Briar Chapel Builders Announced

Newland Communities has announced that they have selected four area builders to comprise the builder team for Briar Chapel, who will all be required to build sustainable, environmentally responsible homes. The builder team consists of Chatham Builder Guild, LLC; M/I Homes, Inc.; McNeill Burbank; and Vanguard Homes.

I have already met with some of these builders, and am prepared to assist you in choosing one that will best meet your needs. Please contact me today to get started.


About Chatham Builder Guild
The Chatham Builder Guild, LLC, is a select group of custom builders serving the Chapel Hill, Durham and Chatham County area. Based in Chatham County, N.C., this group of award-winning builders was created to provide truly custom construction, innovative design and personalized service which individually-owned and operated firms can offer. Guild associates are long-standing members of the Home Builders Association of Durham, Orange and Chatham Counties, are consistent Parade of Home winners, and are active participants in the Green Building Council.

About M/I Homes
M/I Homes, Inc. was founded in 1976 and is one of the nation’s leading builders of single family homes. M/I Homes has established an exemplary reputation based on a strong commitment to superior customer service, innovative design, quality construction and premium locations. Listed on the New York Stock Exchange, M/I Homes serves a broad segment of the housing market including first-time, move-up, luxury and empty nester buyers.

About McNeill Burbank
McNeill Burbank, an affiliated company of Saussy Burbank, has been crafting new homes in the Raleigh, N.C. area since 1992. McNeill Burbank has built more than 700 new homes and won numerous awards for quality and style. The unique designs borrow architecturally from the past while blending a contemporary, timeless look that's rare today. McNeill Burbank prides themselves on the new communities they have chosen to build in, in just the right locations. Saussy Burbank is a Charlotte, North Carolina-based homebuilder, nationally recognized for building homes with distinctive architectural details and innovative floor plans.

About Vanguard Homes
Vanguard Homes was established in 2006 as the outgrowth of a successful North Carolina-based homebuilding company in operation since 1980. With unwavering determination, Vanguard remains committed to being an area leader in homebuilding quality, service, and innovation validated by measurable differences in community development, product design, and home efficiency.

Senior VP of U.S. Green Building Council Visits Briar Chapel

Newland Communities hosted a pre-event opening reception for the Third Annual Green Home Tour, which occurred this past weekend.

Michelle Moore, the senior vice president of the U.S. Green Building Council, was the guest speaker and discussed Newland’s partnership as a founding sponsor of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Green Home Guide.

To learn more about this historic event, please refer to the press release.

Green Home Tour Starts Tomorrow

I hope you'll join me on the Third Annual Green Home Tour this weekend. With 40 entries, this year's tour should be a fantastic event that you don't want to miss!

All of the homes have been entered in the green-building certification program that's run by the Green Home Builders of the Triangle. You'll see first-hand that green homes can fit a broad spectrum of aesthetic tastes and retain their curb appeal while still being more energy efficient, healthier, and environmentally responsible.

Below is a picture of the Briar Chapel Information Center, one of the entries in the tour. If you visit, please be sure to let the builder's sales agents know that you would like me to represent you in the purchase of your next home.

Directions: Take 15-501 south from Chapel Hill. Go approx 5 miles and take a right at Briar Chapel’s main entrance, Briar Chapel Parkway. Go approx 1.5 miles, and this house (Briar Chapel’s Information Center) will be on the right at the corner of Briar Chapel Parkway and Windy Knoll Circle.

I look forward to seeing you on the tour!

New Briar Chapel Entrance Sign & Artwork Installed

Crews are working around the clock throughout Briar Chapel in preparation for the upcoming Green Home Tour. The most visible work is being done to the 15-501 entrance, including landscaping and a new sign.

In addition, a beautiful new art sculpture was unveiled along the wall opposite the entrance sign on 15-501, which is a stainless steel replica of Carolina smilax leaves. Newland Communities commissioned Jim Gallucci, a local sculptor for more than 25 years, to create the sculpture. Gallucci currently designs and fabricates sculptures in his Greensboro, N.C. studio and has worked as an art instructor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and an exhibit designer for the North Carolina Zoological Park in Asheboro, N.C.

If you are interested in building a home in Briar Chapel, now is the time to contact me. I've met with many of the builders, and can help you determine which one may best serve your needs. Likewise, I can help you select one of a limited number of available lots - hurry, though, as the best ones will go fast!

Interested in Briar Chapel?

Since launching this blog, I've had many wonderful folks get in touch with me to express interest in Briar Chapel. This has allowed me to educate them about green building, and pass along valuable feedback about what buyers are looking for to the developer.

So, if you haven't already discussed your housing needs with me, I encourage you to do so right away. Why spend your valuable time trying to gather information on your own, when I can fill you in on the details and answer any questions you may have during a short phone call?

I look forward to hearing from you soon! My contact information is listed below for your convenience.

Briar Chapel Launches New Website

Newland Communities has just launched its new website for Briar Chapel, which ties very nicely into the "Path to Nature" advertising campaign they launched a few months ago. Along with the utility and landscaping work along 15-501, this is yet another sign that things are progressing towards the opening of their information center during the Green Home Tour in May. Stay tuned to this blog for more details.

