Willow Fern Estates is a 100-acre residential community located in Effingham County, Georgia. The lots are predominately 55 feet by 120 feet, with roughly 20% of the lots sized at 75 feet by 120 feet to offer product variation at premium site locations.

The project has received preliminary plat approval for 203 single-family homes after initially being denied by the Planning Board due to constituent concerns. Blue Fern’s development team sat down with adjacent landowners, which evolved the site’s design to harmonize with the surrounding community. Buffers and screening were strategically incorporated without decreasing the number of homes.

In a high-bar entitlement environment, this project’s success was driven by Blue Fern’s agile entitlement framework. The final site plan exceeds county standards, preserving nearly 30% of the site as open space while maintaining efficient 55’ and 75’ wide lot configurations and dedicated amenity areas. Upon land use approval, one commissioner noted that “[Willow Fern Estates] sets a great precedent for future neighborhoods.”