areas streams and walking trails.
Our first homeowners, The Engels, are settling into their EarthCraft Certified Craftsman Waverly featuring a first floor owners’ suite, with 3 additional bedrooms on the second floor. The Waverly also offers the ability to enclose the open great room to add a second Master suite upstairs for a total of 5 BRs/3 ½ baths and up to 5,125 fin square feet.
The Waverly
“We chose Hyland Ridge because of the convenient location,” the Engels said, “the lot specifications met our needs (flat and large), and it has sidewalks. The Waverly floor plan was right for us because it is open and spacious. It allows us to be in close proximity to our young children, without hovering. With our walkout basement, we know it is a home we can grow into as the children grow.”
The Hamilton
Also completed this month was our Craftsman Hamilton featuring the wraparound porch to enjoy the views. Priced from $499, 900 – this home features 4 BRs/3 ½ baths, gourmet kitchen open to the great room and main level study/dining room off the center hall.
There are now 3 home plans being offered which feature one-level living, priced from $489,900. Preview all of the floor plans being built in Hyland Ridge here.
Each home is well appointed with included features that many would consider upgrades. All homes are EarthCraft certified, which means lower utility costs, enhanced indoor air quality, increased comfort, added resale value and reduced home maintenance costs. The Craftsman or Traditional exteriors have distinctive HardiePlank siding and Trex Trescends front 
porches. The gourmet kitchens include stainless steel 36” 5-burner cooktops with wall mount hoods, along with built-in microwave and convection wall ovens. Customers can choose stained or painted maple cabinetry with full overlay doors featuring the soft-action close system and dovetailed drawer construction, granite countertops, and large center islands for entertaining. There are hardwood floors throughout the main level common areas and ceramic flooring in all the full baths.
Our decorated Sutherland Model Home will be opening early August and will welcome visitors 11-6 daily.
Directions from Downtown: Take 250 East towards Pantops. At Stony Point Rd/ Route 20, turn left. Travel approximately half a mile to a right onto Fontana Drive. Continue through Fontana to Hyland Ridge neighborhood. 1708 Hyland Creek Circle.
For more information or a tour of the neighborhood today, please contact Rebecca White rwhite@southern-development.com at 434.202.0422 or visit the Pavilions at Pantops model home located at 1565 Newcastle Court.
EarthCraft Virginia Summer Newsletter
Southern Development
Article from EarthCraft Virginia’s 2013 Summer Newsletter
by Paigh Bumgarner, Residential Green Building Associate
Proud new homeowners are absorbing the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains in their EarthCraft Certified home, located beautifully atop Pantop Mountain in Charlottesville, VA. Southern Development Homes is steadily and skillfully cranking out these new construction townhomes. The energy efficiency of the townhomes met by achieving EarthCraft certification, in addition to the stunning qualities of homes’ interior and the surrounding nature, makes this project exceptional.
Not only are 90% of the townhomes EarthCraft Certified, but they also tout an average HERS rating of 60-70! Keeping sustainability and energy efficiency as a top priority, the units include the following features: 95-96% efficient furnaces, 15 SEER AC, 9.0 HSPF heat pumps and 2.4 EF Energy Star heat pump water heaters. These remarkable homes boast many energy efficient appliances to include, but not limited to, Energy Star dishwashers, EPA WaterSense labeled faucets and toilets, and Energy Star bath fans. Townhomes falling within the Charlottesville city limits will receive a property tax rate reduction of 50% for one year for their EarthCraft certification.
Recognition goes out to Southern Development Homes for bringing Charlottesville and the surrounding county a community that is not only picturesque, but energy efficient and environmentally conscious designed.
Builder: Southern Development Homes EarthCraft Technical Advisor: John Semmelhack & Aaron Johnson
Meet the Team – Rebecca White
Rebecca White is the Sales Manager for Pavilions at Pantops and Hyland 
Ridge. She’s been with Southern Development for 5 years and we’re glad that she is part of our sales team.
