Haden Place, a 6.6-acre development project between Killdeer Lane and Haden Lane in Crozet, has sold its first two houses, which are slated for occupancy in September. The project by builder Wendell Gibson was approved by the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors in 2008, but work did not proceed because of the depressed housing market.
Haden Place will have 14 single-family houses and six “affordable” cottages built by Gibson Homes and 14 townhouses built by Southern Development Company, five of which are under construction with four already sold. All the townhouses and cottages are on a central landscaped cul-de-sac and are also served by a horseshoe-shaped rear alley that gives access to the garages of the single-family houses as well.
Gibson said all the houses will have different appearances. “We’re trying not to create the same house. We want different curb appeal,” he said. All the houses will feature two-by-six wall construction and be Earthcraft certified, he said.
“We build really tight and bring outside air into the house,” he said. “We’re trying to be different by having the customer work with us and the way we build the house.”
The cottages will have roughly 1,200 square-feet and cost about $220,000, Gibson said. The single-family houses will range from 2,500- to 3,000-square-feet, with four bedrooms and three bathrooms, include detached two-car garages and sell for $425,000 to $450,000.
Gibson said the building schedule calls for construction to proceed down Haden Lane first. He expects build-out of the 34-unit project will take two years.
Haden Lane will be widened by 20 feet and onstreet parking created. The sightline issue long identified by residents of the street—cars are out of sight below a crest in the road—will not be changed.
The project will connect to Old Trail with a short road joining Summerford Lane.
Planning calculations made in 2007 predicted the project will increase daily car trips on Jarmans Gap Road by 541 and add 496 trips per day to traffic on Old Trail Drive. VDOT has said that the widening of Haden Lane will make it capable of handling 1,500 vehicle trips per day. There will be a four-foot sidewalk along Haden Lane. Curb and gutter there should be installed by the end of July, Gibson said.
The project will have a homeowners’ association to handle landscape maintenance and snow removal. Gibson said HOA fees should be about $85 per month.
Gibson also has a project going in Ivy and said he’s “always looking” for future work.
“I’ve been a contractor for 20 years,” said Gibson, who started out in the trades as an electrician. “I oversee all my projects. I don’t have any superintendents. I find if you keep good relationships and answer questions, it’s a whole lot easier. The economy hurt, but I hadn’t been out buying beach houses, so we are making it.”
