THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, November 2, 1996 TAG: 9611010422
SECTION: REAL ESTATE WEEKLY PAGE: 09 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MARY ELLEN MILES, SPECIAL TO REAL ESTATE WEEKLY
LENGTH: 88 lines
Not far from Interstate 664 in the Churchland area of Portsmouth, a community with a flowery past has sprouted up. Bishops Green was once called ``Jonquil Farm,'' after a family who used the land to raise and sell flowers.
Subdivision plans call for just over 100 houses on 165 acres. The area, north of Long Point, partially borders Hoffler Creek, a tributary of the Elizabeth River and protected wetland. Development began in 1994 by Lyle G. Wermers, president of the Genesis Group and developer of Riverwalk, the highly touted Chesapeake neighborhood.
Easily accessible to neighboring cities, Bishops Green sits off Twin Pines Road. Its only entrance is adorned with brick trellises. The cul-de-sac streets are wide. A lake and five-acre Bishops Park add to the subdivision's appeal.
The park, with biking and hiking trails, will be deeded to the city by Wermers. Housing styles vary from transitionals to traditionals, ranches to two-stories; sprinklings of custom houses add variety to the area.
Two companies, Genesis Group and Napolitano Homes, are constructing energy-efficient houses. When Bishops Green is completed, Napolitano plans to develop 68 lots in an adjacent subdivision. A third section - the largest, is also in the works.
Napolitano Enterprises has about 18 lots left. The company has 13 models houses, with one popular model having 10 floor plans. The minimum lot size is 10,000 square feet. Housing size runs from 2,000 to 3,000 square feet. Base prices range from $124,850 to $159,275.
Tara Strauser, Napolitano Homes site manager for Leading Edge Realty, says the Napolitano models ``have great standard features that are often upgrades for other builders.''
Some of the amenities include whirlpool tubs, upstairs laundry rooms, built-in kitchen desks, abundant landscaping, double-bowl vanities in the master bath and swirl ceilings in the dining rooms. ``This is a builder who really works with buyers to customize their plans,'' says Strauser.
Wayne and Darlene Allen were transferred from Pennsylvania to this area last July. They wanted to build a house and were especially fond of Napolitano's architectural designs.
``I really liked the style of the houses,'' says Darlene. They chose a three-bedroom home with a large sitting room on a wooded lot.
``We liked it here because the section's not going to be real big and it's surrounded by treed lots,'' she says. ``There's not much traffic, which is nice when we're walking our dogs.''
They had a deck built, but Wayne, who's in the Coast Guard, put up the fence himself. Future projects probably include a well and sprinkler system, says Darlene.
``We like it here. It's quiet, safe and really comfortable,'' she says. ``It's convenient to a lot of things - grocery store, banks, vet, etc. Everybody's friendly. We're very happy with our electric bill - the house must be insulated very well.''
Genesis Group has about 20 lots left, five of them for custom houses. The developr has six models, each with two floor plans. The minimum lot size is 10,000 square feet.
The houses range from 1,689 to 2,450 square feet. Base prices range from $117,900 to $139,900. The builder pays closing costs.
``Some of the lots back up to the lake and some to the creek and surrounding wooded area,'' says Jill Russell, Genesis site manager for Rose & Krueth Realty Corp.
``Our lots are larger than usual, with some of them being almost an acre. Many of our custom lots, which can be sold to other builders, are extraordinarily large pie-shaped lots that back up to the creek.''
Some of the standard features of these houses are cathedral and vaulted ceilings, double-bowl vanities and soak tubs in the master bathrooms, and a model with a downstairs master bedroom.
``I think the neighborhood's big plus is its accessibility,'' says Russell. ``It's location is so convenient not just for Portsmouth, but to other cities, through (Interstates) 664 and 164. And we draw people from all cities. The nature park is also a nice feature.''
She also notes that there are no homeowner association fees and the community is in a good school district. ILLUSTRATION: Color photos by Gary C. Knapp
[Wayne and Darlene Allen moved to Portsmouth...]
Houses have sprung up where flowers used to grow...]
Graphic
At A Glance
Color Map\VP
ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD
FOR SALE
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