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Housing developments bring firsts to Summerville
By Jessica Johnson
Contributing Writer
Two proposed developments a short walk from the Gahagan Park Sports Complex will bring firsts to Summerville’s housing.
Fieldview, taking shape along Boundary Street, will offer front porch homes designed to have the feeling of historic Summerville. And Villages of Gahagan, northwest of Fieldview, will bring the first gated community to Summerville. The developments will open up more than 200 housing lots.
Fieldview LLC, an affiliate of Manorhouse Builders of South Carolina, based in Charleston, broke ground on its subdivision in February.
“The homes will reflect the historical nature of the area,” said Manorhouse Builders General Manager Tim Blackwelder.
Plans call for 96 single-family lots and five four-unit town homes built on 30 acres. The interior lots will be entered from the alley, similar to homes found on Daniel Island, Blackwelder said.
Summerville city officials wanted this to be a front porch community, he said.
The interior homes will have alley access with garages in the rear and porches running across the front exterior. Fieldview will also include a community park, ponds and walking trails.
Sidewalks will line both sides of the street. The design would replicate the feel of downtown Summerville, adding to the distinctiveness of the development, Blackwelder said.
“Summerville hasn’t had that,” he said.
The community would fall under strict architectural guidelines, pushing home prices past the $400,000 mark. Homes with vinyl siding would not be allowed, for example.
“It will be extremely nice,” Blackwelder said.
Streets within the subdivision will be named after famous ball fields found across the United States, hence the name Fieldview. Children will be within walking distance to nearby ball fields.
Blackwelder’s company took on the project because Summerville is in the Dorchester 2 School District and the development’s proximity to neighborhood ball fields.
Home construction could begin this fall.
The 55+ crowd
Nearby, Summerville Homes plans to build a gated community strictly for residents who are at least 55 years old.
Studies show that retirees are looking for Southeast locations, said Matt Halter, president of development for Summerville Homes. His company hopes to attract some of that migration with Villages of Gahagan.
“There is such a need for retiree housing. Marketing indicated that is what would do best here,” Halter said.
The 28-acre development would include 109 single-family unit homes.
“The beauty of this neighborhood is that residents would need to maintain only the inside of their homes,” Halter said.
Residents would pay a fee to cover the cost of yard work and maintenance of common areas. Those common areas would include ponds, a swimming pool and other services, such as a hair salon. The community’s trails would connect residents to Gahagan Park and Summerville’s walking trail.
A gate would enclose the community, and residents would come and go using a pass code. The gate would bring an aura of exclusivity and make residents feel more secure, Halter said.
Summerville Homes plans to break ground on the project by summer’s end. Construction on the homes would begin in late summer or fall 2007. Currently, the project is in the engineering review process.
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