Drovers Road Preserve- 
Today’s Tribute to Days Gone By

Asheville Real Estate Journal 

Drovers Road Preserve is an Asheville area conservation-oriented development with historical roots. Aptly named for its still visible trail, Drovers Road celebrates days gone by.

When you visit Drovers Road, look for the trail just inside the entrance to the 186-acre eco-sensitive development. (see photo) You will find a perfectly preserved road that once connected drovers to and from the markets of Asheville’s city center.  

The historic wagon road is honored with plaques; it’s a story being told as you enter the preserve. And you may also notice that while there is a new, and carefully planned, paved road right beside it, the worn path now serves to connect the development’s residents to a piece of local history. That historical connection continues as you explore Drovers Road Preserve.  It can be found everywhere from streets named after historical and local figures to informational plaques that tell the story of the land.

 Insights:  Most homes surprise you as you walk this land—they may be large or small, but they fit into the place and contribute to its beauty. (None are currently for sale.) There are 8 building sites for sale at Drovers Road Preserve.    They range in size from 1.5+ to 10 Acres, and in price from $215K to $695K.

Property Details: Drovers Road Preserve

You have been invited on a tour of 7 Asheville Second-Vacation Home Locales  you may consider when relocating to Asheville, NC. 

 On this crisp mountain morning, we head out to look at the eco-friendly development -

Drovers Road Preserve  , a sustainable residential community of 190 acres  in Fairview, NC, the third stop on our tour.

Drovers Road is a thoughtfully laid out eco- development.

It  is a special find for Second-Vacation home investors, not only be cause it is beautiful, and populated with a number of Certified Healthy Built ®Homes, but because it is within an easy half hour drive of  downtown Asheville.  (photo shows old drovers trail and historical marker)

When investing in a Second or Vacation property proximity to the amenities of Asheville  such as the Diana Wortham Theater, Early Girl (restaurant that serves locally-grown and harvested organic produce) Mission Hospital and the Asheville Airport, could be important to you. Here you  have convenient access not only to theatre, music, art galleries, and delicious dining experiences, but can also look forward to adventures in the out-of-doors--  walking trails, picnic shelters, and overlooks with beautiful views of the surrounding mountains and valleys.  

Proximity: Just 2 minutes from a fabulous CSA where you can get locally-grown organic produce, and 6 minutes to grocery stores, Drovers Road offers a feeling of seclusion without the feeling of being remote. It is a 20  minute drive from Asheville.

As We Tour Drovers Road Preserve Please Note the

Careful attention that has been given to the soil. This ensures that it can adequately support septic systems, and slope, to further limit the environmental impact of development.

Obvious evaluation of slope allowed the developers to place the roads to limit impact and removal of trees

  Design elements like innovative stormwater management techniques also speak to the eco-friendly approach of the development.

The amazing constructed wetland used to treat stormwater runoff by allowing the settling of sediment and pollutants contained in the runoff.

The bio-retention ponds (or rain gardens) that use a porous soil mix containing sand to allow excess water to trickle into the depression and become absorbed. 

Other Features and Benefits for the Second and/or Vacation Home Investor:  

Drovers Road Preserve is a place of historical interest. It adjoins the well-worn path  taken by drovers and their animals many, many years ago. (see photo at top) You can read about this on the historical makers that grace the site.   So if you love a sense of history, you have come to the right place. 

For the Horse Lover, here is an interesting feature: Each residential lot adjoins the Preserve lands. This means Second and Vacation home owners not only have easy access to miles of hiking trails, but also to equestrian trails. Equestrian trails can be of great importance to many of our clients, so I am highlighting their availability. You will want  to select horse boarding facilities nearby. 

Before the development was created, Equinox Environmental planned for preserving the history of this place. The Drovers Road Preserve conservation easement held by the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy actually  was developed by Equinox Environmental  to protect those 110 acres, and allow specified development  (including deed restrictions and lot size) on the other 76 acres. 

The easement permanently protects a majority of the forested, mountainous terrain from all future development. It is held by the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy . Many of the locales we are visiting in this series are protected in this way.

 What a perfect setting for a LEED® Certified home. And we know the perfect General Contractor  who can make this happen for you.  Take this as a clue to what Second and Vacation home seekers can expect in terms of excellence in this Asheville area community. In fact, only  twenty-three (23) homesites where custom homes already are carefully blended into the existing ecosystem can be found here.    

If you are seeking a luxurious but natural lifestyle where mountain views, nature trails, and pristine streams invite you to relax and enjoy the quality of life, you have come to the right place. 

Note:  Considering Drovers Road terms of the business of vacation rentals? Please check out the deed restrictions.     

The home pictured here, a WNC Healthy-Built®  home  with an open floor plan and exquisite custom craftsmanship and details sold for $895,000 in 2009.  No other homes are available for sale right now. However.... there are a number of  unique building sites ranging in price from approximately $215,000 to $700,000 currently available at Drovers Road.

 We are in the business of finding incredible Land and Green-Built Homes for our clients, whether that be Homes and Land for Sale by Owner or listed on the MLS.  So let me know what you think.

