'Farmstead' Community Coming to North Cherokee

Lot reservations are now underway for a new “farmstead” housing development coming to 461 acres in northeast Cherokee County near Ball Ground.

The Folia Group recently announced the new master plan community “promising farmstead living for modern pioneers,” according to the group.

The new development, Sanctuaire Farms, is planned to be on Conns Creek Road at Moody Road, five miles from downtown Ball Ground. It is expected to include lots of five to 20-plus acres.

There are 56 tracts for sale, according to Folia Group. Residents may combine lots or build a secondary home on their tract for families looking to live close together.

Realtor Chad Davis with Shirley Gary Group/Ansley Real Estate said the developer is selling just the acreage. Preliminary pricing starts at about $52,000 per acre for five to six acres. Seven to nine acres is about $46,000 per acre, and 10 or more acres is about $42,000 per acre.

“We will have a builder list of 4-5 local builders that buyers can then pick from to have them build custom,” Davis said in an email to the Tribune. “The cost of the home they chose to build will be separate. We will have a (minimum) of 1,000 sq. feet. And we will require that you build on the lot in a 2-year time frame from purchase.”

Construction is expected to start in November on the land development, with closing on “farmsteads” starting in the spring, said Folia Group CEO Rob Beecham.

“Sanctuaire Farms was born out of my own family’s desire to create a simpler, family and community-centric lifestyle with less traffic, noise and stress,” Beecham said. “Sanctuaire Farms is a unique, lifestyle-oriented project like no other. The interest and enthusiasm have been incredible. We focused on using the word ‘farmsteading’ because we want to bring multiple families together and create a supportive community around ‘homesteading.’ What we are doing is different. We’ve already got 32 families signed up to be the first to purchase a home.”

Plans for the development include The Grange Community Farm, a 40-acre farm with a community garden, greenhouse and orchard, where there will be educational resources for gardening, farming and raising livestock. Subscriptions for beef, pork, poultry, dairy and vegetables will be managed there.

The community farm will also be the site for numerous gatherings and celebrations such as farm-to-table dinners, cookouts, special events and more.

“We are offering an upscale, multi-generation farm lifestyle with the finest amenities,” Beecham said. “Families who join us here will benefit from fresh air, fresh produce, re-connection with nature and a supportive community. Residents can choose to be as hands-on as they wish with their own gardens and livestock, or they can simply enjoy the bounty of the community garden and interact with Sanctuaire Farms’ horses, cows, pigs and other livestock.”

Davis added that “Sanctuaire Farms provides families with privacy and security, in addition to the back-to-nature lifestyle.”

“At Sanctuaire Farms, kids can ride horses, get their hands dirty in the garden, explore the natural world and let their imaginations run free as they play outdoors with their friends,” Davis said.

For more information about Sanctuaire Farms, visit www.sanctuairefarms.com . For property availability, contact Davis at chaddavis@ansleyre.com.