Clear Springs Development Company Wins Top Community Award From Home Builders Association of Charlotte
May 23, 2001

The Village of Baxter, a traditional neighborhood in Fort Mill being developed by Clear Springs Development Company, won a Gold award for "Best Overall Community" from the Home Builders Association of Charlotte.

"In selecting its choice for 'Best Overall Community,' the judges were looking for neighborhoods that offered innovative home styles, as well as an overall sense of community," said Kerri Robusto, director of marketing for Clear Springs Development Company. "It is a very prestigious and hotly contested award by communities throughout Charlotte."

Baxter was selected as "Best Overall Community" from among several entrants in the Charlotte region. Judges were sales and marketing executives for communities throughout the Southeast.
The annual Major Achievements in Marketing Excellence awards recognize outstanding marketing materials submitted by builders, developers and advertising agencies who are members of the Home Builders Association.

"Baxter is the epitome of a traditional neighborhood - front porches, sidewalks and abundant open space," Robusto said. "It is a tremendous honor to be recognized as 'Best Overall Community' by leading professionals in the homebuilding industry."

Clear Springs Development also won Gold awards for Best Print Ad - Color Magazine, Best Print Ad - Color Newspaper and Best Print Ad - Black-and-White Newspaper. In addition, Clear Springs Development won awards for Best Centralized Sales Center and Best Product Design in the $250s to $300s range for David Weekley Home's The Shelby home plan.

The award for Best Print Ad - Color Magazine was for a collage ad illustrating the advantages of small-town living. The headline read: "Baxter. Where forgotten pleasures of small town life frame your existence." The ad appeared in several national publications, including Southern Living.

The award for Best Print Ad - Color Newspaper was for an ad highlighting how Baxter offers not only dream homes, but an amenities package that includes a school inside the Village, a medical campus and a retail center. The headline read: "What good is a dream home if it's not in a dream neighborhood."

The award for Best Print Ad - Black-and-White Newspaper was for an ad illustrating how Baxter's preservation of green space is helping create a truly unique American neighborhood. The headline read: "With 400 acres of green space, we have lots of breathing room. And plenty of trees to supply the oxygen."

The 950-acre Village of Baxter is located approximately 20 minutes from uptown Charlotte in the southwest quadrant of S.C. Highway 160 and Interstate 77. It is being developed on property owned by the Close family as a traditional neighborhood, offering single family homes and townhomes, as well as commercial sites and more than 400 acres of open spaces.

Modeled after small towns of the Southeast, Baxter's traditional architecture reflects the style and character of the Upcountry South Carolina region. Features such as front porches and abundant sidewalks orient activity to the front of homes, promoting a pedestrian-friendly community.

For more information on Baxter, call toll-free (877) 570-HOME, visit the Baxter Information Center, located at the community's main entrance off Highway 160, or visit http://www.villageofbaxter.com.