New Homes Under Construction in Columbia and Spring Hill
business, construction, general motors, growth, homes, maury county, real estate, spring hill,
Scenic Maury County was known mainly for its prime farmland until the mid 1980s‚ when General Motors chose Spring Hill as the manufacturing spot for its new Saturn automobile.
Fast-forward 20 years‚ and the county is one of the fastest-growing regions in the state – a burgeoning hub for shopping‚ education‚ employment and health care.
Residential growth is booming – particularly in Columbia and Spring Hill – and it’s easy to see why.
“It’s country living within 35 minutes of a major metro market‚” says Mike Miller‚ city manager of Columbia‚ the county seat. “The younger set who work in large cities have a longing to go to a smaller community‚ and they don’t mind the commute. The baby-boomers‚ who are on their way to retirement‚ have started to drift back toward their roots in a small‚ hometown atmosphere.”
That shift is a trend nationwide‚ he says‚ stemming from a desire for smaller‚ walkable downtown areas where people can stroll safely‚ meet their neighbors and feel like part of a community.
“There’s also that cost factor‚” Miller adds. “It costs less to live in a small town.”
For all those reasons and more‚ the population of Maury County – estimated at about 75‚000 in 2005 – is expected to reach 90‚000 by 2020.
Columbia alone is growing at a rate of almost 4 percent a year‚ Miller says. Its 2005 population was estimated at about 38‚000‚ up from 32‚000 in the year 2000. A special census is in the works‚ with results due out in May 2006.
The influx of newcomers into Spring Hill and Columbia has created a burgeoning demand for housing‚ including single-family homes‚ townhomes and mixed-use areas incorporating residential‚ commercial‚ retail and community space.
Newcomers from other counties and other states are buying mainly two types of homes – typical subdivision homes starting around $135‚000‚ and huge homes in the $350‚000-$400‚000 range on several acres of land‚ says Cyril Evers of Evers & Jones Realty Co. and chairman of the Maury County Planning Commission.
“People are gobbling these things up‚” he says. “It’s price. Homes are just so much cheaper here than in Williamson County. They can get more home for the money.”
The changes are more pronounced in Spring Hill‚ which straddles Maury and Williamson counties and is absorbing spillover growth from Williamson County.
“The quality of life and property taxes [zero property taxes in 2006] have become a very big draw for living in Spring Hill‚” says Edsel Charles‚ president of Market Graphics‚ a Brentwood-based market research and land analysis firm.
Maury County is one of the best-positioned counties for retirees‚ he says‚ with exceptional growth potential in that market.
“You have really good shopping close by‚ the price points work‚ it’s close to the interstate‚ and there is an abundance of jobs for part-timers‚” he says.
Another plus: The county is intent on managing its rapid growth in a smart‚ controlled way.
“Our goal is to create sustainable‚ livable communities within urban growth areas so we don’t spread all over the map‚” Miller says. “We want to prevent sprawl and protect available cropland for farms‚ the rural landscape and green space.”
Story by Rebecca Denton
Photo by Brian McCord
