Stonebriar Shows Variety Is Spice of Life

MEMPHIS, Tenn.?EUR??,,????'??+Some housing communities have units churned out with cookie-cutter sameness in a sea of stucco white walls and Spanish tile roofs. That?EUR??,,????'???s not the case of Stonebriar, a planned development sweeping across southeast Shelby County. It will feature a startling mix of housing density, with lot sizes varying from 3,500 to 12,500 square feet. The formula allows Stonebriar to preserve open spaces, trees and waterways while finding room for more than 550 lots on its 171 acres.

Gary Barta, senior planner with Dalhoff Thomas Daws, the land planning and landscape architecture firm on the project, said Stonebriar will be a nontypical development that serves markets ranging from empty-nesters to large families.

Barta said the development will foster a distinctive community with a strong sense of place. A greenbelt will run west of the site with lots of open space. The entrance way will be kept back 250 feet to preserve the open space in critical environmental areas. When Barta and the planners initially consulted the neighbors about their ideas for the community, they were aloof and distrustful. ?EUR??,,????'??They were concerned about density, having 3,500- and 6,000-square foot lots,?EUR??,,????'?? said Barta. ?EUR??,,????'??But the project has only four units per acre which is average for density.?EUR??,,????'??

Community members also expressed concern over the natural look of the Holmes Road corridor, so a three-rail fence and additional landscaping were installed. The public became comfortable and supportive of the project once they realized that the houses wouldn?EUR??,,????'???t be visible from the road.

?EUR??,,????'??Let?EUR??,,????'???s preserve the trees and then set the houses,?EUR??,,????'?? said Barta. ?EUR??,,????'??Once the project has been built, the developer has the responsibility to maintain it and then turn it over to the homeowner?EUR??,,????'???s association, which hires a landscape maintenance company.?EUR??,,????'??

Some of the challenges of the project include dealing with the topography and how to construct the streets with different grades. The area has open pasture land and wooded areas, which need to be maintained. ?EUR??,,????'??We?EUR??,,????'???ve been instructed by the developer to have the design appeal to the community and to residential markets,?EUR??,,????'?? said Barta.

An aerial view of Shelby County, Tenn., site of the Stonbriar planned development.