Arizona-based developer breaks ground on South Fork Senior Community in Belmont

Arizona-based home building company Del Webb, a brand under the larger company Pulte Homes Inc, recently broke ground on South Fork Senior Community.

Once all phases have been completed, the senior community will span a total of 462 acres of land, and will include 809 homes, a fitness center, pickleball courts, a 30-acre retail area, and more.

After several public hearings and negotiation between the developer and the city, Del Webb is moving forward with the first phase of the project, which will include the development of approximately 223 lots, according to representatives from Del Webb.

The project was approved more than three years ago after a divided vote of approval from Belmont’s planning and zoning board sent the project to city council.

Several points of concern were brought to city council by Belmont residents and local experts.

Residents living near the planned site of the development expressed concern about the expected increase in traffic.

Residents attending planning and zoning board meetings about the project in 2021 said that with more than 1,000 homes and shoppers accessing the intersection of Cimmaron and Armstrong Ford Road, it would become gridlocked, according to previous reports by The Gazette. 

After looking at a traffic analysis completed for the project based on traffic patterns in 2018 and ‘19, the developers agreed to fund improvements to seven intersections near the senior community and will also add a traffic signal to the entrance.

Local environmental organizations like the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation and the Lake Wylie Marine Commission also expressed concern over the development’s potential impact on the South Fork River.

Since the development will border the South Fork River, the organizations were concerned with water quality, and requested two special monitors be installed along the river to monitor sediment build-up.

A Pulte Homes representative agreed to fund the two monitors.

The company also plans to include a 100-foot buffer between the development and the river, stormwater enhancements, and a silt fence to catch excess runoff.

In addition to the special river monitors and intersection improvements, Del Webb also plans to build 2.7 miles of waterfront nature trails, a riverfront park, and agreed to build 0.73 miles of a future multi-modal road in Belmont called the South Fork Parkway, all of which will be donated to the city.

The single-story homes will range from 1,223 - 1,712 square feet and prices start in the $400,000 range.

Phase one is expected to be completed sometime in 2025 with the first residents moving into their homes later this year, according to representatives from Del Webb.

The full project will not be completed until after 2030.

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Developer breaks ground on South Fork Senior Community in Belmont