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There
are several easy to
explain reasons why Fairview has become such a popular town
to live in. One can sum it up like this: small town
atmosphere, close proximity to work and shopping, excellent
schools, low crime, the spaciousness of homes on acreage,
and a high quality of life.
Let's
start with the size of the
town. It is only 6.4 square miles in size. There
are just over 5,000 people in the entire town!
Have a question about
a city service? Drive right
up to the front door of the city offices and walk right in.
Talk to one of the friendly (yes, I said friendly) city
employees.
How
is Fairview such a
best kept secret? Fairview actually touches Central
Expressway (SH 75), but there is not one sign marking it on
the highway. In my opinion, this is the biggest reason
people don't know it exists. In fact, many people who
live right next door in Allen have never heard of Fairview.
Central Expressway
is the main north/south
artery out of Dallas connecting it with Richardson, Plano,
Allen, McKinney and points north through Sherman and into
Oklahoma. Richardson has become known for its'
telecommunications companies such as Ericcson and Nortel.
These firms, along with Texas Instruments, attract top
executives to the area, so there is a big demand for housing
within a reasonable drive time. Many of these
executives are transferred in and accustomed to living on
homes with acreage. They have virtually no options for
affordable housing on acreage either south, west, or east,
so the only direction left is north. Fairview is about
a 30 minute drive up Central Expressway from Nortel even
during rush hour traffic.
Now
that growth in Allen
has taken off, all of the shopping conveniences are within a
few minutes drive of any part of Fairview. The retail
growth has literally exploded along Central Expressway from
Plano all the way to Stacy Road. There is a high end
outlet mall in Allen with a Cole Haan, Liz Claiborne,
Adidas, Brooks Brothers, Ralph Lauren, Nautica, Perry Ellis,
Tommy Hilfiger, DKNY, Banana Republic, Eddie Bauer, Geoffrey
Beene, and Dansk. And across the highway,
The Village of Allen and the Village of Fairview
comprise two millions square feet of retail, restaurants,
and entertainment. Along with the Village of Fairview,
there are about 2 millions square feet in these two
developments. When it was developed starting in 2009,
it was the largest development in the entire Dallas/Fort
Worth Metroplx! One certainly doesn't have to travel
far for all the conveniences of city living. I call
this close-in country living.
Fairview's
motto is "Keeping it
Country" and the city government is trying to do just this!
The city master plan mandates one acre minimums, so you have
a wide open feel when you drive through the town.
There is rolling terrain and large trees with winding, small
two lane asphalt roads. This gives it a country feel.
The city planners are being very careful to keep the new
development consistent with their vision of semi-country
living. A home on one acre of land is still very
affordable in Fairview, but try to find a home on one acre
or an undeveloped one acre lot in Plano, Richardson or
anywhere inside the I-635 Loop!
Have you
ever wondered why almost every home in
Fairview is on no less than one acre and many are on
2 plus acres? There are two
reasons:
-
The
townspeople decided long ago that they did not want
a neighbor living right on top of them. Many
years ago the city planners wisely zoned all of the
land they could into a maximum of 1 home per acre.
-
The lack of sewer in
Fairview (with the one exception of Heritage Ranch -
a story in itself) mandates that all of the homes in
Fairview be situated on at least one acre.
As a rule of thumb, about one acre is required by
county and state guidelines for homes with septic
systems. State of the art septic systems
installed on new homes are actually high tech
mini-wastewater treatment plants. If they are
maintained properly, they are as clean and efficient
as any sewer treatment plant used by any major city
in America.
When
I hear people complain
that there is no sewer in Fairview, I gently remind them
that if sewer were in place (and some day years from now, it
probably will be), we might end up just like Plano or Allen.
We would have 4, 5, or more homes on an acre of land,
commercial development, retail, gas stations on every
corner, apartments, traffic, traffic lights, pollution, and
noise. Our quality of life would be completely changed
forever. Right now we have the best of both worlds.
We have close-in country living with quick, easy access to
shopping, major thoroughfares, great schools, and hospitals.
Fairview
has long been known
for its' little elementary school, called Lovejoy
Elementary. This school has been in service since the
early 1900's. In fact the original "little red
schoolhouse" is still in use today. It is a very, very
highly regarded elementary. I have moved several
families into Fairview simply because they wanted their
children to attend the Lovejoy ISD. It receives
exemplary ratings year in and year out. The parents
are highly involved with their children and the PTA.
Lovejoy ISD is now
declared a "property wealthy district" which speaks volumes
about the amount of financial support that is available from
the townspeople. Lovejoy ISD has just opened up the
newer elementary school (Hart Elementary) to handle the
overflow and it is everyone's belief that it will carry on
in the fine tradition that has been set by the original
school. Both schools have carried
the Texas Education Agency highest rating (exemplary) for as
long as anyone can remember. I personally believe that
we will end up with one of the finest little school
districts in the entire state of Texas!
If
horses or boating are your
hobbies, you will be in heaven in Fairview. Many, many
people in the area own horses. There are many stables,
riding arenas, ferriers, and clubs. The Trinity Trail
is a 9 mile equestrian center that winds along Lake Lavon.
It is only a few minutes' drive from Fairview.
Fairview actually runs along the west side of Lake Lavon, so
there is also quick access to several loading ramps.
If
golf
is your passion, you will be happy to know that there is a
brand new course (opened in June 2001) on Stacy Road in
Fairview. It is called
Heritage Ranch and
is a real winner. It rests on a beautiful, rolling,
heavily treed tract of land with natural springs. We
are all very excited about it. There are 4 great
public courses within a 20-30 minute drive of Fairview (Twin
Creeks, Chase Oaks, Ridgeview Ranch, and Woodbridge).
There are also two private golf courses very close to
Fairview. El Dorado Country Club is just 5 minutes
north of Fairview. I think it is the best bang for the
buck for a private golf club in the entire Dallas area.
It has a very nice, well maintained course, beautiful
clubhouse, huge pool, great tennis facilities, and it is
very reasonably priced. Tom Weiskopf has designed a
new golf course in McKinney, about 5 minutes from Fairview.
It is a TPC course and located in a new development called
Craig Ranch. Finally, there are two great courses in
Stonebridge, also just west of Fairview in McKinney.
You will find one of the toughest layouts in all of North
Texas on their premier course!
Perhaps
Fairview's best kept
secret isn't even located in Fairview. It's in
McKinney, but it touches Fairview. It is the
Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary.
It
is one
mile east of Hwy 5
and 1378 . This is just a
phenomenal place for kids and adults alike. They
rehabilitate birds of prey,
conduct research, and hold tours for visitors. You can
even walk the 289 acres of paths
through hills, untouched meadows, and pristine woodlands.
You would never know you are in the Dallas area. They
also have a native plant sale every April which is just
packed with people! This is a "Must See" if you are a
nature enthusiast!
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