Author: Harry Lassiter
Publisher: The Lassiter Company
09/28/2006
Email: tsimkins@hammondsferry.com
Website: www.hammondsferry.com
HAMMOND’S FERRY HOSTS RIVER DAYS CELEBRATION AND COMMUNITY PREVIEW EVENT ON OCTOBER 21ST AND 22ND
Spotlight will be on Environmentally Responsible Features of the New Community
North Augusta, SC…Hammond’s Ferry, a new mixed-use Traditional Neighborhood community in North Augusta, will host River Days, a two-day event featuring house tours, bicycle and kayak demonstrations, refreshments and giveaways on October 21st and 22nd. The centerpiece of the event will be a series of exhibits describing the Hammond’s Ferry “Urban Ecology Program”, which is designed to ensure a long term healthy relationship between new development and the Savannah River. This program resulted from the extraordinary partnership between the Southeastern Natural Sciences Academy, Hammond’s Ferry and the City of North Augusta, who are proceeding with a major wetlands restoration effort within Hammond’s Ferry. This will be an excellent opportunity to learn about responsible development and enjoy a day by the river.
Participants will also be able to preview homes and home sites at Hammond’s Ferry and meet members of the Builders Guild who are building the homes. The marketing and sales program is gaining momentum with 30 houses sold to date.
“Hammond’s Ferry stands to serve as a model community for the future, building with a firm appreciation for the principles of traditional townbuilding and an acute awareness of how our being here affects the environment” says Turner Simkins, Project Manager at Hammond’s Ferry. “It is through partnerships with knowledgeable organizations such as the Science Academy that our legacy is ensured to be one that all can be proud of.”
Built on a former brick production site, Hammond’s Ferry incorporates the wonderful planning features and classic architecture of the historic American communities that we all cherish, together with sustainable design technologies. The development team has gone to great lengths to design a town plan that actually improves the natural resources of the area. Interestingly, the concept for Hammond’s Ferry originated as early as 1891, when the visionary James U. Jackson envisioned a North Augusta community similar to the one being realized today.
The developers of Hammond’s Ferry have been working closely with the Southeastern Natural Sciences Academy, led by Dr. Gene Eidson, and the City of North Augusta’s Storm Water Management Department with a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to restore wetland areas on the Hammond’s Ferry property. These areas are largely around two large former clay pit ponds. The perimeter of the ponds are being cleaned, graded and sloped and planted with wetland plants native to the area. The ponds will help manage storm water run-off from the development as well as provide a habitat for turtles, birds and other wildlife. The rehabilitated clay pits will also provide residents and visitors an urban green space to observe wildlife and interact with nature. Walking trails and observation points will be carefully planned to minimize disruption of the wildlife.
Preserving the clay pits and developing the ecological park will complement the North Augusta Greeneway and expand recreational opportunities for the residents of Hammond’s Ferry and the citizens of North Augusta. It will also give visitors an understanding of the value of wetlands and how they work to remove urban pollutants from storm water.
“In past years, stormwater carrying excessive nutrients, oil and grease, and litter has flowed into the abandoned clay pits at Hammond’s Ferry, resulting in a degraded aquatic habitat”, states Dr. Gene Eidson. “Over the next few years, these clay pits will be rehabilitated into an innovative and eco-friendly stormwater treatment complex designed to improve water quality, preserve and restore wetland habitat, and enhance biodiversity. This project reflects the upwelling of environmental stewardship found among the citizens of North Augusta and provides a positive example of public land-use to improve the quality of life for generations to come.”
The Natural Sciences Academy specializes in urban river restoration and water management. They are currently working on the Savannah River at Risk campaign which is an integral part of water policy decisions regarding the Savannah River.
Hammond’s Ferry is a public/private partnership between LeylandAlliance, and the City of North Augusta. Lark Jones, Mayor of North Augusta, who has been a leading advocate for Hammond’s Ferry since it was originally conceived, summarizes the vision and outlook for the community, “Once in a great while, many forces come together to create a great residential development. North Augusta was fortunate to assemble significant acreage on our riverfront. The City was doubly lucky to have a developer such as LeylandAlliance LLC who helped create the plan. The vision is now becoming reality. Years of planning, perseverance and a tremendous public-private partnership will result in one of the nation's premier communities and a prime example of environmentally responsible development.”
River Days will celebrate Hammond’s Ferry’s close association with the City of North Augusta and the Natural Sciences Academy. Also showcased are other river and wetlands restoration projects undertaken by the Academy.
For more information about Hammond’s Ferry subsequent lot release or home purchases, please contact info@hammondsferry.com or call 803-713-0403.
###############