Now is the time to let me know if you are interested in moving to Briar Chapel. By doing so, I can help builders gauge demand, and provide input on what buyers are looking for in terms of size and price.

Blog Author Peter Winkler Becomes Certified EcoBroker®

It's official... I have earned the EcoBroker Certified® designation. This means that I have successfully completed a formal training program on the energy and environmental issues that affect real estate transactions. In other words, I am certified to address and encourage the benefits of energy efficiency and green features in homes, such as the ones that will be built in Briar Chapel.

From windows to moisture control to energy savings, I now have more resources at my disposal to help my buyers and sellers make better real estate decisions.

Third Annual Green Home Tour

Mark your calendars! The 3rd Annual Green Home Tour will be held on May 3, 2008 (10 am to 6 pm) and May 4, 2008 (Noon to 6 pm). Including several Briar Chapel entries, there are currently 42 homes on this year's tour. Stay tuned for more details.

Woods Charter School Building Progress Continues

Progress on the new Woods Charter School in Briar Chapel continues. In the photo below, you will see that curbing and sidewalks are being installed. Work is also being done on the inside in order to get the school ready for occupancy in the Fall.

At a recent meeting of Chatham's BOE, the Board discussed several options to relieve overcrowding at the North Chatham School. In addition to installing additional mobile classroom pods and re-assigning students to another school, they discussed the possibility of leasing the current Woods Charter School facility at Cole Park plaza to house some of the North Chatham students. It is scheduled to be vacated by July 1st. A decision will be made at the next meeting on 3/17/08.

Many believe this problem would have been resolved sooner had the new middle school that is planned for Briar Chapel been built on time in 2009 (construction has been delayed until 2010).

Briar Chapel Greenways Progress

Work continues on site development of Briar Chapel. The photo at the right was taken near the 15-501 entrance to the mixed-use development, just behind the recently installed fence. This multi-use paved trail can accommodate two-way traffic and a broad range of users, including pedestrians, cyclists, the handicapped, runners, and strollers. Although this one has an asphalt surface, other trails may be made of either crushed gravel or concrete, depending on location.

Please note that multi-use paved trails are only one type of greenway that is currently planned for Briar Chapel. Other types include: minimum impact (boardwalks), low impact (pervious surface), and sidewalks. Learn more about the types of greenways that will be used in this mixed-use development.

Woods Charter School Announces Waiting List

Woods Charter School has announced that there is a waiting list for the 2008/2009 school year, which will be held in the new school under construction in Briar Chapel.

As of 2/1/08, there were no spots available for grades K-8... K has 85 children on waiting list, 1st has 40, 2nd has 45, 3rd has 50, 4th has 45, 5th has 32, 6th has 26, 7th has 25, and 8th has 8.

High School openings for 10th, 11th and 12th grades will be offered during the month of March. If you haven't submitted your application for these grades, I encourage you to get one in along with a transcript ASAP in order to be considered. Learn more about how the school will manage the waiting list.

Volunteers Need to Help Build Trails in Briar Chapel

Next Saturday (2/9), the Triangle Off-Road Cyclists (TORC) will continue to make progress on the emerging network of trails in Briar Chapel. Plenty of volunteers are needed in order to complete the first phase of trails, which are slated to open this Spring. Approximately 15-20 miles of trail will ultimately be built as the construction advances through the subdivision.

If you're interested, meet at the Exxon station at the intersection of Andrews Store Road and U.S. 15-501 between Chapel Hill and Pittsboro at 9 a.m. Volunteers will then drive to the worksite from there. If you will be late, please call Stewart Bryan at 619-1335.

Briar Chapel Middle School Occupation Date Moved Up

The Chatham County Board of Education (BOE) held a meeting on Monday, January 28, 2008, at Chatham Middle School.

At this meeting, the BOE held a discussion about the Briar Chapel middle school site - they want to ensure that the new school is ready for use as the 2010 school year begins. As a result, the architects will move the occupation date of the new middle school from June 2010 to April 2010.

This is encouraging news, especially considering that funding has been restored/increased and there is consensus that this school needs to be built soon and done right. For more information, visit the Chatham County Schools website.

Woods Charter School Exterior Almost Complete in Briar Chapel

The new Woods Charter school in Briar Chapel is progressing along very well. The Elementary wing (below) has nearly all of its windows installed. Inside, workers are busy putting up insulation and drywall.

Although the new school will allow them to increase enrollment, there may be a waiting list again for students wishing to get in to this school (ranked 6th on SAT scores in North Carolina). Therefore, if you plan to live in Briar Chapel, I suggest that you start familiarizing yourself with the application and admissions process now.

Briar Chapel Among Recommended Economic Development Nodes

On January 7th, a Chatham County task force recommended that the county put commercial development in major corridor areas and preserve the county's rural character. Briar Chapel was listed among the economic development nodes recommended by the panel.

This means that future residents of Briar Chapel will have convenient access to a variety of retail stores and services. In addition, building standards will promote walkability, which will help reduce traffic and pollution. Likewise, the standards will likely require a number of features that will enhance lifestyle, such as open spaces, areas for outdoor eating, and spaces for bikes and alternative vehicles.

To learn more, read the full story from the N&O. Otherwise, I encourage you to visit the website for Chatham County Major Corridor Ordinance Task Force.