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(*)/'(*)    ..........      ............ " We are on the roll  for  sustainable  innovation."  © 2010. Asheville NC Real Estate     Unauthorized reproduction of any information on this site is a violation of existing copyright laws. All rights reserved. Asheville Second & Vacation Home Gem : Drovers Road ___________________________________________________________________________________

WHERE is the perfect place to construct the green-built home of your dreams? Possibly on a remarkable building site  in one of Asheville, North Carolina's  eco-communities. "GREEN" is the word here in Western North Carolina's mountains.  

More and more here in Asheville we are noticing a trend toward sustainable environments, and more and  more. Asheville is becoming the "hub' of green and sustainable development. 

(Photo to the right of the meadows at Drovers Road Preserve courtesy of David Tuch, VP Equinox Environmental.)

So I have been touring various eco-communities in the Asheville, NC area to find out what this is all about.  We started with Hickory Nut Forest. (Worth your visit!)  Today we are traveling with Eco Certified® Real Estate Consultant, Bill Westel to check out Drovers Road Preserve, a favorite of the Garden Club, and another conservation neighborhood just outside of Asheville in Fairview, NC.. As it turns out, this eco-community is just down the road from Hickory Nut Forest . . .only about 20 minutes from the many amenities in downtown Asheville.  

I'm happy to go into detail about the Drovers Road Community. Talk with me.

Bill likes to say how Equinox Environmental Consultation and Design had a hand in this eco-community. He will tell ya' that   "The people at Equinox really are a dedicated group of professionals that are capable of handling a wide variety of developments from small residential conservation easement subdivisions in urban areas to 1000+ acre multi-family developments. They have a diverse team of skilled people ... an Environmental Land Planner ...a Landscape and Environmental designer... with a Field Biologist, a Botanist, an Environmental Scientist, and a Land Planner/Landscape designer."

" Now this is what I call a Green Team . . ." Bill said recently in a glowing post on his BLOG.. I tend to agree. Many environmentally-sensitive projects I've come to know over the years enjoy the Equinox Environmental Consultation and Design stamp of approval. The one we are visiting today,  Drovers Road Preserve, may be my favorite. That's because I've spent many happy hours here.

Just inside the entrance to this eco-community you can discover a bit of authentic Appalachian history. You can actually see the roadbed that once connected drovers to and from the markets of Asheville's city center. The trail is marked. The mood is set.

This 186 acre conservation residential development has only 23 lots. They range in size from 1.5 to 10 acres. Of the almost  190 acres, 110 have been placed into conservation easement. As we saw at Hickory Nut Forest, the easement permanently protects Drovers Road's natural resources and the majority of the development's forested land from any future development.

(Site map to the left at Drovers Road Preserve courtesy of David Tuch, VP Equinox Environmental.)

As stated on the property's website, "The philosophy of Drovers Road Preserve is to develop home sites in environmental and aesthetic harmony with the surrounding landscape." In order to carry out the philosophy, "a carefully conceived set of design guidelines governs all construction, ensuring that the character of the land is maintained and that man-made living spaces are an integral part of the nature preserve." No wonder Drovers Road Preserve has won several awards for sustainable and ecologically sensitive design.

As we tour Drovers Road Preserve please note the

•1.      Careful attention that has been given to the soil. This ensures that it can adequately support septic systems, and slope, to further limit the environmental impact of development.

•2.      Obvious evaluation of slope allowed the developers to place the roads to limit impact and removal of trees

•3.      Design elements like innovative stormwater management techniques also speak to the eco-friendly approach of the development.

•4.       The amazing constructed wetland used to treat stormwater runoff by allowing the settling of sediment and pollutants contained in the runoff.

•5.      The bio-retention ponds (or rain gardens) that use a porous soil mix containing sand to allow excess water to trickle into the depression and become absorbed.

In a review of this eco-community in the New Life Journal , a print publication with a circulation of about 90,000,reflecting the interest in eco-communities in the Greater Asheville and Atlanta areas I stated :

  "It appears that great care was taken to preserve the integrity of the land-road layout and design are such that visitors and residents can still enjoy a connection with nature."

 Whether in an urban environment, or in the rolling regions beyond Asheville's city limits, buyers and investors and sellers of real property are taking note of the sustainable and ecologically sensitive design concept and the development of eco-communities is on the rise around these mountains.

  ....Looking to the Future....  

Asheville, NC eco-community scene is amazing- Asheville, N.C. and the City's healthy impetus for sustainable development,  diverse economic structure based on tourism, services, and  eco-innovative attitudes means  a positive outlook even in difficult times. -Overall education levels, wages and per capita income levels are on the "plus" side here in Asheville.  Standards of living are, too.   

....Greater Asheville, North Carolina's GREEN  real estate market enjoys clients who are hungry for sustainable neighborhoods, energy-efficient design and green-built homes.

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Copyright © 2008 All Rights Reserved  Asheville ECO Real Estate: Trends, Legacies & The Home Place  

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TALK WITH ME About Drover Road . WE are IN a sustainable  world.    

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