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First phase of Cane Bay nearly mapped out
By Jessica Johnson
Contributing Writer
The master plan for Cane Bay Plantation may take decades to be fully realized, but the first phase is almost mapped out. Only one first-phase parcel remains unsold.
The attraction of schools, trail systems, green space and open land brought builders on board quickly.
Pulte Homes announced in September that a Del Webb Community would become part of Cane Bay. And recently, the Berkeley County School District announced plans to start working on the community’s elementary school. The hope is to open both the unnamed elementary school and Cane Bay High School in the fall of 2008, said Kenneth Coffey, Berkeley County Schools assistant superintendent for operations and facilities.
Centex, FirstCoast Homes, Sivica Communities and Sivica Homes will join Del Webb in building the first phase of the 4,500-acre site.
Del Webb plans to build 1,000 homes for active adults 55 years and older. The community will encompass a resort-style amenities center. The community will come complete with a lifestyle director to organize outings and activities.
The availability of land attracted Pulte Homes to Cane Bay since Del Webb communities tend to be large, said John Pulte, vice president of Pulte Homes.
Ben Gramling III, president of Gramling Brothers Real Estate and Development Inc., Cane Bay’s master planner and developer, said Del Webb is a huge boon to Cane Bay and Berkeley County.
Gramling equates the retirees to having the same effects as a business. Retirees pay taxes and contribute to the community without placing a strain on roads or the school system, he said.
However, residents of Del Webb communities often become big supporters of their local school system.
“They are big volunteers for the schools. That is why Del Webb fit so well in our community,” Gramling said.
Plans are in the development stage but Pulte said people could move into Del Webb by fall 2007.
Single-family builders expect their first residents to move in this spring. Centex will close on its first homes in April. Sivica and FirstCoast homes will follow, opening in the fall of 2007.
Centex began selling its homes in August. It plans to offer three neighborhoods within its parcel, named Old Rice Retreat. Marsh Grove, Salt Pointe and Sweetwater will be subdivided by product line.
Centex will offer its affordable housing line and Charleston single houses in Marsh Grove and Salt Pointe. Sweetwater will feature Centex’s larger, executive homes.
Centex will sell townhomes near the Cane Bay High School at a later date.
“Cane Bay will eventually be the gateway to Berkeley County. We thought it would a great opportunity to reach the market in Berkeley County,” said Kristen Williams, Centex Homes’ operational marketing manager.
Sivica Communities purchased 1,240 lots and sold 500 of those lots to FirstCoast. The remaining lots will go to sister company Sivica Homes. The neighborhood is being developed as The Sanctuary at Cane Bay.
Together the announced land purchasers have taken 1,340 acres of the 2,000 acres available in the first phase of Cane Bay.
Several acres are left unclaimed, Gramling said. Much of that has been set aside as commercial and multi-family space; just one plot is left for single families.
“We have been approached by a number of quality commercial developers and have not made a decision on what we are doing,” Gramling said.
As houses come, commercial areas will develop, he said.
All homebuilders plan on completing their neighborhoods within five years.
With the exception of Del Webb, most builders are marketing homes to first-time buyers and move-up buyers, with prices beginning under $200,000. Builders envision their communities consisting of upper-scale neighborhoods with affordable pricing.
Sivica Homes and FirstCoast Homes will offer plans with enlarged porches, designed to enhance the feeling of community among neighbors.
“It’s the Craftsman look you see at much higher price points,” said Irene Hall, Sivica’s vice president of marketing.
However, Hall added, the traditional homes will be accessible to the average buyer.
Sivica Homes and FirstCoast Homes will share an amenities center within The Sanctuary that will include a 5,000-square-foot pool, a beach area around a lagoon and recreational opportunities. All homes in the Sanctuary will receive yard maintenance through its homeowners association.
The amenities and interconnected trail system throughout Cane Bay add to the area’s attractiveness, said FirstCoast’s Katie Keenan.
“It’s going to be a really pleasant place to live,” she said.
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