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Developer turns former rice plantation into nature preserve
By Holly Fisher
Electronic Media Editor
Vic Mills’ SUV bumped along an unpaved road keeping his eyes peeled for wild turkeys. He was not hunting but rather sharing his vision for Charleston’s Poplar Grove development.
Mills, principal and CEO of Blanchard & Calhoun Commercial, is based in Augusta, Ga., but travels to Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia to oversee the company’s projects.
Yet few of his developments are as special as Poplar Grove, a massive plantation-style residential development on the outskirts of Charleston off Savannah Highway.
“I’ve been doing this 30 years and there’s only a couple places that are this special,” said Mills on a recent visit to Poplar Grove.
Poplar Grove was a 1697 rice plantation, competing with the larger rice plantations scattered about the Lowcountry. According to history compiled by Kiawah Bohicket Real Estate, Poplar Grove was not a plantation of great wealth, but rather simple brick and wooden buildings and rice fields created from cypress swamps.
Poplar Grove is bordered by Bulow Landing and Davidson roads and Rantowles Creek. Despite being just a few miles from Charleston, Poplar Grove resembles a nature preserve—quiet, filled with trees and wildlife and exuding rustic charm.
Even though many of the homes may sell for upwards of $1 million, Poplar Grove is most
about nature and conservation than overly showy homes and amenities.
The initial project was about 500 acres before Mills’ company acquired another 5,400 acres from MeadWestvaco. More than 3,000 acres have been put in a conservation easement.
Dorchester County zoning would have allowed 7,000 homes on the site, and Mills initially planned for 3,500 homes. He was approached by Ducks Unlimited about a lower-density development. Mills and Ducks Unlimited worked together to create the Ashley River Plantation District, putting 3,100 acres in the conservation easement. Now only 50 homes will be built on this particular portion of the development.
As a developer, going from 3,500 homes to 50 homes is pretty drastic change. The easement has a $50 million value, Mills said.
“As the developer, our returns are less than had we sold it,” he said.
But Mills isn’t overly concerned. He’s too focused on what he describes as the “mystic” quality of Poplar Grove and creating a place where people can live in the great outdoors.
“People want a simpler lifestyle. People want the opposite of what they have at work. They want passive activities: walking trails and canoe rides. I’ve tried to develop a community with an eye toward how it lives,” Mills said.
“We hope our children who grow up here will know the difference between a wood duck and a mallard and between an egret and a crane.”
Part of Mills’ strategy is the ever-popular “green” approach, both in terms of preservation and creation of new buildings on the plantation.
One of the most unique features will be a “green” barn with 24 stables, the first commercial green barn on the East Coast. Environmentally safe building materials will be used along with a windmill to generate electricity or to pump water and a cistern for catching rain water. Even the horses will be treated with a natural fly spray.
Peggi Lyn Noon is overseeing Poplar Grove’s equestrian program, which will offer riding lessons, trail rides and fox hunts.
Future plans for Poplar Grove include a town square complete with a small, upscale inn.
Mills has some experience with this kind of development. He was involved in the 900-acre River Island in Augusta, Ga., the first conservation community on the Savannah River. More than 30% of the property is part of a conservation easement and the master-planned development is bisected with many nature trails.
Poplar Grove is going even a step further with its intense focus on the environment. Mills has hired Meg Hoyle, president of 3 E Environmental Inc., an environmental consulting and education firm on Edisto Island. Hoyle is tasked with the big-picture planning for Poplar Grove.
“If we are a conservation community, what does that mean?” she said.
Hoyle was hired in September 2006 and has been involved in each phase of the development, offering her environmental expertise.
“It’s wonderful to have folks who are interested in the details,” she said. “I’m excited about their commitment.”
In many ways, Hoyle is tying the land’s past to its present, paving the way for an environmentally conscientious future.
“People in this area always had a connection to the land—Native Americans, Europeans,” she said. “This community will continue to emphasize that connection to the environment.”
Hoyle also will work with Poplar Grove residents, encouraging native landscaping and providing details on how to reduce water use and best practices for fertilizers. Residents will be provided with a book of home design guidelines that will highlight “green” options.
Hoyle also will lead residents on canoe trips and bird walks, offering a deeper appreciation for Poplar Grove’s pristine ecosystem. A nature center will offer activities for children.
“The sustainability issue is no longer a fad or trend,” Hoyle said. “It’s giving some thought to materials you’re using and the impact on the land. To be involved in that is very exciting.”
Mills has been careful to preserve many of the large trees on the property. A GPS survey identified all the major trees. The pine trees were choking out much of the significant trees and vegetation, so many of them were removed. The oaks were fertilized and food plots were planted for the animals.
Five years later, Poplar Grove is teeming with wildlife. Mills describes it as “wildlife on steroids.”
With its walking and canoe trails to the town square with a general store to the community center with a pool and exercise facility, Poplar Grove is designed for nature lovers.
In fact, Mills just might make it his home.
“This is the only place I would consider moving to from Augusta.”
Holly Fisher is the electronics media editor for the Business Journal. E-mail her at hfisher@charlestonbusiness.com.
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