- Favorite place to eat in Charlottesville There are lots of good choices on the Downtown Mall. I think Bizou is my favorite – fresh, creative menu of comfort foods in a warm cozy atmosphere. I’m not that crazy about sweets, but I do have a favorite dessert – the chocolate bread pudding from ZoCaLo, which has warmed Bailey’s Irish Cream sauce poured over it!
- Work experience outside of the real estate field While in college, I had the opportunity to work on a feature film being shot on location in my hometown near Smith Mountain Lake, VA., What About Bob, with Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss. My dad was worried I’d be lured by the big paycheck and gypsy lifestyle of on-location filmmaking, so he made me a deal that I still had to finish school on time or he wasn’t paying. I did end up going back the next semester (and he saved a semester of tuition), but then I got on a shoot in Richmond the next summer. That started an 8 year career that took me all over the country meeting interesting people. My favorite actor to work with was Sean Penn while on location in New Orleans shooting Dead Man Walking.
- Favorite Southern Development Plan The Sutherland, which we’ll feature as our decorated model in Hyland Ridge. It’s nearing completion and slated to open in late Aug/early Sept. It has all of the features important to a growing family – like a large gourmet kitchen that opens to a great room, a mudroom/dropzone off the garage, and a spacious master suite. But it also features a 1st floor guest bedroom for visiting parents or guests that is tucked away from the main living area. The second floor offers 3-4 bedrooms and a reading nook with an adjoining loft space which works well for a homework area or game station. There’s also a second rec room/kidzone in the lower level. But I’d have to say my favorite feature is the screened porch with a stone 2-sided fireplace. It just offers a lot of unique spaces for the family to enjoy.
- Favorite way to spend July 4th I usually go home to Smith Mountain Lake, but last year we stayed in town and went to Keswick Vineyard’s Reds, Whites and Bluegrass celebration. What a great family event!
CBJ: Dunlora Forest marketing to older adults
Article from Charlottesville Business Journal, Monday, June 24, 2013
NATE DELESLINE III/THE DAILY PROGRESS – Charlie Armstrong is vice president of land development for Southern Development, which is building the Dunlora Forest neighborhood.
NATE DELESLINE III/THE DAILY PROGRESS
Developers and local real estate agents said a prime location close to downtown and appealing design elements are driving strong sales and interest in Dunlora Forest.
Work is ongoing to finish the first homes in the community, which is just outside the city line on East Rio Road. Site work on the project began in late November and construction on homes began in April. The first homes should be ready for occupancy in about three weeks.
When completed, Dunlora Forest will have 99 residential units.
Charlie Armstrong, vice president of land development for Albemarle County-based Southern Development, said about 20 units have been sold. Homes will start around $369,000.
Various styles are available and all of the homes will employ elements of universal design. That design style has few or no steps to enter the home’s main living area, which is usually all on one floor. Wide doors, hallways and good lighting round out the functionality, according to the National Association of Home Builders.
Although the features are targeted toward older adults, Armstrong said the design elements appeal to all. There won’t be a community clubhouse, but Armstrong said that’s OK, because existing amenities will serve residents’ needs.
“The people who are living here are people who go out, who are going to their own gym, they’re going downtown. They’re walking to play golf or tennis at Pen Park.”
Last week, the site was a flurry of activity, with heavy machinery, stone masons, electricians, drywall installers and painters at work. The overall site is 22 acres. And true to its name, seven acres of the property will be preserved as forest.
Armstrong said the interest in the project is a sign that the housing market continues to move in a positive direction.
“I don’t think we’ll ever go back to the 2005-2006 … levels of sales in new homes and existing homes, and, frankly, I don’t think many of us in our industry want to go back to that,” said Armstrong, who has been in the industry for nearly 20 years.
“What we’re seeing now is a much more sustainable, steady demand. It’s not completely comfortable yet, but it is enough to give everybody a sense of optimism about the future, and it’s at a level that, frankly, I think our market could sustain for a long, long time,” Armstrong said.
