I here's nothing ordinary about River 

 Dunes, a 1,300-acre pine plantation being trans- 

 formed into a residential and boating community. 



What sets this emerging Pamlico County 

 waterfront project apart from others is the 

 developers' quest to balance environmental 

 concerns with economic goals. 



The land was earmarked for development, 

 explains Ed Mitchell, one of four River Dunes 

 Corporation partners who saw the value of 

 keeping the parcel intact. "We wanted to be the 

 ones to develop it using methods to preserve the 

 land and waterways." 



Some call it smart growth. Others call it 

 green or low-impact design. Mitchell prefers the 

 term sustainable development — a comprehen- 

 sive approach that combines the health of the 

 environment with the strength of the economy to 

 enhance the character of a community. 



"If it's not economically feasible, it's not 

 sustainable development. It has to go where the 

 market allows," Mitchell adds. 



"The real estate market is changing. The 

 demand for environmentally sensitive projects 

 has increased," says Bill Holman, executive 



ABOVE. A low-profile dock stretches over natural shoreline — a hallmark of the waterfront 

 home sites. LEFT: An aerial view of River Dunes shows why attention to land-use planning 

 details is essential for sustained water quality. 



CONSERVATION BY DESIGN: VARIATIONS ON A THEME 



RIVER DUNE 

 Sustainable Development 



director of the N.C. Clean Water Management 

 Trust Fund. The River Dunes project, he says, is 

 an example of how developers can build attractive 

 communities that protect water quality — and are 

 profitable. 



The $40-million venture is Pamlico 

 County's largest economic development project 

 to date. Some 550-plus homes will be nestled 

 in marina-, creek- and river-side sites, and are 

 expected to generate a $279-million tax base. 

 What's more, the spending power of its 1 , 100 

 residents and marina users should give an 

 economic boost to retail and professional services 

 in nearby Oriental, Bayboro and New Bern. 



Still, waterfront development poses special 

 challenges and costs. 



The geography of River Dunes — a 

 peninsula surrounded by the Pamlico Sound, 

 Neuse River and Broad Creek — calls for 

 extraordinary measures to protect the waters that 

 have defined the region's history, culture and 

 economy for centuries. 



Also needing special consideration are 

 nearly 394 acres of wetlands, as well as the 

 Gum Thicket Creek watershed and major creeks 



— Broad Creek, Tar Creek, Cedar Creek, Mill 

 Creek, Paris Creek — that are primary nursery 

 areas for various fisheries. Several are open to 

 shellfishing. 



A HEAD START 



Collaboration has been the key to moving 

 River Dunes from concept to site design and 

 implementation. 



Since the 1930s, the tract was in timber 

 production, most recently owned and operated by 

 Weyerhaeuser. In the 1990s, the company shifted 

 the tract, known as Gum Thicket, from timber 

 production to its real estate division. Mitchell, then 

 the division manager with Weyerhaeuser, became 

 responsible for guiding the project. 



Mitchell began meeting with environmental 

 groups, including the Neuse River Foundation 

 (NRF) and the N.C. Coastal Federation (NCCF). 



"It was important to get ahead of the curve 

 on environmental concerns," says Todd Miller, 

 executive director of the NCCF. "A big issue was 

 how to accommodate boating along the shoreline 

 of such sensitive waters." 



Mitchell brainstormed with representatives 



8 WINTER 2005 



