November 5th, 2008
Brandermill Developing New Master Plan
Sea Pines Compass on Brandermill Sign
Brandermill should look to its history as it looks to its future!
Chesterfield County’s Brandermill development is holding several public hearings to get input on the creation of a new master plan for the community. The 4000+ home development along the shores of the Swift Creek Reservoir was developed in the 70′s and was named “The Best Planned Community in America” by Better Homes and Gardens and the National Association of Home Builders in 1977. Brandermill was the first planned community in Chesterfield County and really the first of its type in the Richmond area.
The design of the original development was influenced heavily by Charles Fraser, the late developer of Sea Pines Plantation on Hilton Head Island South Carolina. His influence is unmistakable from the style of some of the early architecture in Brandermill to those large green mailboxes, even the compass used in the Brandermill logo was the just like the one used for Sea Pines Plantation.
Fraser was a developer who was a committed environmentalist before developers were committed environmentalist. His vision was to protect the natural beauty of the land he developed and to make the smallest possible man made foot prints on the land. Fraser even changed the design of the Harbor Town marina, which is the centerpiece of the island, to save an ancient Live Oak. A rarity today in the scorched earth like development of so much of our land.
As the new plan is developed a historical perspective might be a great guide to the residents, community leaders and land planners involved in the project. Coming home to a Brandermill which feels like the original, natural, almost resort like development would be pretty cool!
One last fact! Did you know Wintergreen was also planned with the involvement of Charles Fraser of the Sea Pines Company? If you remember early Wintergreen homes had many of the same “Hilton Head” architectural features, they had those same big green mail boxes and even used the compass in some of the logos and marketing.
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