“That neighborhood is certainly going strong,” said Anita Dunbar, with Montague Miller and treasurer of the Charlottesville Area Association of Realtors. “I think the close proximity to the city is going to be a big deal.” Dunbar has been a Realtor for nearly 30 years.
Dunbar said any new developments that hit the mark on location, amenities and price will be successful in the current market.
“I’m finding that people who have lived in larger, more expensive homes are saying, ‘we don’t need that anymore.’”
Linda Broadbent, an agent with Real Estate III, has not only sold homes in the development, but plans to move there herself.
“I am in town and I wanted to stay in town,” said Broadbent, who has been a Realtor for more than 20 years. “My office is five minutes away, my church is five minutes away, so I wanted to keep that kind of convenience that I have.”
“I work with a lot of seniors and people for years have been asking for this kind of development,” said Broadbent.
Exterior landscaping and lawn care are included in Dunlora Forest’s maintenance package. Broadbent said not having to maintain a yard was a major factor in her decision to move.
“On Saturday, think of all the things that go on in Charlottesville. Who wants to be sitting on a riding lawnmower for two hours? I’ve been there and done that.”
“You still can have a garden in the front or back yard,” Armstrong said. “There’s a community flower garden that’ll be up in the front, and a community vegetable garden that’ll be in the back, so for those folks who really want to dig in the dirt, there will be opportunities.”
Meet the Team – Frank Ballif
Frank Ballif began Southern Development Homes in 1999. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia’s School of Engineering. Over the years, Frank has been actively involved with the Blue Ridge Homebuilder’s Association, serving as President and on the Board of Directors, and as well as serving on the Board of Directors for the Free Enterprise Forum.
Describe an ideal weekend. A perfect weekend would be working the cows and baby calves (tags and vaccinations) with my daughters on Saturday and enjoying a church pot luck on Sunday.
What your favorite place to eat? The Standard in Stanardsville. Matt makes an amazing sauce for steaks paired with our locally grown grass-fed beef – there is nothing finer!
1st Home - photo courtesy Nest Realty
Tell us about your first homebuilding experience. The first house I ever built was in Keswick on a beautiful lot with mature landscaping where an older house had been. I drew the plans by hand with help from a friend in design and named it “the Marion” after my grandmother. My mother co-signed on the loan and I was very lucky that it sold when it did! The folks that purchased it lived there for 5 or 6 years and we were fortunate enough to build their next home where they still live today. Building the next home for a past customer is very rewarding. I have been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to build the next home for a number of families and it never gets old. I really enjoy those relationships and the trust that develops.
What excites you most about your job? I love working with our team to design and build entire communities. It is very rewarding to start from the ground up and see a project turn from a vision to a community. I also love the relationships that I have with our subcontractors and guys in the field. I think Gary Britton has installed the stair railing system in every single home we have built going back to 1999. Nate Syrkes has been plumbing our homes for over 10 years and gladly stops what he is doing to show interested folks around the home. I love that we have a team of contractors and employees that rely on each other every day to build quality homes for the families that put their trust in us. Oh, and I LOVE selling houses.
New Development
Up to 50 homes recommended next to city’s Oakwood Cemetary
by Sean Tubbs | Wednesday, March 20, 2013 at 12:29 p.m.
A new residential development near the Oakwood Cemetery has received praise from Charlottesville’s Planning Commission following a unanimous approval of a rezoning.
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville and Southern Development have partnered to build between 45 and 50 homes around a half-acre of communal green space.
“This is an example I think we might be able to hold up in the future for how a planned unit development [can] create a space,” said Commissioner Kurt Keesecker.
“That design element really helps make a strong community,” Keesecker added.
The City Council selected the Habitat/Southern team in April to develop the site. The group agreed to pay for the costs of cleaning up a former city landfill in exchange for getting the land for only $10.
“It is owned by the city and has been historically used as a dumping area for various waste materials,” said city planner Willy Thompson.
