October 29, 2018
Berry Farms in Franklin welcomes new amenities for growing community
Home buyers who are among the very first to live in a new neighborhood often purchase their home on the promise of things to come. Amenities such as clubhouses, pools and parks are typically not among the first things to be built in a new community, but are added when there are enough homeowners to enjoy them.
Boyle Investment Company, the developers of Berry Farms in Franklin, announced to its homeowners and commercial tenants this week the opening of multiple amenities that have been in the works for some time.
Adam Ballash, development manager for Boyle, said the Boyle team has been working for about a year to build new amenity packages including community garden beds, a playground, junior Olympic-size swimming pool and a party barn.
“When we first opened up the residential sections at Berry Farms in 2009, we completed a small pool called The Plunge, but we had always planned on having a second pool,” Ballash said. “The subdivision has passed the capacity for that first pool, so we are finishing up the second one now.”
He said the new pool is a junior Olympic length that has been set up to have the ability to host a swim team and other community events for the residents.
Also opening this fall is a new playground beside the pool with swings and slides delivered in a clever way that pays homage to the feel of the Berry Farms community with one of the towers designed to look like the old grain silos that are located around the grounds.
“Behind the pool, we have a sports lawn area where we built equipment holders that we plan to fill up with balls and Frisbees for any of our residents who want to go out there and play,” he said. “We have plans to install a couple of grills as well.”
On the northernmost side of Berry Farms, adjacent to Rural Plains, the land’s original homestead, is a community garden with plans for an additional 5 acres dedicated to passive open space. “In that zone, we will have some formal garden and event areas where residents could set up tents on the lawn,” Ballash said.
The community garden consists of 50 raised garden beds that are for lease on a first-come, first-served basis.
Ballash said once gardens get up and growing, there are plans to have a company work alongside the residents to coach them through growing seasons.
“Ultimately, we would love to host some community gatherings and farm-to-table dinners to celebrate the harvest,” he said.
The last amenity in this phase of development is a party barn that Ballash described as a smaller version of the barn at Homestead Manor in Thompson’s Station. The open-air barn will be designed to host community events and is expected to be completed in the next 60 to 90 days.
“If you look around Williamson County, there are some very successful residential communities,” Ballash said. “At The Grove, golf is the focus. Westhaven has golf and a great swim club, but one of the things we want to promote at Berry Farms is the mixed-use lifestyle where people can walk to work and walk to the grocery store and to dinner and have a drink. Above and beyond just a pool or playground, we are really hoping some of these amenities continue to emphasize Berry Farms as a special community where there really are a lot of services and amenities.”