When developer Chaunkee Venable began designing Orange Shoals, he approached the land in a manner distinctly different than the developers of typical, maximum density subdivisions. He envisioned a new kind of master-planned community in this booming area north of Atlanta in Cherokee County. Called an integrated greenbelt community, Orange Shoals is designed around a natural habitat that includes a one-hundred acre woods with a network of trails that wind through a woodlands teaming with wildlife, creeks, waterfalls and shoals.
Every lot in this 400-acre community backs up to the contiguous greenbelt. Resident can walk the entire property without crossing a road. In addition, the woods wrap throughout the community and create a buffer of natural beauty and privacy.
This very different approach to land planning is being noticed on several fronts. First, Cherokee County's Board of Commissioners gave Orange Shoals its unanimous approval-a stunningly different development. Community developer Global Development Associates has received recognition from the National Wildlife Federation, The Audubon Society, the Georgia Wildlife Federation and the Georgia Planning Association.
Buyers are taking note of the community as well. Orange Shoals opened in March 1997 and 140 of the 317 homes have been sold to date. The custom builder team in the master planned development includes Scott Johnson Homes, Riverbanc Homes, Inc., Kenny Sears Building, Tuggle Residential, Hometown Builders Inc., R.T. Stephens, Inc., Hardin & Sons Building and Custom Traditions, Inc. The community offers a varied collection of traditional and Southern-style homes, many with stone accents and/or classically styled front porches. New home prices range from the mid-$180,000 to $300,000-plus.
Beyond the natural amenities, the community also includes the Orange Shoals Recreation Center with a junior Olympic size swimming pool with a 50-foot water slide, a poolside cabana, a children's play park, lighted tennis courts, as well as butterfly and hummingbird gardens.