The mixed-use

land plan for the community includes a wide variety of housing choices,

police and fire facilities, the TownMarket area with a retail complex

within walking distance of the residential neighborhoods, and the Walden

Park Family Club with its extensive recreational facilities.

The names of

residential neighborhoods in Walden Park are name interpretations of art

forms represented by the ancient Greek Muses, the time-honored symbols

for inspiration, and include the Artisans, Ballad, Havens, Serenade, Marquee,

Promenade and Legends.

Homes in the

community are priced from the $160,000s to the $600,000s, and the builder

team is composed of David Weekley Homes, Ryland Homes, Traton Homes, Sharon

McSwain Homes, and the TownPark Custom Builders (Homebuilders Construction,

Ideal Smart Energy Homes, Nesbitt Lord & Company, and Covenant Builders).

Sales for the

TownPark Custom Builders are handled by Just Realty, while the other builders

have their own marketing representatives on-site.

Residents of

Walden Park have access to the impressive amenities in the Walden Park

Family Club. This area includes the Walden Park Grand Clubhouse, which

has a social room with a fireplace; open-air pavilion; and patios overlooking

the swimming pool in the aquatic center. Also in the Family Club area

are the Jubilee Amphitheater, a children1s play center, a basketball court,

a volleyball court, a tennis center, and a village green.

Macauley said

Walden Park is both "pedestrian friendly" and "children

friendly." The development has a system of trails, and there are

sidewalks on both sides of the streets. The sidewalks are six to 10 ft.

off the curbs, and "street" trees are planted between the street

and the sidewalk every 35 to 40 ft. on center.

When these

"street" trees mature, they will form a canopy over the street

throughout the development. The 160-acre conservation easement will provide

a nature area which will give residents access to trails and a wildlife

viewing area.

The community

also has features which the developer describes as "traffic-calming

techniques." The streets are narrower than normal and have smaller

corner radii, encouraging more cautious driving and turns. There are also

several traffic "roundabouts" with small parks in their centers

which contribute both to traffic safety and to the beauty of the development.

"Walden

Park is also an example of public-private cooperation to bring quality

development to an area that has been largely ignored in the past,"

said Macauley.

For this, he

credited the Fulton County government, including the county commissioners,

the Department of Economic Development, the Department of Environment

& Community Development and the Department of Public Works; and such

organizations as South Fulton Revitalization Inc., the South Fulton Parkway

Alliance, and Green South Fulton.

The Macauley

Companies Inc., established in 1979, is one of Atlanta's leading community

developers and is the originator of TownPark Planning. The organization's

developments include Legacy Park in Cobb County, named one of the Top

5 Communities in America by the National Association of Home Builders,

and Glencree in south Forsyth County, selected as Best National Project

of the Year - Eastern Region by the National Association of Home Builders.

The organization has previously been active on the Northside of Atlanta,

and Walden Park is its first venture into the Metro South area.

Walden Park

is a new residential development where a nature preserve with walking

trails and beaver ponds provides the central community amenity.

Stephen Macauley

partnered with The Nature Conservancy over three years ago to develop

a plan to build a residential community that embraces the importance of

green space.

The Nature

Conservancy became involved with Walden Park because the area contains

at least three separate beaver created hardwood wetlands, one of which

is very large.

This 40-acre

wetland is home to various birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and mammals.

Walden Park also shelters two rare plant species: Harper heartleaf, a

small ground covering; and Log fern, a large fern located within wet fringes

along streams.

In addition

to the importance of the habitat that exists on the property, Deep Creek

provides a vital tributary to the nearby Chattahoochee River.

"This

was a unique opportunity for The Nature Conservancy to work in an urban

setting with a developer who embraces the importance of how quality of

life is connected to the environment," said Stacy Patton, Chattahoochee

River project manager for The Nature Conservancy.

"Mr. Macauley

has been an extremely generous partner and has agreed to donate the 160

acres to The Nature Conservancy as a conservation easement. He is also

providing a stewardship endowment for on-going work at Walden Park. The

protected area will be used by Walden Park residents and local schools

for both passive recreation and educational opportunities," she said.

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