Bonita Bay Group featured in national builders' magazines

COURTESY PHOTO Verandah River House. The National Association of Home Builders has cited Bonita Bay Group as an example of a developer using nature to enhance the lifestyles of its communities in two of its national publications. The article, published in the online Nation's Building News and the current issue of Sales + Marketing Ideas magazine, shares information about the trails, bike paths, neighborhood parks, gardens and paddling trails that help residents connect with nature in their own backyards.

Bonita Bay Group plans its communities to enhance and improve the natural environment. At TwinEagles in North Naples, wetlands and a natural flow way were restored, creating a marsh, tree islands and deep pools that attract water birds. At Verandah in Fort Myers, four smaller buildings were carefully fitted among trees in a riverfront hammock rather than building a traditional large clubhouse. All of Bonita Bay Group's 14 golf courses provide habitat for wildlife and open view corridors for residents.

"Parks and other natural areas within a community provide a calm, green place in the world," said Naples landscape architect Ellin Goetz, who has designed parks for Bonita Bay Group communities. "The more we can make these outdoor places experiential and engaging, the more residents are going to enjoy living where they do."

Bonita Bay Group also built dog parks at Verandah and Sandoval, its newest community in Cape Coral.

Two North Carolina communities, Cold Mountain near Ashville and The Lodges at Eagles Nest in Banner Elk, are included in the article as other examples of developments that incorporate nature as an amenity for residents.

The National Association of Home Builders is a trade association representing more than 235,000 members involved in the residential and lightcommercial construction industries and related businesses. Founded in 1942, the NAHB is a resource for industry information, education, research and technical expertise. For more information, visit www.nahb.org.