The Story of Chaffin/Light Associates

Taking "green" to the next level

For more than three decades, James Chaffin and James W. Light have set the bar for “green” developers and redefined the idea of environmental stewardship in the world of eco-recreation communities.

The dynamic duo teamed up 35-years-ago at Sea Pines Company, a real estate company founded by Charles and Joseph B. Fraser Jr. in 1956. Charles Fraser, considered by many to be the "inventor" of the modern American resort for his development of Hilton Head, SC,  is often labled the forefather of progressive land-use planning and eco-sensitive development.

Chaffin and Light got their feet wet at Sea Pines Company, studying Fraser’s “wise growth” philosophy and use of private deed covenants to implement comprehensive land-use development.  Fraser believed that his concept could only be implemented if the developer was involved in every aspect of planning, from street locations to the design of individual houses.

Fraser was not a golfer and simply used golf as an attraction to his Sea Pines Resort, but Chaffin was on the University of Virgina golf team as an undergraduate and has always been passionate about the game. Chaffin’s unwaivering work ethic and commitment as an employee of Sea Pines Company resulted in immediate success. Over his nine years there, he worked his way up the ladder from salesman, to national sales manager, to senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Jim Light also had unprescended success. He spearheaded the planning and execution for Harbour Town at Sea Pines Plantation on Hilton Head Island, the most ambitious private harbor development ever built on the East Coast, and was named President of Sea Pines Company at the ripe age of 31, overseeing a $257 million “workout” from 1975-1978.

By the time Chaffin and Light mortgaged their homes to found Chaffin/Light Associates (CLA) in 1978, the ambitious  businessmen, still in their 30’s,  had been instrumental in the creation of major community developments, including Hilton Head Plantation, Amelia Island Plantation, Kiawah Island, Big Canoe and River Hills Plantation. Their goal with CLA was very simple from the beginning and held true to the principles engrained in them by Charles Fraser: to develop communities that worked with the land, rather than against it; to prove to the world that contrary to popular belief, more homes per acre did not mean more profit per acre.  Their previous work had already redefined how a community and its surroundings could coexist, and under the new Chaffin/Light flag, they took what they had learned and perfected what's known today as "conservation-based development."

From their first 3,000 acre project at Snowmass Village in Colorado, Chaffin and Light were committed to their developments having a minimal effect on the environment, yet an immense effect on people's lives. They envisioned communities that left the land, air and water virtually unchanged, yet altered the way neighbors, friends and families lived together forever.

CLA is widely hailed as the leader in sustainable development, which calls for planning low-density communities focused on preserving nature and open spaces. The hallmarks of sustainable development include permanently dedicating a substantial portion of land for open space and trails, then protecting them with conservation easements and/or deed covenants. This concept revolutionized the development industry while also creating authentic, organic, and original communities in sought-after natural environments. Chaffin/Light pioneered this concept at Spring Island near Beaufort, South Carolina, and has continued to create communities with world-class homes, golf and other amenities that also enable the majority of the land to continue to sustain itself without interruption.  

''It's clear that government and nonprofits cannot by themselves conserve and manage all the open space they would like to preserve,” said Chaffin. ''If we can do more private-public partnerships where homeowners begin to feel they are the stewards of their environments, then there might be a formula here to conserve more land.''

Spring Island, one of CLA’s most celebrated developments, epitomizes Chaffin’s vision. For two centuries prior to the creation of the current community, only four families owned Spring Island and preserved the land in its natural state for unparalleled hunting, fishing and complete enjoyment of nature. The mission of the current Spring Island owners is the same---preservation.  Chaffin/Light maintains Spring Island’s 1,000-acre preserve through annual homeowners' fees and a percentage investment from every home sale. The money also pays for a private nature center with three naturalists who help educate residents and provide programs for schoolchildren and nature lovers.

Another one of CLA’s South Carolina-based communities, and a neighbor of Spring Island, is Chechessee Creek Club whose Coore Crenshaw golf course has been deemed one of Golfweek Magazine’s “Top 100 golf courses built since 1960.” Staying true to Fraser’s “wise growth” philosophy, CLA recruited Coore and Crenshaw, Inc. in 1999 to design a throwback community and golf course in a lush canvas of mature Lowcountry pines and oaks nestled by the languid waters of Chechessee Creek

“The vision for Chechessee Creek Club was to create an old fashioned golf experience,” said Jim Chaffin. “The goal here was to create an experience that respected and paid tribute to the way golf used to be.”

Guided by a founding principal of environmental sensitivity, the Chechessee Creek Club put CLA’s time-honored technique to practice. From the course to the clubhouse, from the cottages to the caddie program, Chechessee Creek Club proudly serves as an old-fashioned golf club that celebrates the game and its rich heritage.

“Real estate ownership is not necessary for membership,” said Chechessee Creek GM, Franklin Newell. “This golf club combines golf and living in a very unobtrusive way that gives great commitment and respect to the land.”

Arguably the most impressive CLA conservation-based development is one of its newest, Balsam Mountain Preserve. Balsam Mountain Preserve is 4,400-acre, private, gated family recreation community, ideally located in the Smoky Mountains, just 30 minutes west of Asheville, NC. Set deeply in the dense forests of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Balsam Mountain Preserve offers a way of life as timeless as the rugged mountain beauty that defines this special community. With 3,000 acres of protected land, 38 miles of streams, 50 miles of trails, a resident bald eagle, multiple alternative energy sources, and elevations climbing to over 5,400 feet.

Throughout the last 30 years, Chaffin and Light’s original desire to create communities connected to their surroundings has only grown stronger, and they are very proud to be internationally-recognized as the leader in sustainable developments and low-density communities focused on preserving nature and open spaces. But they’ve done more than just create world-renowned communities; they’ve also co-founded four environmental non-profit organizations and been instrumental in the Urban Land Institute. Indeed, they have taken “green” to the next level.

 

 

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