Truth in Advertising, Part 2: When a “low density” development isn’t

Now this is how a park should be done!

If one only looks at development web sites, community videos and marketing materials, you would conclude that every development offers “serene”, “secluded”, “private”, or “unspoiled” settings. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case, especially with those developments that offer condominiums and multi-family lifestyle. This is true, even when the developer uses such superlatives to describe the develpoment.

Example, when a developer claims to have set aside 46% of the total acreage for green space or conservation area, that sounds lovely. However, when the remaining 54% is stripped of all tree cover and heavily graded to create flat building pads, then what benefit is it to the buyers? Furthermore, in most cases, the buildings are tightly spaced, so much so that when you look out from your deck, you can’t help but see other buildings and acres of asphalt. Why would you come to the mountains to live in a community with as much density as any suburban or urban setting back home?

Additionally, you ought to ask the question, “Just how much benefit is there from the undistrubed part of the development?” In many cases, these “green spaces” are simply unusable acreage that is largely inaccessible to property owners, or otherwise imrpoved only slightly with any sort of recreational amenity.  Here at The Headwaters at Banner Elk, when I say we have parks and trails, I mean we have lots of professionally built parks and trails for you to enjoy right now.

When I build a condominium neighborhood within The Headwaters, each building is spaced so far apart that you don’t see a neighbor. When you look out your windows, you don’t see another building, parking lot, or street. What you see instead is a beautiful view or wooded setting. In fact, many visitors to The Headwaters mistake our condominiums for stately single family homes on large acreage.

Once you leave your condo or town home, you can enjoy six beautiful community parks. Two of these are built on our two lakes. Another features two, two-story tree houses, campsites, picnic areas, a small trout pond, and amphitheater. Another features a natural 30′ waterfall with a 40′ cascade and incredible rock formations. Our trail system around the lakes is professionally built and maintained with numerous footbridges crossing streams, steps cut into hillsides to make walking easier and hand rails along the way. It truly is a wonderful experience to walk our trail system.

So remember, just because a developer shows beautiful footage of their condos in a video or talks about being “low density”, take a closer look, then compare that with The Headwaters at Banner Elk. There’s not another place like it in the High Country.