Oasis On 12th Stree

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The four cottages will be distinguished by their verticality, which captures and complements the beauty of the surrounding trees. In addition to the native vegetation already on the property, xeriscaping, native, and drought-resistant plants will be used instead of sod.

Over the last five years, hundreds of homes in newly created communities have been built throughout Indian River County. Most are hard to miss. Typically large in scale, visible from the street, and surrounded by privacy walls, they have forever changed what had once been open land lush with trees and tropical foliage.

Yet very soon a different kind of community will begin to emerge in our midst, one that bears noting. As you drive west on 12th Street, shortly after you’ve passed 43rd Avenue, maybe you’ve caught sight of a sun-dappled coquina road that winds its way into a mass of towering oaks and wondered what’s in there. The answer, right now, is nothing, except what nature blessed it with. But this spring, architect Michael McKinley plans to break ground and begin construction on a compound of four cottage-style homes on the 3½-acre site. Zoned for three residences per acre, McKinley could have opted to build as many as nine units. Instead, he and his wife and business partner Kathy Calnen chose a more ecologically sensitive approach when designing Grove Cottages, a name that honors its citrus heritage.

“When we purchased the property four years ago, our original concept was to create a low-density residential enclave in order to preserve the trees, the hammock and overall canopy,” says Michael. “It’s a mature hammock and it fascinated Kathy and me with its pristine character, including the coquina road. Our concept has always been to stay as close to the character and privacy that really cause you to feel like this is an oasis.”

Read the entire article in the March 2008 issue

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