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Today's developers recognize that buyers are seeking homes and communities that reflect their priorities and passions. One of those emerging priorities is the GREEN movement which has swept the building industry. Homes wired for today's technology are also attractive features for many home buyers. In addition, home owners desire to be a part of neighborhoods that possess a community vibe, with wide green spaces and neighbors who know one another's names.

One such development in Loudon County, Virginia, has proven that high tech and green spaces can be beautifully intertwined. Brambleton, the nation's first Verizon-enhanced fiber optic neighborhood, recently received a Merit Award from PLANET (Professional Landcare Network) for its comprehensive landscape design and management features integrated throughout the community.

From its conception, natural features, along with the latest technology, were planned for the infrastructure of this 2,000-acre residential and retail community. Brambleton's common areas, pools and on-site offices incorporate creative plantings and stone recovered during construction. Thousands of square feet of planting beds and trees support tranquil, winding pathways. The community is not only home to more than 2,000 families; Brambleton's water features also attract scores of ducks, geese, herons, and other aquatic wildlife.

This movement toward a planned community is not new. One of the earliest on record is Miletus, Greece, which was begun in the fourth century B.C. In the early 20th century, the British "Garden City" movement was the genesis of modern-day planned communities. Today, developers who incorporate superb amenities and quality infrastructure in communities are hitting the right note with homeowners.

Home buyers today also appreciate and recognize the value of a community that incorporates a thoughtful environmental approach in its planning and execution. As a result of this type of careful planning, residents often have access to miles of scenic trails, shady playgrounds, and numerous fields for sports right in their backyard.

Helping to sustain the GREEN movement, communities may also feature shopping, entertainment and dining within walking distance of homes. The environmental beauty of the community further encourages exploration by foot rather than by car.

To date, businesses such as Fox Cinemas, Chevy Chase Bank, The UPS Store, Caribou Coffee, Art & Frame Depot, and Edible Arrangements have made their home in the Brambleton development. Barnes & Noble and Classic Closet & Design are also new neighbors coming soon to the community.

Brambleton combines all modern conveniences, including a technologically advanced infrastructure, with a small town feeling. 'We are a true neighborhood,' explained Kim Adams, Brambleton's Director of Marketing, 'Families here, from all backgrounds, share a community value system.' Adams indicated that Brambleton's central location within the suburban Washington, D.C., area is what initially entices people to investigate the development. "The warmth of the community convinces them to make it their home," she said.

Heritage Landscape Services, landscape partner to Brambleton, received the official recognition for the PLANET award in Louisville, Kentucky, at the 2007 Green Industry Conference saying, "Breaking the mold of traditional planned communities, Brambleton has established itself as an innovative leader in luxury suburban living."

PLANET, the Professional Landcare Network, is an international association serving over 4,000 lawn care professionals, landscape management contractors, design/build/installation professionals, and interior plantscapers. The Environmental Improvement Awards Program reflects PLANET's commitment to creating and preserving the beauty of our landscape.

Soave Enterprises is a diversified management and investment company founded by Detroit businessman Anthony L. Soave that provides strategic planning, financial and other management resources to its affiliated business ventures in the real estate, automotive retailing, beer distribution, scrap metal, industrial services and transportation industries, among others.

For more information on Anthony Soave and Soave Enterprises, please visit http://www.soave.com.