THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, July 2, 1994 TAG: 9406300465
SECTION: REAL ESTATE WEEKLY PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAIGE FLEMING, SPECIAL TO REAL ESTATE WEEKLY
LENGTH: Long : 170 lines
At the shore, trees give way to marsh and, in turn, marsh gives way to water - the smooth, glassy kind that lures hundreds of ducks, herons and egrets, tiptoeing through the grass.
The quiet marsh is a place to watch the molten red suns of summer dip lazily from view, leaving behind purple, star-filled skies. It's hard to believe the vantage point for such a scene is right off Great Neck Road - in a neighborhood called Kenstock.
The entrance to Kenstock is marked more by a smattering of one-story office buildings than by the small brick wall bearing the neighborhood's name on a brass plate. Still, beyond this entrance lies a community of manicured lawns and contented neighbors with interesting homes and stories to match.
Living in Kenstock, Jeff and Linda LeMoine say, is a little like living in a secret hideaway.
``I feel like we've discovered it,'' he says. ``It's almost as though you don't want anyone else to find out about it.
``There are probably a lot of people who drive by,'' he said, ``without even realizing there's a neighborhood back in here.''
Kenstock is easy to miss. The neighborhood consists mainly of winding lanes and cul-de-sacs west of Great Neck Road and between Wolf Snare and London Bridge creeks.
Longleaf Road fingers out to the edge of the marsh. Others end by the creeks.
Along with the marsh, Kenstock neighbors share a small, man-made pond. Though no more than a couple of acres, the pond is a major focal point.
Trees, landscaping, decks and pools have all been positioned to take advantage of this natural spot. Animals also have made it home.
``Lots of duck families are here in the spring,'' LeMoine says. ``The mamas start out with six or seven babies, but after a few weeks are down to sometimes two or three.
``I guess there are a lot of turtles, too,'' he says. ``It's sad to see the little ones disappear, but I guess that's the way it is. I try to keep a little water in our pool so they have a safe place to stay for a while.''
Wildlife shares the neighborhood with tamer species - kids in canoes and dogs chasing tennis balls. The whole area, LeMoine says, has the feel of a summer camp.
Kenstock boasts a wide variety of housing styles. The cedar-sided contemporaries lining Longleaf Road range from roughly 1,600 to 2,200 square feet, and from roughly $125,000 to $170,000.
More traditional homes are just across the street - brick ranches, mainly, with a few Colonials thrown in for good measure.
George and Lorraine Slater, who came from Oklahoma seven years ago, found the neighborhood with the help of a relative.
``We like it very much,'' Lorraine Slater says, ``and we wanted our kids to go to Cox High School.
``Also, this is a safe place,'' she says. ``You can spot people who don't live here, even though there are lots of walkers and exercisers. Most everyone watches out.''
The Slaters live in a 2,100-square-foot brick ranch with four bedrooms and three baths. Since moving in, they have spent much of their leisure time enhancing their yard, now filled with annuals and perennials.
``When we first moved here, there wasn't much in the way of landscaping . . this year by year, a little at a time, and now we've gotten a lot more color and fullness in the yard.''
The residents of Kenstock, by and large, form a close-knit group.
``We have block parties, an annual Halloween parade and summer picnics,'' Slater says.
Adds LeMoine: ``We are always looking out for each other. We have parties, closing off whole sections of the street, and everyone comes.
``People seemed to really enjoy being here,'' he says. ``I like all my neighbors, and I've never lived anywhere else that I could say that about.''
Still, having fun isn't the only reason the neighbors band together. A few years ago, residents formed a civic league to fight a proposal to convert a few nearby homes into halfway houses for recovering drug abusers.
Many league members feared the halfway houses could pose a security risk to the neighborhood, especially to children. The group raised enough opposition to stop the proposal.
Today, the league does not meet regularly. Still, members get together every so often to discuss such issues as putting up duck-crossing signs near the pond.
