MAINE REAL ESTATE – Highland Green embodies Maine lifestyle: Master-planned community values natural resources.
-Marketing Department “The Portland Press Herald”
Green by name, green by nature: The master-planned active lifestyle community of Highland Green is highly unusual, perhaps even unique, among developments of its kind in Maine and the Northeast.
To begin with, Highland Green’s 650-acre campus contains more than 230 acres of conservation land, including the Cathance River Nature Preserve, with its seven miles of maintained nature trails and 1.5-mile section along the scenic river; and the central, 35-acre Heath Sanctuary, a noted haven for birds.
Deer, beaver, red fox and wild turkeys are among the diverse array of wildlife. At the preserve’s trailhead is the Ecology Center, a classroom/meeting space constructed of antique barn timbers and “green” building supplies and technology, including solar power.
The center represents joint efforts by Highland Green, numerous corporate donors and grantors, and the Cathance River Education Alliance, an educational nonprofit founded in 2000 by a partnership including local citizens group Topsham’s Future, and Highland Green owner/developer John Wasileski, who set aside the land for the preserve.
As conservation and environmental concerns reflect the community’s values, so does energy efficiency embody its practices in all new home construction, with EnergyStar® certification building packages, natural gas piped and various solar options.
These qualities are among the reasons that Highland Green was named among the 14 best retirement communities by AOL, and also – three times, in fact – named one of America’s 100 Best Master-Planned Communities by Where to Retire Magazine. But the community’s residents, too, surely contribute to the appeal of the resort.
“Community and civic-minded within Highland Green and in the greater community,” is how Will Honan, director of marketing and sales, characterizes the community’s population.
“Very active. We’re an age-qualified over-55 community, but a good 15 percent of the people here still work, and 80 percent spend the winter here. Half are from Maine, half are from elsewhere in the United States,” he says.
“Most people come here specifically for the Maine lifestyle, year-round,” notes Chris Lynch, president of Legacy Properties Sotheby’s International Realty.
“They appreciate the beauty of the Maine coast – Topsham is bordered by the Androscoggin River, Merrymeeting Bay and has the ocean nearby, after all – and the many cultural amenities of the area near Brunswick, such as Bowdoin College. We’re close to Freeport, have easy access up the coast and are only 30 miles from Portland.
”In moving here, residents are buying into a community, not just buying a house, Honan emphasizes. Resident-driven activities range from dinner gatherings to croquet to bird-watching to nature/photography hikes to tennis, golf, swimming in the pool and working out at the community fitness center, the hub of the Green’s social life and the meeting place for its many educational, recreational and volunteer opportunities.
While “green” can also refer to the public nine-hole, Scottish-style golf course, Honan is quick to point out that Highland Green is not specifically a golf community.
“Residents do not pay for the golf course operation. It is a wonderful amenity for those who play and it adds a great deal of green space. We see an ever-growing trend of folks moving here for a sense of community and conservation,” says Honan.
Just under 150 homes have been built to date. Eight housing types, designed to complement the rugged surrounding New England landscape, are available to choose from and are customizable. Several are now listed for sale (please see accompanying photos for details on two).
Lynch explains how ownership here works, and notes its advantages:“Cooperative living at Highland Green is similar to condominium living regarding collective maintenance services, but with additional benefits. The ability to own a free-standing custom home is unique.
“The co-op structure helps ensure that the community grows in concert with its original vision and long-term built-in management provides experience, strength and stability throughout the development,” he says.GREEN,Continued from Page 2Open-concept living is part of the appeal of this Highland Green home. The property, 5 Goldfinch Drive, is listed for sale at $330,000.
LEARN MORE – For more information on Highland Green properties, please contact Chris Lynch of Legacy Properties Sotheby’s International Realty at 770-2200 or at [email protected].
