Minimizing the Impact of Development

Smaller developments can carry positive impacts for both home owners and the Earth. The key to green real estate development is having a vision that goes beyond monetary returns focused on the short-term and instead, looks toward financial and spiritual gains in the future.

History and Vision for Sundance Mountain

Sundance Mountain

I, Craig Weaver, had been looking for land in the western NC mountains to relocate to for a couple of years. While exploring one day, I found a gravel road that connected the Blue Ridge Parkway to an area just outside of Boone, NC. I immediately fell in love with the area but my real estate agent told me that the land on Holloway Mountain Road never came on the market.

Six months later, I met another broker, who told me about a piece of land for sale that had no sign on it. The parcel turned out to be the very piece of land I had fallen in love with. The seller had asked the broker to find a buyer who would “respect the land.”

For all intents and purposes, I not only found my dream property, but I also found a “calling.” You might say that this experience gave rise to the vision that is Sundance Mountain Lands today – ecological real estate – working with people who “respect the land.”

Ecofriendly Land Development

My wife Beth and I turned that special parcel into a small subdivision on land that is adjacent to National Park Service property. The subdivision requirement in our area is that each new home be on a lot no smaller than one acre. We, or some other developer, could have put 10 or more houses on our 17 acres, yet we turned down at least a dozen developers who wanted to do exactly that. One was interested in putting condominiums on it. Another potential buyer wanted to log it – all this right next to a National Park!

Instead, we subdivided it into four, deed-restricted parcels of 3.5 to 5.5 acres and put protective covenants on the subdivision that furthers the ecological balance of the property and a high-quality environment for residents. There will never be more than three houses on the one-lane drive, the fourth house site being accessed directly from Holloway Mountain Road.  There will be no county-standard, wide-swath road serving numerous houses. The three streams, the woodlands, and the wildlife will be far better preserved than in a standard development. For residents and wildlife, the protective covenants assure that most vegetation remains and that there will be no noise or light pollution, all of which harmonizes with the environment.

We possibly could have made more money in the short term for ourselves through a more typical development approach. But at what cost to the beautiful, healthy environment, the water table, and the ecological balance that draws people to this property in the first place? At what cost in good will to others in the area? We anticipate that the owners in our actual development will see greater appreciation in their property values than they would with the same house on a 1-2 acre lot, while enjoying a higher quality of life. This investment in environmentally conscious real estate is enhanced by bordering Federal Land.  It is eight miles by trail to the summit of Grandfather Mountain – without crossing a road or passing a building.

We are among those who are confident that, over the long haul, this approach is financially better for everyone involved, directly or indirectly.

Please visit our Blog for updates on the Sundance Mountain property.