Westhaven

[cheeriokid61]

I'm sure many of y'all have heard of this, but there is a new urbanist community under construction in Franklin called Westhaven. However, this is no ordinary new urbanist community. This thing is HUGE! It will cover about 1500 acres and have around 2,500 residential units. However, my favorite part about this project is the amount of green space it will have. The developers wanted half of the land to be public spaces and parks, and that is what they got. 768 acres of Westhaven will be devoted to parks, including a much needed golf course, after two have been closed in this past year alone.

There are currently 250 homeowners living in Westhaven and 150 homes are currently under construction. Also, the golf course, residents' club, and the first commercial space began construction this year.

Not only will Westhaven add possibly more than 5,000 residents to Franklin, it also helped to move along planning for the Mack Hatcher extension and the new TVA power lines, which are well under construction, and I believe are near completion.

Visit the website and read the articles in the news section. It is very interesting.

http://www.westhaventn.com

[Relient J]

It looks beautiful, but the houses availble are pretty expensive. I wonder if there are any plans for less expensive houses mixed in with the pricier ones.

[it's just dave]

It is a beautiful place, although really isolated from most things. I've been out there several times and have taken some pictures. The square, I believe it's called Founder's Square, with its amazing fountain (think Forsyth (sp) Fountatin in Savannah), is surrounded by homes costing quite a lot. I was in one while under construction, and although totally amazed, was weakened by its $800k price tag. I don't think it was the most expensive. There are smaller houses, townhouses, etc., but I don't think any of it would be considered "affordable housing stock" by most standards. It is quite an incredibly beautiful place, I'll give it that. If I were retired with spouse, or younger with kids, and had lots of money, I might look that way, but being the middle somewhere, I'd better stay where I am.

I was in Franklin yesterday and discovered full shopping centers I'd never seen before...even far away from Cool Springs. The Kroger and the Target I saw didn't look much like any others I'd seen lately. If the Taj Mahal built a Target, that would be it. I'd never seen a Target store with colonial columns on the front. Sheesh.

[smeagolsfree]

Thanks Cheerio, for this post. This project is just a sample of the developments that are going up in every county around Nashville. Tremendous growth going on in Wilson, Rutherford, Williamson, and Sumner. We are just starting to see large subdivisions started in Cheatham and there will be a lot more here because the County has very little development now and a whole lot of potential. The other reason is the proximity to Nashville. I can be downtown in 20 minutes. I don't have much info. on Dickson County and do not know if the growth is spilling over there or not.

I drove to Huntsville Sunday and looking at the available land in south Williamson County, I predict there will be a lot more development going on between Franklin and Spring Hill. There are huge tracts of undeveloped flat land there. Perfect for more homes, retail, and commercial, although I, like most of the posters here want to see the core of Nashville filled first.

It would be great Cheerio, if you could keep us up to date on what is going on in the Franklin area.

[smeagolsfree]

The cheapest I saw was $364,000 for a Town home. I would guess that is the slum area.

[cheeriokid61]

It looks beautiful, but the houses availble are pretty expensive. I wonder if there are any plans for less expensive houses mixed in with the pricier ones.

If you mean sub-400K cheap, then yes, there are less expensive houses.

I was in Franklin yesterday and discovered full shopping centers I'd never seen before...even far away from Cool Springs. The Kroger and the Target I saw didn't look much like any others I'd seen lately. If the Taj Mahal built a Target, that would be it. I'd never seen a Target store with colonial columns on the front. Sheesh.

Ahhh yes, we have eaten at that Chili's and shopped at that Target many times. It was designed to look like Main Street, if you're wondering why it was designed like that.

That site, btw, caused a lot of controversy, because it sits directly on a battlefield site, but the mayor allowed development to go there, while buying a golf course that is not on a battlefield site, and attempting to make a park out of it.

I drove to Huntsville Sunday and looking at the available land in south Williamson County, I predict there will be a lot more development going on between Franklin and Spring Hill. There are huge tracts of undeveloped flat land there. Perfect for more homes, retail, and commercial, although I, like most of the posters here want to see the core of Nashville filled first.

It would be great Cheerio, if you could keep us up to date on what is going on in the Franklin area.

Yes, that area, which is also known as Goose Creek, is soon to explode, and has been called "The Next Cool Springs."

