Fairview Forest is a private community with a total of approximately 700 acres, more than 160 properties (about 120 homes), and ten miles of roads which are maintained by the community. Privacy, spectacular views, rhododendron, mountain laurel, and wildflowers make up the texture of the Mountain — forest living at its best. It's a magical place!
Life On The Mountain
Life in Fairview Forest is an interesting mixture of animals, birds, trees, vines, and people — a diverse group of people with outstanding ideas, energy, experience and abilities who are committed to a quality of life only those who love the mountains can understand.
Fairview Forest is made up of a private-sort of folks who are informal, want their privacy and who are friendly and available in time of need. It is not a close-knit community as you might find in the typical suburban development of formal streets, manicured lawns, and country-club type setting. The residents are a diverse group ranging from young families to retirees which includes writers, artists, consultants, service providers, and administrators.
The Mountain — A Magical Place!
The mountain has an energy, a strength, an ability to endure, a gift of renewal and a tolerance for change that has been here for hundreds of years. Storms have ravaged the ridges and taken down giant trees, gullies have been formed from torrential rains, rocks have fallen and created new barriers, and waterfalls have found new crevices.
There are secret trails known only by four-legged critters and sunning areas for reptiles and their friends. The air is filled with the sound of birds sending their messages and shadows from hawks and vultures float across the landscape. The Mountain is a magical place!
Life in Fairview Forest is an interesting mixture of animals, birds, wildflowers, reptiles, trees, vines, and people — a diverse group of people with outstanding ideas, energy, experience and abilities who are committed to a quality of life only those who love the mountains can understand. The sunrises and sunsets and the stars at night are the constants that everyone enjoys; these, together with the views, serve as a reminder of the special place they live, of those who preceded them, of the continuity of the mountain and of the hope for the future.
What Is Fairview Forest, Anyway?
Well, first, what is Fairview Forest not?
It's not a city or town. Cities are authorized by the State. A city has a democratically elected counsel, laws, a police force and a jail. Not us.
It's not a club. A club is a group of people who come together for a common interest (model railroads, quilting). Also not us.
Fairview Forest is a corporation, registered with the state as a not-for-profit business. As with most corporations, it has a "charter" (Covenants), and is run by a board of directors. And, as with most corporations, the board holds much of the power. But the power it holds is limited by the specifics of the Covenants. If something is not based in the Covenants, it's none of the board's business.
The officers (president, vice president, etc.) are appointed by the board. The only element of "democracy" in a corporation is the election of a rotating minority of directors each year.
Who owns property in Fairview Forest?
Well, here's a reasonably accurate breakdown of the owners in our community:
Of All 174 Properties:
• 69 are full-time residences (40%)
• 55 are part-time/rental residences (31%)
• 50 are unimproved (vacant) lots (29%)
Of the 124 Residential Properties:
• 69 are full-time residences (56%)
• 55 are part-time or rental residences (44%)
What size houses are in Fairview Forest?
In its forty-some years in existence, the community had been largely controlled by five developers under four sets of restrictive covenants. So the rules for home size have changed over time. Currently, the smallest house is 576 square feet and the largest is more than 7,000 square feet. The average house size is a little over 2,000 square feet.
Here's a breakdown of the sizes of 124 houses:
• 107 houses are less than 3,000 sq. ft. (86%)
• 17 houses are over 3,000 sq. ft. (14%)
A more detailed breakdown of house size shows:
• 9 houses are less than 1,000 sq. ft. (7%)
• 59 houses are 1,000 - 2,000 sq. ft. (48%)
• 12 houses are 3,000 - 4,000 sq. ft. (10%)
• 5 houses are more than 4,000 sq. ft. (4%)
Then and Now
In comparison, about 15 years ago there were a total of 153 lots. 75 lots had houses on them with 72 full-time residences, two part-time residences and one rental house.
As to the size of the 75 houses, four were more than 3,000 square feet. The smallest house was about 400 square feet and the largest was about 4,800 square feet.
NOTES: 1) The "number of residences" info is taken from the Association databases of property owners who pay assessments. 2) The "square footage" info is taken from Buncombe County records.
