Welcome Center Pulls Elements of New (and Old) Low Country Traditions

This August, WaterWays Township will proudly host the grand opening of its onsite Welcome Center. For current residents, the Welcome Center will serve as the central location for information about WaterWays, including scheduled events, social activities, and more. The Welcome Center will be the epitome of southern hospitality, open to all current and new WaterWays families and guests. Inside, the Welcome Center will provide a comfortable environment of sitting areas, a children's play area, coffee bar, and a variety of presentation displays depicting the overall vision for this growing community. Guests are invited to stop by any time for a cup of coffee, a glass of sweet tea or just to chat.

Conveniently located along WaterWays Parkway, near the community entrance, the new facility will be built against a backdrop of native vegetation, towering holly trees, lush landscaping, and antique wood fencing, providing guests a glimpse into the latest home trends available.

Not only will the Welcome Center boast new offerings, it will capitalize on the very core of WaterWays' mission, preserving history and nature. WaterWays is especially proud of the original Cottenham Plantation estate, an area of the WaterWays property that once belonged to American automobile entrepreneur, Henry Ford. To pay homage to centuries of history on the property, the Welcome Center will have an area dedicated to the display of historical information about the land, as well as a collection of artifacts recovered from the plantation.

The Welcome Center will also feature one of the South's oldest traditions, a joggling board. Originally crafted in nearby South Carolina, the joggling board has been a part of low country life since the early 1800's. For centuries, children and adults have "joggled" on this antique furniture, providing hours of entertainment.

"The Welcome Center is going to be a tremendous asset to the entire community," said Vance Askew – sales and marketing director, WaterWays Township. "Not only will it provide residents with easy access to community events and social gatherings, it will also play an important role in showing new families just what the WaterWays lifestyle is all about."

The creation of the Welcome Center is a collaboration of talented resources. Prosser Hallock, an architectural planning, engineering and renewable energy consulting firm headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., and JoAnn Green of G&L Residential Designs, Inc., in Richmond Hill worked together to create the architectural and interior concepts. Local residential builder Ted Flake of Keller Enterprises will oversee the construction.

WaterWays Resident Revives the Past for Locals Seeking Low Country Décor Â

Wendy Bass is a one-woman wonder. Mother, blogger, furniture overhauler, interior designer, teacher, wife and all-around sweet southern gal, she has made quite the life for herself. When Wendy isn't homeschooling her two daughers, Mackenzie, 17, and Kennedy, 12, or spending quality time with her husband, Mel, she is running a full-time interior decorating business, right out of her WaterWays home.

"I've always decorated as a hobby, even back when I was in college," said Wendy. "When we moved to WaterWays, I did not return to my full-time job as a guidance counselor and started homeschooling the girls. After a while, I wanted another outlet, and it just fell into place."

To take her decorating skills online, Wendy started a blog called "Antebellum 1862" in August 2013. On her blog, Wendy shares decorating, painting, organization and DIY projects with her blog followers. It's also through her blogger friends and social media outlets like Pinterest where she finds inspiration for her work.

"‘Antebellum' came to me because of it's southern charm. The word is just so ‘southern'. In my research of the word, I found that it is actually a Latin word meaning pre-war," said Wendy. "I began to think about how I love the stories of the past. My husband and I do a lot of junking, picking, and antique auctions. As we come across unusual things, I always want to know the story behind a piece."

Social media isn't the only place where Wendy finds inspiration. WaterWays' low country lifestyle has influenced her on more than one occasion.

"I love the distressed coastal look," said Wendy. "Being on the water, the driftwood, even the woods, that natural cottage feel. We love the history of Savannah and I pull a lot from nature and try to incorporate that in designs that I do."

Whether it's reclaimed wood, thrift finds or even buried treasure, Wendy has a knack for transforming antique items into new works of art. In fact, recently, Wendy and her husband, Mel, created a unique wall décor piece using broken ceramic pottery found at the historic Cottenham Plantation site within WaterWays.

"I often find pieces at the thrift stores, yard sales and flea markets and repurpose them," said Wendy. "I love to decorate on a budget and help those that can't afford a professional designer to have top-notch design in their home at a fraction of the cost. Decorating doesn't have to break the bank."

For more information on Wendy, visit her blog, Antebellum 1862, at http://antebellum1862.blogspot.com/.

Hello, Neighbors!  Â

This year, we're proud to have welcomed a baker's dozen of new resident families to WaterWays Township. Whether they're joining us from nearby Savannah or from The Aloha State of Hawaii, be sure to send them a big "hello"!

The Boyette Family, Georgia

The Cannon Family, Georgia

The Danser Family, Georgia

The Housend Family, Georgia

The Kroutil Family, Georgia

The Lacey Family, Georgia

The Maziarz Family, Hawaii

The McNeese Family, Georgia

The Patridge Family, Georgia

The Rike Family, California

The Schwab Family, Pennsylvania

The Trautman Family, Georgia

The Vanags Family, North Carolina

The Newest Additions to WaterWays

When we opened WaterWays Township in 2011, we knew that our residents would prosper by living a relaxed, entertaining, low country lifestyle. Created by visionary developers, Fletcher Management Company, a company noted for being green long before the term became popular, WaterWays Township is a community, at its very core, that highlights a life invigorated and inspired by nature's greatest force – water.

We are excited to expand our residential footprint by adding 39 new home sites to the popular RidgeWood Park neighborhood. This addition is to be completed by the end of June 2015 and new home construction should commence shortly thereafter. Phases III and IV of RidgeWood Park are progressing well, and demand is already very strong.

"We've definitely seen a positive response to the natural setting found within this neighborhood. Whether their dream is a lake view home or the peace and quiet of a private backyard on a wooded preserve, our new release of RidgeWood Park home sites will provide desirable options for everyone," said Vance Askew sales and marketing director, WaterWays Township.

The featured builders at WaterWays are continually delivering charming homes of exceptional quality and value that families love. This newest phase of our community will provide current and new residents with access to King Sale Lake, a five-acre attraction for activities like fishing, paddle boarding, canoeing or just relaxing at the water's edge. The possibilities are endless, especially when coupled with existing amenities like the Community Gardens, the Cottenham Nature Trail, RidgeWood Play Area, Trellis Park, WaterClub West, Grand Lagoon and more.

We are very proud to be expanding the WaterWays lifestyle into new phases of our community and are looking forward to sharing the benefits of its growth with you.