Carothers Crossing Promises Small-Town Feel
Juanita Thouin; The Tennessean
9/29/2007

Carothers Crossing, taking shape on the Davidson-Rutherford county line, won't be the region's largest "new urbanist" community, but developers say it should have the most homes — 3,400 by the time it's built out roughly a decade from now.

It will combine residential space with office and retail and "feel like a small town," said Don Smithson, co-owner of Wood Ridge Development, which is developing the 700-acre project.

That's about half the size of the Southern Land Co.'s Westhaven community in Franklin, although Westhaven is expected to have only about 2,700 homes by the time it's fully developed.

Carothers Crossing, which begins pre-sales next month, has a list of 149 potential buyers.

However, the number of lots being released in Phases I and II is only 123.
The new urbanist communities are quite popular, Smithson said.

Chris Ude agreed. Ude, who serves on the planning commission in Franklin and lives in Westhaven, said home buyers are drawn to these traditional neighborhood designs because they are walkable and feel like a real community rather than a subdivision.

Construction under way Carothers Crossing is divided into four distinct villages, including a traditional town center with residential units above retail shops or offices.

Phases I and II of Carothers Crossing are under way. This includes the School Village and The Hamlet, a setting for estate homes.

While most properties in Carothers Crossing will have garages accessible from alleys, homes in the Hamlet will use driveways to accommodate lots as large as one-third acre, Smithson said.

Wood Ridge has formed a strategic alliance with Nashville-based Louisiana Pacific Corp. to usethat company's wood-based products in its homes.

Each builder at Carothers Crossing will be required to use LP's Smartside siding and trim, Smithson said. What sets Carothers Crossing apart from similar multiuse communities in Middle Tennessee is its median pricing, said Rick Bernhardt, Metro government's executive director of planning.
Homes in the School Village will range in size from 1,000 to 3,600 square feet and be priced from $180,000 to $450,000. The work/live units will have a combined 2,000 to 4,000 square feet and sell for $300,000 to $600,000. The estate homes in The Hamlet will start at $500,000.

Bernhardt noted, though, that these prices probably would not last long. "As these go forward," he said, "price goes up because of demand."
In 2003, when Westhaven first began sales, the lowest-priced unit sold for $180,000. Today, that same-size unit costs $380,000. Green space is built in The development, on the south side of Carothers Road east of Battle Road, is mostly in Davidson County, with 92 acres spilling into Rutherford County.

Fifty-five percent of Carothers Crossing, about 385 acres, will be set aside for hiking and bicycle trails and other green space.

Wood Ridge's commitment to the environment was an aspect of Carothers Crossing that impressed Bernhardt, the planning director.

Instead of trying to fit the green space around a preconceived idea, Wood Ridge started with the environment and designed the community around the natural watershed and wildlife areas, he said.

Smithson said, "We were committed to making sure we honored the land." That commitment led to the developer's partnership with LP, which manufactures building materials that meet the requirements of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, an independent certification program that encourages foresters to harvest trees with the protection of wildlife, plants, soil, water and air quality in mind.

Another development decision was to contract Connexion Technologies to design, install and operate a fiber-optic network to provide residents with telephone, television, high-speed Internet and security options.

It also puts in place the infrastructure for emerging technologies, said
Carothers' marketing director, Sheri Hamilton. Carothers Crossing wanted to be "ahead of the curve," she said.

Builders who are already under contract with Carothers Crossing are Capstone Homebuilders Group, Southern Homes, Westview Homes and W.H. Smithson Construction.

A pre-opening event for those who want to reserve property is slated for Oct. 6 through Oct. 20, Hamilton said.

Attendance is by appointment only. Those interested can fill out a form at www.carotherscrossing.com or call 615-941-8631.