New for Five Points

A residential development in the Five Points area aims to preserve the turn-of-the-century feel of the neighborhood while providing new housing options.

Up to 15 single-family houses are slated to be built on lots along Rison Avenue near England Street. The first phase, three houses to be built on the northeast corner of Rison and England, were approved by a city Planning Commission subcommittee Wednesday, said Crawford Howard, commission chairman.

The Planning Commission will consider the plans at its meeting Tuesday night, Howard said. He believes that the project will be well-received.

"I think it's going to be an asset to that particular area," he said. "We've had treasure in the northeast part of town."

The houses are being built by Derek Williams, president of Providence Homes. Until now, Williams' construction projects, including Biltmore Station, Crystal Springs and Vasser Farm subdivisions, have focused on the Monrovia and Harvest areas.

The Five Points development grew out of a love of older homes, Williams said.

"I really like the area," he said. "I enjoy the bungalow-style homes."

Because the revitalization of the Five Points historic area has moved north toward Oakwood Avenue, when Williams saw the lots for sale, he knew he wanted them. Home prices have risen dramatically in the area, and most construction projects involved remodeling older homes.

"There has been a push to revitalize the area," he said, "and there's not a lot of new construction down there." Older homes that had been on the lots were razed by the previous owner, he said.

In some ways, the houses will look like their older neighbors: smaller in size - between 1,400 and 1,500 square feet, with mature shade trees on the lots, Williams said. The models follow classic bungalow designs.

"We didn't want to build something that didn't fit the area," he said.

But these houses will have modern appliances and low-maintenance materials. They'll be priced around $170,000, with the exception of one larger, custom-built house.

The houses will have hardwood floors, 9-foot ceilings, custom cabinets and tile, granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. The houses will have brick and hardboard exteriors, and the roofs will have architectural shingles.

The lots will be fully sodded and landscaped, Williams said.

"We're going to make sure these houses look good," he said.

As the sites have been cleared, interest in the houses has increased. Williams said he gets several calls each day from people who have picked up fliers from boxes at the empty lots. The ages of those interested ranges from young couples to retirees looking to downsize, he said.

Williams believes that the close proximity of the new houses will create a sense of community in that corner of the neighborhood.

"I believe in the near future it's going to blossom into a much revitalized area," he said.