Holly Tree Plantation still going strong

Posted Sunday, June 5, 2005 - 1:53 am

By Cheryl Allen
STAFF WRITER

Carol Rabel recalls when she and her husband, Chip, bought their first house — a cozy two-bedroom bungalow off Parkins Mill Road in Greenville.

"We bought just a tiny little house, just the two of us," Mrs. Rabel said. "But once we were pregnant, we moved to Holly Tree, and we've been here ever since."

Since their move, they've expanded their family and the square footage of their home. "It was about 2,400 square feet when we bought it. Now we are probably about 3,200." The traditional, brick two-story home is equipped with four bedrooms, 3 baths, and a bonus room — enough elbow room for their four small children.

"We had to have more room."

On any given sunny afternoon, the Rabel children roam around freely in their spacious back yard — swinging, sliding, running or bouncing on a trampoline.

"You can't beat the neighborhood," Mrs. Rabel said. "We love it. We love our big yard, the trees."

The streets in Holly Tree are lined with mature oaks, poplars, pines and maples. Many of the streets have nature-inspired names such as Chestnut Oak Court, Fishbrook Way, Holly Tree Lane, Red Oak Court and Pecan Hill Drive.

Holly Tree is a beautiful, quiet neighborhood that's close enough to major roads but far enough away to feel that you're in the country, said resident Colleen Rostek. "It's relaxed, and I like the country feel, nice trees."

Aside from aesthetics, residents cite other attractions, such as good schools, the market values of the homes and convenient access to medical offices, Woodruff Road and Interstate 85.

Resident John Cummings said he appreciates the fact that Holly Tree is an established community with a valued history.

"You can get the most amount for your money," said Cummings, who is first vice president of the Holly Tree Plantation Homeowners Association. "To me, it's somewhat of a secret in Greenville, and I suspect it will continue to improve. And the entrances are all being revitalized with plants, irrigation has been added and new light fixtures have been added just in the last year."

The neighborhood has roughly 520 homes and several entrances that feed into State 14, Bethel Road and Adams Mill Road in Simpsonville.
 

One of the nice aspects of Holly Tree is the diversity of home designs, said Pat Perkins, president of the Plantation Homeowners Association. They range from traditional ranch styles with stone and vinyl siding to two-story Colonials with spacious porches.

"It's not cookie-cutter," Perkins said.

And despite its size, Holly Tree is still a closely knit community with pockets of residents who look out for each other, Perkins said.

"It's fabulous. It's a very strong community even though it's all these different sections and entrances. You don't have our street against your street or our section against their section."

Activities go on throughout the community — from block parties and potluck socials to Fourth of July barbecues and Easter egg hunts.

"It's just really neat," Perkins said.

Rabel said she belongs to a neighborhood playgroup that meets every Friday morning.

"The kids love it. A lot more young people are moving in," said Rabel, a 35-year-old mother of four.

Residents get a directory that's updated every year. Two Web sites post a quarterly newsletter and a photo album and list information about upcoming events in the neighborhood.

There's also a yard-of-the-month award, Perkins said.

"We actually give out three. Since the area is so large, we divide it into three sections. It's a nice honor, and people really do strive for it."

The neighborhood has an 18-hole golf course, a 25-meter Olympic pool and 10 tennis courts. For a fee, residents have access to these amenities and other programs through the privately owned Holly Tree Country Club. Costs vary depending on the type of membership purchased. There's also a swim team and a junior sports camp during the summer.

"We're very value-oriented in what we offer our members," said Ron Hakala, general manger of the country club.

The clubhouse, which was built in 1973, has a lounge, a bar, an upstairs ballroom that seats 250 people, a golf pro shop and men's and women's locker rooms. There's also a spacious courtyard where members can enjoy live entertainment on the weekends, Hakala said.

"It's a very family-oriented, casual, fun club."