In the middle of Kenstock stands a weathered, two-story farmhouse visible only from Longleaf Road. Cars at the end of a driveway are the only outward clue that someone lives within.
Finding the front door of this landmark isn't easy. At a cul-de-sac, several old pines with bowing branches gesture to a pair of brick walls, one on either side of the drive.
Past the walls, the air seems cooler, and there is no noise. The gravel drive swings halfway around the house before taking off toward the other end of the property.
A giant magnolia stands in the front yard, while a wide porch wraps almost completely around the century-old home.
This is Kenstock Mansion, named for the two families that once owned it - the Kennedys and the Elstocks. Bill and Terri Ottigner bought the farmhouse about six years ago.
``The main attraction for us was the lot,'' Bill Ottinger says. ``It's almost an acre and a half. It's hard to find a lot like this today so close and so secluded.
``Of course,'' he says, ``the house needed fixing up - nothing major, but lots of cosmetic things like new wallpaper, an updated kitchen, some carpet and such.''
The 4,000-square-foot house has 12 rooms, including four bedrooms, a full bath and two half baths. Though the Ottingers say they have a lot of work to do on the home, they don't intend to rebuild it - just smooth the rough edges.
``We have stolen a small room for a closet and changed a few things around,'' Ottinger says, ``but we want to leave the house with the same basic layout and design.
``Otherwise, he says, ``the structure would be ruined, and it would be like living anywhere else.'' ILLUSTRATION: D. KEVIN ELLIOTT/Photos
Jeff and Linda LeMoine praise the community's close-knit residents.
``I like all my neighbors,'' Jeff says, ``and I've never lived
anywhere else that I could say that about.''
Bill Ottinger and his son Grant, 4, on the porch of their two-story,
4,000-square-foot home, built as a farmhouse nearly a century ago.
The lot is nearly 1 1/2 acres.
Water abounds in Kenstock, nestled between Wolf Snare and London
Bridge creeks. A marsh and a man-made pond lie within the
neighborhood.
Grant Ottinger plays in the front yard of the farmhouse his parents
bought about six years ago. The home, at the end of a long, gravel
driveway, is ringed by a wide porch.
Bill and Terri Ottinger walk past the entrance of their property
with their children, Grant, 4, and Rachel, 9. ``The main attraction
for us was the lot,'' Bill Ottinger says.
AT A GLANCE
Staff Map
ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Public schools: King's Grant Elementary, Lynnhaven Middle and Cox
High schools.
Recreation: Various community recreations centers in the city
include racquetball, swimming and family programs. Boating and
fishing are available in the nearby Lynnhaven River and its inlets.
Bike paths lead from Great Neck Road to Seashore State Park.
Shopping areas: London Bridge, Chambord Commons and other
shopping centers are at Great Neck Road and Virginia Beach
Boulevard. The Hilltop area is east on Laskin Road. Lynnhaven Mall
is also nearby.
Assessments: The range is from roughly $120,000 to $171,000, the
Virginia Beach assessor's office reported.
FOR SALE
A sampling of current listings:
At 2401 Kenstock Road, a 1,819-square-foot brick ranch with three
bedrooms and two baths is listed for $128,000.
At 495 Back Acres Road, a two-bedroom, one-bath ranch with a
basement and nearly 2 1/2 acres on Wolf Snare Creek is listed for
$129,000.
At 2413 Kenstock Road, a 2,180-square-foot brick ranch with four
bedrooms and three baths is listed for $159,900.
SOLD
A sampling of recent sales:
At 2416 Peritan Road, a 2,000-square-foot brick ranch with three
bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths sold for $125,000 in March.
At 516 Longleaf Road, a 2,000-square-foot brick ranch with four
bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths sold for $130,000 in September.
At 2536 Peritan Road, a 2,381-square-foot cedar-sided
contemporary with four bedrooms and two baths sold for $165,000 in
September.
by CNB