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Wednesday, May 9, 2001 Walden Park community now open in south Fulton Walden Park, a new planned community in south Fulton County, recently held its grand opening. Located on West Stubbs Road between Butner Road and Cascade Palmetto Highway, Walden Park is a mixed-use development which is already recording strong home sales and can also be described as environmentally friendly. According to developer Stephen H. Macauley, who is president of The Macauley Companies Inc., Walden Park is not only an example of one of the "New American Hometowns of the Future," it has many other distinguishing characteristics. First, the 591-acre development is the first master-planned community in south Fulton County and is one of the Macauley organization's trademark TownPark planned developments. "From the reports we've been getting, we also believe it's currently the No. 1 selling community in Metro Atlanta," said Macauley. The development had its first new home closing in August of 2000. Walden Park was inspired by Walden, the book written by the renowned American author and naturalist, Henry David Thoreau. An important aspect of the developer's TownPark plan for Walden Park is 200-plus acres of land devoted to parks and open space. Included in this environmentally friendly community is a conservation easement of 160 acres granted to The Nature Conservancy. The mixed-use land plan for the community includes a wide variety of housing choices, police and fire facilities, the TownMarket area with a retail complex within walking distance of the residential neighborhoods, and the Walden Park Family Club with its extensive recreational facilities. The names of residential neighborhoods in Walden Park are name interpretations of art forms represented by the ancient Greek Muses, the time-honored symbols for inspiration, and include the Artisans, Ballad, Havens, Serenade, Marquee, Promenade and Legends. Homes in the community are priced from the $160,000s to the $600,000s, and the builder team is composed of David Weekley Homes, Ryland Homes, Traton Homes, Sharon McSwain Homes, and the TownPark Custom Builders (Homebuilders Construction, Ideal Smart Energy Homes, Nesbitt Lord & Company, and Covenant Builders). Sales for the TownPark Custom Builders are handled by Just Realty, while the other builders have their own marketing representatives on-site. Residents of Walden Park have access to the impressive amenities in the Walden Park Family Club. This area includes the Walden Park Grand Clubhouse, which has a social room with a fireplace; open-air pavilion; and patios overlooking the swimming pool in the aquatic center. Also in the Family Club area are the Jubilee Amphitheater, a children1s play center, a basketball court, a volleyball court, a tennis center, and a village green. Macauley said Walden Park is both "pedestrian friendly" and "children friendly." The development has a system of trails, and there are sidewalks on both sides of the streets. The sidewalks are six to 10 ft. off the curbs, and "street" trees are planted between the street and the sidewalk every 35 to 40 ft. on center. When these "street" trees mature, they will form a canopy over the street throughout the development. The 160-acre conservation easement will provide a nature area which will give residents access to trails and a wildlife viewing area. The community also has features which the developer describes as "traffic-calming techniques." The streets are narrower than normal and have smaller corner radii, encouraging more cautious driving and turns. There are also several traffic "roundabouts" with small parks in their centers which contribute both to traffic safety and to the beauty of the development. "Walden Park is also an example of public-private cooperation to bring quality development to an area that has been largely ignored in the past," said Macauley. For this, he credited the Fulton County government, including the county commissioners, the Department of Economic Development, the Department of Environment & Community Development and the Department of Public Works; and such organizations as South Fulton Revitalization Inc., the South Fulton Parkway Alliance, and Green South Fulton. The Macauley Companies Inc., established in 1979, is one of Atlanta's leading community developers and is the originator of TownPark Planning. The organization's developments include Legacy Park in Cobb County, named one of the Top 5 Communities in America by the National Association of Home Builders, and Glencree in south Forsyth County, selected as Best National Project of the Year - Eastern Region by the National Association of Home Builders. The organization has previously been active on the Northside of Atlanta, and Walden Park is its first venture into the Metro South area. Walden Park is a new residential development where a nature preserve with walking trails and beaver ponds provides the central community amenity. Stephen Macauley partnered with The Nature Conservancy over three years ago to develop a plan to build a residential community that embraces the importance of green space. The Nature Conservancy became involved with Walden Park because the area contains at least three separate beaver created hardwood wetlands, one of which is very large. This 40-acre wetland is home to various birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and mammals. Walden Park also shelters two rare plant species: Harper heartleaf, a small ground covering; and Log fern, a large fern located within wet fringes along streams. In addition to the importance of the habitat that exists on the property, Deep Creek provides a vital tributary to the nearby Chattahoochee River. "This was a unique opportunity for The Nature Conservancy to work in an urban setting with a developer who embraces the importance of how quality of life is connected to the environment," said Stacy Patton, Chattahoochee River project manager for The Nature Conservancy. "Mr. Macauley has been an extremely generous partner and has agreed to donate the 160 acres to The Nature Conservancy as a conservation easement. He is also providing a stewardship endowment for on-going work at Walden Park. The protected area will be used by Walden Park residents and local schools for both passive recreation and educational opportunities," she said.
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