There will be between 25 and 29 market-rate homes that will be sold by Southern Development. Habitat will build and supervise another 20 homes to be sold at an affordable rate. Housing types include single-family homes, townhomes and one group home to be managed by Region Ten Community Services Board.
The project will create a new street front for Elliott Avenue, and would add sidewalks and a bike lane. Don Franco, a developer working with the project, said he would work with the city’s tree commission to determine the appropriate species that should be planted along Elliott Avenue.
The Planning Commission had a preliminary discussion on the rezoning in January and some members had concerns about how it would be laid out. Since then, Franco’s team created a video fly-through of a 3-D model of the proposed development.
“Part of what we tried to react to from your comments last time was to consolidate the open space,” Franco noted.
Commissioner Lisa Green asked if a sidewalk on Elliott Avenue could be extended all the way to Ridge Street.
“[Otherwise], this would create a sidewalk that ends, and now we’re going to put people in the street to get to Ridge,” Green said.
“It’s a really topographically challenging area [and] I don’t know if it’s technically possible to get a sidewalk there,” said Charlie Armstrong of Southern Development. He added that his engineers would investigate the possibility.
Commissioner Genevieve Keller agreed with Green that the sidewalk is essential.
“That issue of connectivity is really important given that we’re trying to promote pedestrianism,” Keller said.
Only one person spoke during the public hearing.
“We look forward to Elliott Avenue being another healthy mixed-income community where there are walkable sidewalks and people can age in place,” said Jeanne McCusker, a Habitat board member.
One commissioner said he supports the project, but will be watching to make sure the preliminary site plan matches what was presented to the commission.
“I have an issue with approving a PUD that looks great on paper, but then there are all kinds of requests for exceptions,” said Commissioner John Santoski. “If this does hold up, it does give a model for what we should be expecting when folks come forward with PUDs.”
Commissioners Mike Osteen and Daniel Rosensweig were absent from the meeting. Rosensweig is the executive director of the local Habitat for Humanity.
The rezoning will go before the City Council later this spring.
van der Linde Recycling
Thanks to van der Linde Recycling for stopping by with this award. We think recycling construction waste and diverting from landfills makes a lot of sense and are glad to continue to partner with van der Linde Recycling to do so.
**Blog post below from 6/15/11
Southern Development was pleased to have worked with Peter van der Linde from the beginning, including the land acquisition, permitting and application processes, to help bring this locally owned recycling facility to fruition.
Visit the link below to view a tour and to learn more about this state-of-the-art facility, where the “Green Machine” can process 100 tons of trash per hour, recycling 90%*: http://vanderlinderecycling.com/videoTour.htm
*source: http://vanderlinderecycling.com/recyclingFacility.htm
Meet the Team – Keith Lancaster
Keith Lancaster is the Land Planner for Southern Development. Keith is very active in land development in the concept and design of new projects and guiding them through engineering and approvals. During home construction, Keith sites each home on the lot, sets elevations, and coordinates permits and architectural approvals. Keith has been with Southern Development for six years and we’re glad to have him as part of our team.
What do you love about living in Crozet and/or Old Trail?
I love the small community of Crozet as it has so much to offer—beautiful mountains, great wineries and breweries, and endless running trails. My family and I enjoy hiking in the mountains plus Wintergreen is only a short drive away for snowboarding. We live in the Old Trail neighborhood in our Southern Development home.
Tell us something about your previous career experience.
The majority of my work experience has involved construction, land surveying and urban planning. I spent most of my high school and college summers working in residential construction. After college and a brief retirement (which didn’t last long), I began working as a surveyor in an engineering firm in Northern Virginia. Prior to coming to Southern Development, I worked in the Community Development Department at Albemarle County.
What is your favorite room in your house?
I would say our screened in porch is my favorite place to hang out with my family and friends. It overlooks the creek and woods located behind our house. I enjoy eating breakfast with the family or camping out on the porch with the kids during the summer nights.
