By Chris Wilson
The Brytan development, located on the south side of the Tower Rd. and Archer Rd. intersection, has three homes completed and available, after a process that began for Brice Development Group in 2000. Eventually, the development will feature 700 residential units, including single family homes, town houses and apartments, and 300,000 square feet of commercial use.

Thus far, the only companies that have signed on to the commercial space are Walgreens and Kiddie Academy day care center.

Brytan is one of only six Florida communities that currently is a part of the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Neighborhood Development pilot program. The program, which promotes smart growth and urbanism, will strive to reduce urban sprawl, encourage healthy living by being a walkable/biking community, protect threatened species and increase transportation choice. All of Brytan’s homes will be Energy Star-certified.

According to Brice Development Group president David Miller, among the energy-saving techniques will be heating and air conditioning systems with all of the duct work in the heated/cooled space, so that any leaks contribute to the heating and cooling. There is energy efficient insulation and windows. All carpet and floor coverings adhere to indoor air quality standards and all paint is low or no VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) paint.

The 150-acre development features walking trails, a pecan orchard, Carl’s Corner (a playground for children) and Hazel’s Garden, a conservation area featuring environmental education plaques. Brice Development Group marketing director Sara Summerfield says there will be plaques with information about Brytan’s protected species, including the gopher tortoise, the eastern indigo snake, the kestrel and the poppy mallow plant.

In addition, Brytan features its own state-of-the-art fiber optic communications system called BrytLink that is pre-wired directly to all of the neighborhood’s homes and buildings. The system will be part of the homeowner’s association dues and residents will have the option to upgrade features, such as increased bandwidth.

The development is broken into several sections. The area closest to Archer Rd. will be the Town Center, which will feature multi-story buildings with residents living above retail shops and businesses. At the heart of Town Center is Market Street, with plenty of shops, restaurants, and offices. Market St. will have on-street parking and is designed to be pedestrian-friendly, with raised intersections to calm traffic.

“There will be no big box stores, huge parking lots or traffic lights,” says Miller.

As you head south into the development, you will pass through “midtown,”?which will feature a variety of live/work units, which have offices on the street level and living areas above, and townhouses, all within walking distance to Market Street.

Further south, you will encounter “Parkside West,”?which features mansion-style houses with six apartment units in each house. This neighborhood also provides residents with craftsman-style detached homes with rear lanes, private courtyards and detached garages.

A future phase of Brytan will be “The Pointe,” which will have a mix of homes, live/work units and townhouses surrounded by a community park.

Brytan has not come without its share of controversies. Area residents were upset with county plans to re-route SW 75th St. through the Brytan Town Center. Residents argued that traffic would be slower through the Town Center because of on-street parking and raised intersections. However, the county believed that the traffic light at Archer Rd. would make re-routing the road a more safe option.

“We think it has made the entrance to Archer Rd. better,” says Miller. “There used to be only one way to go out and there was no traffic light there.”

In addition, several residents complained about having nails in their tires because of Brytan’s construction. Brice Business Group actually replaced or paid for 15-20 tires. “We’re trying to be a good neighbor and we realize that construction is inconvenient for folks,” says Miller. “I always think that chances are when my home was being built, it was an inconvenience for somebody else at some time. Our crews are walking the roads to keep them free from debris.”

For more information about Brytan, visit www.brytan.com, call (352)379-5777 or visit the sales center at 5995 SW 75th St.