Posted on 08/22/2005 9:30:25 PM PDT by Lorianne
WEST BAY, Fla. - What is a striving Florida developer to do when most of its vast holdings are not beach chic but rural, remote and mosquitoey?
The St. Joe Company, which owns 800,000 mostly inland acres here in the scrubby pine forests of the Panhandle, is invoking Thoreau.
The company, Florida's largest private landowner, is pushing "new ruralism," a concept it hopes will entice city and suburban dwellers who are weary of civilization and long to own a tractor, a pickup truck, or at least a kayak and a few large dogs.
At developments called RiverCamps, where homes in a design proudly called "Cracker Modern" will sit on lots of up to four acres lots near marshes, creeks and conservation areas, "camp masters" will tutor residents in bird watching and flats fishing and organize "owl prowls" and "star parties." At WhiteFence Farms, on 5- to 20-acre lots near fields and ponds, "farmhands" will gas up an owner's tractor and help mow the meadow. A third category, Florida Ranches, will have up to 150 acres and cater to hunters.
Recent sales of RiverCamps on Crooked Creek, the first project under way, average $342,900 for the land alone. Projects farther inland will most likely cost far less per acre.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
"Cracker Modern"??? H*ll, if these folks are interested in playing at "Olde New England Swamp Yankee", I got something to sell them!
That's a beautiful area and it's only about 20 minutes from here (Panama City). Up until now it's been a good place for hiking, etc. The creeks and bayous emptying into West Bay (the bay not the town by that name) are first rate speckled trout fishing spots especially during the winter months.
I bet there's some great fly fishing areas in those flats and marshes.
Kayaking with alligators?
Yeah, that'll work.
Swamp Yankee :) I like it ... has a nice ring to it.
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