Carol Hazard
Richmond Times Dispatch
Sunday, August 13, 2006

The East End is the new West End.

With areas immediately west of Richmond built out, developers are looking east.
Expect big changes on U.S. Route 60, or Pocahontas Trail, in New Kent County about halfway between Richmond and Williamsburg.
As many as 1,200 houses could go up along one stretch of road near Interstate 64 at the Bottoms Bridge exit, about 20 miles east of downtown Richmond.
One development -- Patriot's Landing -- is under way. A second -- Rock Creek Villas -- is about to start. And a third -- with 500 estate houses, town houses and/or condominiums -- is proposed.
A nearby development near Dispatch Road and New Kent Highway has been scrubbed -- for now.
"We're proud we are getting quality residential developments," said John Budesky, New Kent County administrator and executive director of the county's economic development authority.
"Our major push now that we have the rooftops is to support commercial growth," he said.
"We are trying to balance growth with New Kent's history and charm."
PATRIOT'S LANDING -- East West Partners, a major developer in the Richmond area, is building Patriot's Landing, with about 600 homes off Route 60.
The development will share four of five lakes with the nearby Five Lakes subdivision.
Six homes are under contract with the first move-in scheduled for October.
Housing will range from four-plex townhouses with a common courtyard in the mid-$200,000s to spacious single-family homes in the $600,000s.
"We think every community needs a diversity of residents," said Clem Carlisle, president of the Richmond division of East West.
East West projects include the communities of Brandermill, Woodlake and River's Bend in Chesterfield County and Cary Place, commercial and residential units at Meadow and Cary streets.
Other developers had looked at the 255-acre parcel of land. But East West was the first to figure out how to make it work.
The developer worked with New Kent County to bring city water and sewer services to the area.
Residents in Patriot's Landing and 15 local people who agreed to the plan will pay 10 cents more per $100 of assessed value in property taxes.
They will pay the extra tax for six to 10 years, depending on how fast it takes to pay off the infrastructure.
The time frame for the development is four years.
The architecture will be classical, such as the arts and crafts style popular in the 1920s and 1930s.
Carlisle called it the new version of the old craftsmanship combined with energy efficiency and low maintenance building materials.
"We want to create a classic village that is timeless," he said. "A classic style feels like it belongs."
Builders are Orleans Homebuilders, Tomac Corp. and Stylecraft Builders.
Patriot's Landing will blend into the naturally rolling topography with an emphasis on the lakes, walking trails and open space, said Frances Powell, a senior vice president with East West.
Amenities include a clubhouse and pool, putting green, playground and volleyball and bocce courts. Association dues will be about $720 a year.
A chunk of land fronting Route 60 has been allocated for commercial use. Powell said she envisions a fitness center, a sandwich or pizza shop, child-care and medical offices.
Rock Creek Villas
A mile or so east of Patriot's Landing is Rock Creek Villas, with 60 units -- mostly four-plexes for people 55 and older. The sign for this 14.5-acre project went up last week.
"Our phone is hot," said Peggy Cunningham, who owns the land with her husband, Billy. Their company is William E. Cunningham Builder-Developer.
"There's big demand for age-restricted communities in New Kent County -- mostly from people who live in the county but don't want to move and give up their doctors, churches and all that."
She's also heard from local people looking for maintenance-free housing for their parents.
The all-brick villas -- 2,400 square feet to 3,100 square feet each -- will sell for $300,000 to $400,000. Assessments are being done now.
"We hope to have the first five units under roof by December," Cunningham said. "My husband said he wants to see Christmas trees in some of the units, but he is the eternal optimist."
Rock Creek will have a clubhouse, walking trails, recreational space and commercial space.
A Mechanicsville restaurant has taken 5,000 square feet. Cunningham declined to name the restaurant but said it was established and independent.
Other big projects in the works for the East End include:
The largest is New Kent Vineyards, originally called the Farms at New Kent, off state Route 106 near I-64 and Talleysville.
The 2,520-acre project will feature vineyards, a winery, golf course, polo grounds -- and 2,500 houses, mostly in the single-family category, ranging from estates to cottages.
Construction is expected to start this fall, with the first houses available by the end of 2007.
An expansion of the Kentlands, which includes the Brickshire development along state Route 155. Plans calls for 194 town houses with starting prices in the low $300,000s.
A shopping center at South Laburnum Avenue in eastern Henrico County at the former Viasystems Technologies Corp. site. The shopping center, nearly as large as Short Pump Town Center in Henrico County, could open as soon as fall 2008.
"Certainly, there's opportunity off Laburnum," said Budesky with New Kent. "We think we will have commercial opportunity for our residents as well."

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