THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, October 21, 1995 TAG: 9510190291
SECTION: REAL ESTATE WEEKLY PAGE: 3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LOUKIA LOUKA, SPECIAL TO REAL ESTATE WEEKLY
LENGTH: Long : 103 lines
Ginger Carl has proof of how diligent her neighbors are when it comes to keeping an eye out for each other.
Earlier this year, Carl's stepson, Bart, was moving in while Carl and her husband, Jim, were away. He pulled up a truck to the front of the house and went about the task of moving in his stuff.
The Carls knew about the move, but no one else did. So, their neighbors asked just what was going on, because they've heard stories of people being away and coming back to an empty house. No furniture. No TV. No clue.
``He was moving in while we were gone and they didn't know why a truck was in front of the house. I'm really glad they did that,'' Carl said.
That protection is still around in Shannon Knoll, where neighborhood watch signs are posted in this tiny two-street Virginia Beach community off Wolfsnare Road. A civic association also ties the neighbors together through regular meetings, activities and holiday gatherings.
Although Wolfsnare Road is a busy cut-through between First Colonial and Great Neck roads, Shannon Knoll is able to maintain a high level of privacy. Only two streets - Countryside Lane and Mountain Laurel Trail - comprise this community and both streets are cul-de-sacs. Therefore, residents say, traffic is limited to homeowners and their visitors.
``It's not bad at all. We kind of patrol it. Our neighborhood will kind of question someone who shouldn't be in here,'' Carl said. That attitude makes for fond childhood memories. ``The children feel safe at any house,'' she said.
Helping the community keep its self-contained feeling is that Shannon Knoll is not listed as a community in the back of ADC's Street Map Book.
The community's entrance is marked by a sign surrounded by shrubs and flowers. A few brick ranchers line Mountain Laurel Trail, but the rest of the homes on that street and on Countryside Lane are an architectural assortment of styles.
Some homes are one level and contemporary in design while others are two-story residences offering a modern take on the Victorian and Cape Cod styles. Many have vinyl siding for the exterior.
Residents take care to manicure their lawns, sprinkling them with flowerbeds and other distinctions in the landscape. Verandas are decorated with wicker furniture and hanging baskets filled with ferns. Other porches have decorative flags, some with a colorful design and others announcing collegiate pride. Back decks are popular spots for barbecues.
As summer slipped into memory and October made fall reality, residents embraced the season with pumpkins on their porches and other Halloween decorations on their doorsteps.
Street lights are abundant and signs warning drivers to slow down for children also are posted.
Shannon Knoll has a mixture of residents. There are couples, families with young children, and retirees.
Blanche Clark moved to Shannon Knoll from New Jersey because she wanted to be near her sister. The move has turned out to be a rewarding experience, she said.
``I love it. It's peaceful here. There're children here but they don't bother you too much. You feel secure,'' Clark said.
City real estate assessment records show a majority of homes in the community were built in the mid-1980s and at least two have been built in the last five years. A map of the community shows it was platted in 1984 on nearly seven acres.
Jim Arnhold, president of Arnhold Marketing Services, said Shannon Knoll was developed under the real estate company of Oglesby/Arnhold Realty, Ltd., which was sold in the late 1980s.
Arnhold said a variety of home builders did work in Shannon Knoll. ``It's a pretty nice neighborhood. That parcel of land was left behind the houses that were built on Wolfsnare Road,'' he said.
A random survey of 10 homes in Shannon Knoll currently are assessed for an average of $155,106. There were no For Sale signs posted in Shannon Knoll a week ago. ILLUSTRATION: Color photos by Gary C. Knapp
Blanche Clark...
Ginger Carl...
Graphic with map
ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Public schools: Alanton Elementary, Lynnhaven Middle, and Cox High
schools.
Shopping areas: Shannon Knoll is convenient to shopping areas at
Hilltop and Great Neck; both areas are about a five-minute drive.
Lynnhaven Mall is a 15-minute drive.
Recreation: Community parks are in the Lynnhaven and Great Neck
areas; a city recreation center is near Cox High School and a public
library is near Lynnhaven Middle School. Also, there's a YMCA off
Laskin Road at Hilltop East Shopping Center and the oceanfront is
about a 10-minute drive.
SOLD
At 920 Mountain Laurel Trail, a four-bedroom, two bathroom home sold
for $160,000 in May 1994.
At 925 Mountain Laurel Trail, a four-bedroom, 2 1/2-bathroom home
sold for $165,000 in March.
by CNB