The Design Response provided yield planning, conceptual design, and final site design services for a 79-acre luxury resort development located adjacent to the only bridge crossing on Lake Gaston between Interstate 85 and Interstate 95. This project was the first Planned Unit Development (PUD) approved in Warren County.
The overall site plan includes 194 dwelling units, consisting of Charleston-style homes, townhomes, condominiums, and cabin lots. The development also includes five large 20-slip boathouses with large patio areas on top, two day docks serving an on-site boat ramp, and over two miles of pedestrian trails.
With exceptional views across the widest portion of Lake Gaston, the site’s most valuable feature is the presence of over a mile of shoreline that wraps around four different peninsulas and a cove to the south. Accordingly, a key aspect of the site design was the use of narrow Charleston-style lots in order to maximize the developers ability to sell the lake view as many times as possible, while retaining the ability to design and sell a high-end single-family detached home product.
The firm assisted the environmental consultant with the preparation of an Environmental Assessment and helped obtain approval for five boathouses (120 slips). The firm also coordinated with the soil scientist and wastewater engineer as part of the development of an on-site wastewater treatment system in order to maximize the project’s development yield.
Overall, the firm’s strategic thinking and management of key project issues increased project yield and reduced construction costs, resulting in over a million dollars of increased value for the project.