Good taste, quality reign in Browntown Road development

Good things come in small packages. So does good taste and quality, believes James Pratt, developer of Traditions, a planned community located in the northwest section of the city of Chattanooga.
   The $12 million to $15 million development features homes that range from 1,800 to 2,600 square feet built in a style that evokes the feeling of a neighborhood where residents call from their front porches to others walking along sidewalks bordered with wrought iron mail boxes and street lamps.
   Pratt & Associates is a company that builds and develops traditional housing, Mr. Pratt said. The Traditions is the first project for him and his partner, son Win Pratt.
   Nearly a dozen homes are completed or close to completion. Construction on two more homes will start soon. The first house was completed last May.
   "We are pretty much on target, and the market has pretty much unfolded the way we thought it would," Mr. Pratt said.
   By March, seven families will be living in Traditions. Most of them are empty nesters who wanted to scale down but not at the expense of quality, Mr. Pratt said.
   Buyers can choose from 10 floor plans, and each floor plan offers a choice of two exterior elevations for 20 different looks, Mr. Pratt explained. Most of the homes are two-story, although one-story floor plans are available for the homes, which range from %194,500 to $275,000. The higher-end models include basements.
   One of the features that makes his development unique is the way they handle custom-built homes, Mr. Pratt said. His company builds speculative homes for sale, but will work with a buyer who wants to choose a lot and then have the home built.
   "We make life simple; we make it an enjoyable experience for the homebuyer," Win Pratt said.
   "We eliminate so many hard choices. There is a lot of fear of the many decisions a buyer has to make. We've got the experts, so you know it will look good when it's finished," Mr. Pratt added.
   After a buyer selects her or his floor plan, the Pratts offer a choice of three roof colors and maybe five or six exterior colors. They have an in-house interior designer, the younger Pratt's wife, who provides advice on interior finishes from paint color to carpet to cabinets to hardware.
   Traditions has a fully furnished model home open to the public, Mr. Pratt said. The decision to fully finish and furnish the house, including a gas log fireplace to keep out the cold, shows the commitment to quality, Mr. Pratt said.
   "I think it's easier for people to see something finished than to try and imagine it themselves."
   Design details work together to create a subdivision of homes that recalls the feeling of planned communities like Seaside, Fla., or Celebration, Fla., a community created by Disney World designers. Mr. Pratt met with the original planner of Seaside.
   Pickled wood porches on both stories are a standard feature of the brick and vinyl exteriors, as are the bead board porch ceilings, transom and dormer windows and gabled roofs. All garages are placed to the side or the rear of the homes, some of which also have wood decks.
   Several of the houses are built or being built on a section called the Courtyard. Houses are separated at the rear by an alley. Landscaping plays an important role in making that concept work. One house has a row of 15-foot-tall evergreens around the back yard to create a private courtyard. The natural barrier provides privacy for the homeowner and improves the neighbors' views at the same time.
   Work on the amenities package is well under way. By the time it's warm enough to go swimming, the pool will be finished. Walking trails and a playground are in the works.
   The development can be reached by traveling north on Highway 27 to the Mountain Creek Road exit. Follow Mountain Creek Road to Browntown Road and take a left. Traditions is less than a mile on the left.
   "We are literally nine minutes from BellSouth Park, or Big River Grille or the Bijou Theater. We are also nine minutes from Northgate," Mr. Pratt said.
   The property slopes up from the entrance and leads to a small lake on the hill. Several houses on the lower elevation have a view of Walden's Ridge from their second story porches. Some of the sloped lots can accommodate basements for additional square footage.
   Many of the old growth trees were left standing, giving a feel of an established community and helping to retain the countryside feel of the development and its immaculately landscaped yards.
   Mr. Pratt, who is working on a similar development in Hixson, is a businessman who has been in the propane gas business for many years.
   "I've been in the business of serving people all my life. Housing is no different," he said. "What's important is that you do what you say you are going to do when you say you are going to do it. Everybody has issues, no matter what the business is; it's how you deal with the issues that makes the difference."