And I'll do my best to keep up with the develpment here the best I can, without a driver's licence.

Another thing that I thought was funny, is that two homes that are exactly the same, can differ in price up to $20,000, just because the location. I guess that might have to do with it being on a lake or the golf course or something else, I don't know.

[Relient J]

If you mean sub-400K cheap, then yes, there are less expensive houses.

I saw the sub-400K homes on their Web site, but in terms of "less expensive" I was thinking sub-200K.

[cheeriokid61]

I saw the sub-400K homes on their Web site, but in terms of "less expensive" I was thinking sub-200K.

I doubt you'll find any sub-200K in any new urbanist community. Tollgate in Thompson's Station might, just might, have some, but probably very little even under $300,000. If I were you, I would just stick with the regular old neighorhoods.

[Relient J]

^ Yeah, I plan to for now anyway. My wife and I recently bought a 1950's Ranch-style house in a neighborhood of presumably similar vintage. New Urbanism isn't quite wide-spread enough yet for me to seriously conisder it. It is somewhat sad that so many of the new urbanist communities around the country are high-priced areas. After all, I believe a mixed economic environment is part of the general plan that many new urbanists seem to adhere to.

[ATLBrain]

It is somewhat sad that so many of the new urbanist communities around the country are high-priced areas. After all, I believe a mixed economic environment is part of the general plan that many new urbanists seem to adhere to.

Of course, success is measured many different ways, but I can't help thinking that a diversity of income levels would add so much to the quality of life in these types of communities. I'm optimistic that it will happen in Atlanta and Nashville. It's happening in Dallas already.

[it's just dave]

It's happening here, too. Here's the link to Lenox Village, a development that is moving along nicely. It's not Franklin, but inside Davidson County just north of the Williamson County line near Nolensville.

Westhaven isn't designed for those of smaller means, that was never its intent. $400,000 is about as cheap as you go there, but that was by design. It is Franklin, and new Franklin is affluent, very affluent.

But Lenox seems to provide the same style of living but of a less grand nature. Some can aspire to Westhaven, and that's fine, but for those who want the new urbanist lifestyle, I think Lenox is getting a lot of positive press and winning awards for providing those choices. It's good to see.

Check it out.

http://www.lenoxvillage.com

[Nashvillain]

I work in Franklin and drive all over it everyday. There are some really neat "new urbanist" developments going up all over the ever-increasing boundaries of the city. While Westhaven has some really great single and multi-unit housing plans and the increased emphasis on the walkability of these new communities is great, it doesn't change the fact that they're exclusive "havens" for the upper middle and upper classes. I mean, West Haven is about as close to downtown Leiper's Fork as it is to downtwown Franklin. So phase 2 of these developments is buying up more farmland and building more Kroeger's, Publixes, Targets, gas stations, etc. farther and farther out from the core cities. So beautiful Williamson county becomes... a gigantic Cool Springs?

[Kyle]

Yeah, I been to it before. It looked new urbanist in nature, but it isn't, because those townhomes were only for rich people, and since I'm not rich, well let's just say I doubt I would live there.

[cheeriokid61]

Just because it is targeting wealthier people as residents doesn't mean that it isn't a new urbanist development. As far as I know, new urban just means a development that is completely walkable and/or can provide a person's everyday needs without ever having to actually leave the development. I don't think that this being focused on richer people means that it isn't new urbanist.

[Kyle]

Just because it is targeting wealthier people as residents doesn't mean that it isn't a new urbanist development. As far as I know, new urban just means a development that is completely walkable and/or can provide a person's everyday needs without ever having to actually leave the development. I don't think that this being focused on richer people means that it isn't new urbanist.

You are probably right, but I didn't see the everyday needs really being supplied that well, unless you consider golfing an everyday need.

Hold up, I just read some other posts and where is all this new stuff supposed to be? Williamson County has some decent scenery, I just hope this development doesn't mess it up.

[Relient J]

Dave, thanks for reminding me about Lenox Village. I believe Smyrna is also getting a Lenox Village (same developers but slightly different name if I recall correctly). Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that would be the first new urbanist community in Rutherford County.

[smeagolsfree]

In case anyone is interested, here is the link to Lenox Village. This is another great project. I am just glad this one is in Davidson County.

http://www.lenoxvillage.com/