Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, April 14, 1991 TAG: 9104120117
SECTION: AMERICAN HOME WEEK PAGE: 20 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: GENNY ELIAS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Formed in 1966 when Appalachian Power Co. installed the Smith Mountain Dam on the Roanoke River, Smith Mountain Lake has become a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts.
When people buy homes or condominiums on the lake, they are buying more than a house, they are buying a lifestyle, said Don Constable of Burnt Chimney. That lifestyle is one of recreation: boating, fishing, exploring nature and swimming.
Amazingly, more people from outside the state are now interested in the property than those from inside the state and even from nearby Roanoke County and the City of Roanoke, Constable said.
"Most of our sales come from the Northeast, people moving down here to retire," said Constable.
"Buyers from across the world are visiting Smith Mountain Lake and falling in love with the quality of life and the natural beauty that surrounds the lake area," added REALTOR Glenda McDaniel of a Bedford County office.
Constable said he thinks the reason Roanokers haven't discovered the lake is two-fold. First, the drive over Windy Gap Mountain is intimidating to many buyers. Although the road winds its way along the side of the mountain and the going is slow for those few miles, the trip takes only about 35 minutes to go about 27 miles, which is a lot less time than it takes to go from Botetourt County or even parts of Southwest Roanoke County to downtown, he added.
Constable said he drove that route for a number of years when he worked in Roanoke and lived at the lake.
"Some people think that [Route] 116 is one of the last roads to be cleared if it snows," he said, "but quite the opposite is true. You have the Franklin road crew on one side of the mountain and the Roanoke crew on the other, so that is one of the first roads they clear."
The second reason, Constable believes, that Roanokers stay away from the lake, except for summer recreation, is the prices of the homes, which start around $70,000 for a townhouse or condominium and around $150,000 for a single family home.
"The days of buying two to three acres of land on the lake are nearly gone," Constable added.
The counties have taken measures, however, to ensure the rural feel of the lake by restricting commercial development in the area, he added.
"[Franklin County] zoning restrictions on commercial development have limited businesses to the intersections to retain the rural atmosphere of the county," Constable said.
Since the late 1970s and early 1980s, Constable said he has noted that the makeup of the lake has changed. While it used to be a much more transient area - with people using the lake strictly for recreation and as a second home - he now sees more full-time residents there.
"During the last decade, Smith Mountain Lake has evolved from a weekend getaway to one of the East Coast's most desirable residential areas on a fresh water lake," McDaniel said.
"There were a lot of second homes. But now every year a larger and larger percentage of people are staying on the lake full time," Constable said.
These full-time residents, Constable noted, use their time on the lake wisely.
"Most of us folks that live on the lake let the tourists have it on the weekends, and we play during the week," he said.
Constable attributes the popularity of the lake to its natural beauty.
"I've been looking out the same window for 20 years, and every day the lake always looks different - from the color of the water to the color of the sky," he said.
by CNB