Serenbe

Chattahoochee Hill Country Fulton County

www.serenbecommunity.com & www.chatthillcountry.org

Forty thousands acres of surprising undisturbed land make up the Chattahoochee Hill Country in South Fulton County. Located in the metro area of Atlanta, the pressure has been tremendous to develop the land using existing suburban models that contribute to urban sprawl. To prevent this, a group of landowners created the Chattahoochee Hill Country Community Plan to protect the area’s ecological health, optimize property values and promote responsible development. The strategy is to use historic village and hamlet development patterns to direct growth into identified locations that helps to preserve the surrounding agricultural land.  

This large-scale conservation community design is the first in the Southeast to use a recently adopted “Transferable Development Rights” zoning ordinance that allows agricultural landowners to keep their land but sell development rights. These development rights are then used to increase densities in the hamlets. The project is also committed to providing a minimum of ten percent workforce housing that ensures affordable and convenient housing options for the area’s labor pool while minimizing the transportation impact.

Serenbe, the first development within the Chattahoochee Hill Country, is designed as a walkable, more sustainable community that connects people with nature.  In addition to traditional elements of a residential development, Serenbe includes retail shops, restaurants, horse stables, community gardens, artists’ studios and more.  All homes in Serenbe are being built to the EarthCraft House green building standard.

By concentrating development to hamlets, Serenbe will preserve more than 70 percent of its 1,000 acres as greenspace. The Serenbe Organic Farms contribute to the idyllic rural character of the community, and to the health of its residents.  The landscape of Serenbe is designed to be both picturesque and sustainable.

To conserve water, common areas are planted in native, drought-resistant species, a technique know as Xeriscaping.  Wastewater is treated on-site at the community using an advanced system that is attractively housed in a community park.  Organic material such as leaves, grass clippings, and mulch are recycled and used as compost fertilizer on Serenbe’s organic farms. 

By reconciling the rural character of this ecologically sensitive region with the demands of a growing population, Serenbe and the Chattahoochee Hill Country provide a model for sustainable development in metro Atlanta.