New community captures Old World ambience

Sommerton was designed as a Traditional Neighborhood Development, featuring sidewalks, porches and rear-loading garages. (Sandra J. Pennecke / Special to The Virginian-Pilot)

By Sandra J. Pennecke
The Virginian-Pilot

A lord and lady have taken up residence in Chesapeake.

Well, not exactly. But as the first residents of the new active-adult townhome community in Chesapeake, Richard and Mary Esterlund have been fondly dubbed "Lord and Lady Sommerton."

The Esterlunds became mesmerized by Sommerton when it was merely a mound of dirt and a conceptual idea explained to them by brothers Stephen and Alex Quick of Stephen Alexander Homes and Neighborhoods, developer and builder for the project.

"We didn't even have a model to look at; we went totally on faith," said Mary Esterlund, 63, who settled into Sommerton in February, "The front part of the house reflects a turn-of-the-century ambience and the rest of the house has a contemporary look with all modern conveniences. It's really the best of both worlds."

Located on Kempsville Road, the community - which will total 90 units once completed - is reminiscent of older neighborhoods such as Norfolk's Colonial Place or Ghent, said Alex Quick. Old World architecture, including metal roofs, stone chimneys and old-fashioned street lights with ladder racks help provide a small-town, historical district feeling.

"There wasn't a science to it back then, but they've gone back and applied a science to it now," said Alex Quick. The concept, known as a Traditional Neighborhood Development, features sidewalks, porches and rear loading garages, all in place to encourage community interaction.

The Esterlunds are childhood sweethearts who met at the age of 11 in Camden, N.J., have been married for 42 years and moved countless times during Richard's Navy career. They hadn't thought much about moving from their Great Bridge single-family home of 10 years until Richard proclaimed one day that he was tired of mowing the lawn.

Now the Esterlunds - and 10 other residents (plus 12 under contract) - are enjoying a luxury lifestyle at Sommerton. Standard details include gourmet kitchens with Corian countertops, stainless steel appliances, hardwood floors throughout the downstairs, Hardie Plank siding, Lawrenceville brick, and much to Richard Esterlund's delight, a maintenance-free lifestyle.

"(Stephen Quick) presented what was like a dream to us and we moved into a reality of his dream," said Richard Esterlund, 64, who bought the Camden model.

It is not only residents raving about Sommerton. The community also recently received several Stanley Awards from the Tidewater Builders Association, including Best Home Design, Kitchen, Master Bath, Interior Design and Media Room.

The accolades have helped the original owners of the land since 1906 deal with the bittersweet process of letting go.

Santo Cogliandro could never have imagined what his farmland would one day become, but his granddaughter, Christine Parrish, says that the beauty of the new subdivision would have made him proud.

After arriving in the United States through Ellis Island, Cogliandro headed south, purchased 12 acres of land, built a farmhouse and grew broccoli and cauliflower.

One of Cogliandro's sons, John J., built silos, grain dens and had a herd of Holstein cattle. Parrish and her four siblings were born and raised at the farmhouse.

"It was very emotional to take the house down, but the Quicks were very caring, and we're all watching a beautiful subdivision come to life," said Parrish.