Mountain Living - Smokies
Sevier County, Real Estate Guide

Estates at Norton Creek:
Community appeals to those who value nature

When Robin Turner was young and vacationing with his family in the Great Smoky Mountains, his idea of a luxury accommodation was a “pop-up camper.”

Today, Turner, whose company owns the WonderWorks attraction in Orlando and recently opened a WonderWorks in Pigeon Forge, is focusing on a different type of luxury living in the mountains.

As developer of the Estates at Norton Creek, he is creating a community of luxury homes that will average $1.2 million in cost on one of the last large privately owned tracts of land adjacent to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Turner purchased the 750-acre tract last year from Earl and Margit Worsham, who retain the remainder of the 3,200-acre estate where they host charity galas, fly-fishing and bear-hunting events and other activities.

While designed for an upscale market, the idea is not to build “castles,” said Cathy Ackermann of Ackermann PR, the Knoxville public relations firm. A long-time supporter of park-related organizations, she has joined Turner as a principal of Norton Creek LLC, the development firm.

Instead, the tract is being marketed to people  -  mainly those looking to or at retirement age  -  who value a setting in which nature appreciation is a priority.

Strict guidelines limit construction of the homes and any related structures to an 80-by-100-foot house pad on the large acre or more lots, and require minimum disruption of natural features.

“The properties have their own conservation plans, which say they can enhance it and complement it, but not disrupt it,” said Turner. “Our whole focus has been just don’t mess it up.”

Norton Creek LLC is working with the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont on a pilot program designed to ensure that non-native plants are not used in landscaping. Invasive non-native plants currently on the property are being identified and removed. Norton Creek, a pristine trout stream, is being protected by a conservation easement, and will be overseen by a river keeper, who will regulate fishing and monitor the stream.

The community is designed so that residents’ views will be of mountains and natural features and not of rooftops or large, multi-structure mansions rising in the air, said Ackermann.

She calls nature the main amenity of the community where common facilities are limited to a community pavilion, using an existing one-room schoolhouse as a Trout Club, and ensuring privacy through a security gate.

The strict guidelines have been a good selling feature, said Turner. Fifty-five of the 75 ridge-top lots in the first phase have been sold.

Norton LLC is preparing to offer as the next phase, Elkmont at Norton Creek, which will feature 60 turnkey houses designed to replicate the feel of the old resort community in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Buyers can choose from three plans and opt to have Norton Creek LLC furnish the homes, “down to the pots and pans,” said Ackermann.

The houses, ranging from 1,600 to 2,600 square feet, will be nestled within the mountains in a setting similar to the old Elkmont community, and will have architectural features such as wrap-around porches and stonework that resemble the old now-vacant park community.

The Norton Creek lot owners have no time limit for constructing a home. Buyers are those looking for year-round homes or second homes, according to the developers. No rental properties are allowed.

The Estates at Norton Creek has been named as one of the “Best New Communities for 2006” by Pinnacle Living Mountain Homes in its 2006 Best of the Mountains Awards winter issue.

Location: Northern edge of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, off “The Spur” (U.S. 441 South) one mile north of Gatlinburg Developer: Norton Creek LLC, Robin Turner and Cathy Ackermann, principals

Lots/units: 200 estate lots of an acre or more in Estates at Norton Creek; 60 themed houses on lots in Elkmont at Norton Creek; total development size: 750 acres Prices: Lots range from $300,000 to $600,000. Elkmont homes start at $600,000.

Amenities: Mountain views from 2,500-foot elevation; secluded natural settings controlled by strict covenants; private stocked trout stream protected by conservation easements and overseen by river keeper; access to some Great Smoky Mountains National Park trails; gated secured entry; creekside community pavilion with catering kitchen, restrooms, fireplace, individual locked wine cellers; Trout Clubhouse for fishing enthusiasts For more information: Estates at Norton Creek, call 865-430-7825 or 800-419-8481 or visit www.estatesatnortoncreek.com