Briar Chapel Grand Opening

There is something new on the market and it's really green. On Saturday, Newland Communities unveiled the community that Chatham County, North Carolina, has been anticipating for years. Briar Chapel, a 1600-acre new-home community just outside of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, has been intentionally designed to inhabit the land without inhibiting its true nature. Nine hundred of the 1600 acres will be left as open space with extensve trails, natural woodlands and creeks, and all homes will be built to Green Buiding Initiative standards.

"We are proud of the established and high quality builder team at Briar Chapel. We were diligent in our selection of builders with high standards and a focus on building sustainable, environmentally responsible homes," said Mitch Barron, vice president of operations for Newland Communities. "These builders will help us realize our responsibility to make Briar Chapel an enduring and healthy community and ensure Briar Chapel is on the forefront of the Triangle's green communities."

The list of amenities is a panacea for the environmentally conscious home seekers and and a real find as well for those simply looking for a village of charming and inviting neighborhoods. Consider:

• Residents club within walking distance: gathering rooms, fitness facility, catering kitchen, numerous outdoor entertainment areas, two pools, cabanas, basketball and tennis courts
• Community park with soccer, football and baseball fields
• Numerous neighborhood parks, natural sanctuaries and open spaces
• Extensive greenway system with nature trails, mountain bike trails, boardwalks, and paved paths
• Natural amphitheatre
• Amenity programming: Environmental education, Historical education, Health and wellness, Local arts and culture, Green Living lending library
• Woods Charter School on site
• Site for county middle school
• Village civic center with proposed civic buildings, restaurant and retail space, recreational areas, and office space

Right now, home prices range from the low $200,000s to the high $600,000s. Custom homes are offered by a select group of local custom builders who make up the Chatham Builder Guild. If you're in the market, discount pricing will be in effect on many homes during the Parade of Homes through the end of October. For more information, call 919-538-6491.