By Paris Goodnight
pgoodnight@salisburypost.com
Years ago, Dan Fisher set his sights on the property that has become the Sunset Pointe development on High Rock Lake.
It took a number of years to get the owner to sell it, but when Fisher and his High Rock Development bought the 240-acre property in 2004, little did he know it would take years more to work through the maze of regulations to make his dream happen.
Now he’s only one OK away from getting final approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for the commercial aspect of Sunset Pointe to take off. Fisher took time out this past week to go over some of the next pieces coming together in Sunset Pointe.
Part of the project will include the first major condominium development on Rowan County’s side of High Rock Lake.
Six buildings will house 36 condominiums that have three bedrooms and two-car garages. Walls are up on the first of those buildings.
Fisher said they sold out the 68 waterfront lots quickly because those were still high-flying times in the real estate market. Of the 112 total lots in the development, six went for the condominiums.
This might not seem like the best time to be going full force into building waterfront condos that cost $389,000 and homes in the rest of the development start just under $300,000.
“Sure, we’re worried about the economy, but we’re in a niche market,” Fisher said. And that market includes a variety of buyers, from nearby all the way to Washington state and from young couples with children to folks looking for a retirement home on the lake.
Fisher’s partner, Bryan Smith, has already built several of the eight houses that are under roof. Smith, Fisher and another partner, Mark Honeycutt, make up Smithercut LLC that’s developing the patio homes and condos.
Work started on the section where patio homes are going about six months ago and the area is now cleared and lined off for curbing and guttering. Fisher said he expects some patio homes to be open by next spring.
Fisher said he had to go through four regulatory agencies while dealing with Alcoa, which controls the area along the Yadkin River, for the commercial parts like a marina, tiki bar and 44 wet slips for boats.
He had no answer for why the permitting process takes so long. “I don’t know why it is,” he said, but he contacted Sen. Elizabeth Dole’s office and was told that as soon as the application gets to the FERC offices, “it won’t languish.”
The Rowan County Board of Commissioners had to approve a rezoning of two tracts of the development from rural agricultural to multi-family residential as part of the process in January of 2005. Getting a sewer system proved another hurdle, with developers finally footing a $1.5 million bill to put in their own system. A drainage field that’s planted in soybeans now will handle sewage from the multi-family units when they’re complete.
The gated subdivision covers 3,400 feet of frontage along Goodman Lake Road, which will include parts that are open to the public, and almost two miles of frontage on High Rock Lake.
Fisher also has a marina at Little River, S.C., and the Grand Harbor development in South Carolina.
Fisher plans an open house Oct. 18 for people to see what is just around the bend for Sunset Pointe. He said six approved builders will show their plans for patio homes, and a barbecue and wine tasting are also part of scheduled events from noon to 6 p.m.
The phone number is 704-212-7483 or visit the developer’s Web site at www.sunsetpointelanding.com for more details.
On Interstate 85 take exit 81 (Spencer Exit), which is Long Ferry Road. Turn East away from the Town of Spencer, (Northbound turn right, Southbound turn left). On Long Ferry Road, travel 3.3 miles to the intersection of Goodman Lake Road. Turn right onto Goodman Lake and travel .7 of a mile to the entrance of Sunset Pointe. Total distance off I-85 is only 4 miles.