Reid Stephenson, CEO, Flowers Plantation
Invest: spoke with Reid Stephenson, CEO of Flowers Plantation, about the continued growth of Johnston County, demand for master-planned communities, and the next phase of development at Flowers Plantation. “There is so much to offer any resident who is looking for a place to live that has all the conveniences and no city taxes,” Stephenson said.
What changes over the past year have had the greatest impact on Flowers Plantation and the broader Johnston County market?
Flowers Plantation is a 3,000-acre planned unit development that was approved by the county in 1998 for 7,790 homes. We have single-family homes, townhomes, apartments, and three commercial centers with more than 30 miles of walking conveniences that connect all areas of Flowers Plantation.
As we wind down in our development process, our major focal point is now the crossroads at NC 42 East and Buffalo Road. National builders have come in and started townhomes and apartments, and high-end single-family homes, and that has generated a lot of activity with additional restaurants and businesses coming to the crossroads and Flowers Plantation.
The multifamily homes and apartments have generated a lot of new home sales activity for us.
How has the continued growth of the Triangle region influenced demand for developments like Flowers Plantation?
Flowers Plantation is governed by the foundation. We are not a municipality, so there are no city taxes here in Flowers Plantation. Residents do pay property tax to the county, but the foundation dues are less than $500 a year.
That has attracted residents who are looking to move closer to Raleigh but do not want to live in the city, and we are about 25 minutes from downtown Raleigh. We also have residents in the 55-plus age group who wish to be out of the city but close enough to visit with children and grandchildren easily.
We have also increased our shopping centers. We have Publix, Harris Teeter, and Food Lion. Publix opened in 2019, and the additional restaurants and businesses are generating a lot of activity. Residents see that there are no city taxes, but they still have the conveniences of living in town because we have water and sewer throughout.
We also announced that Chick-fil-A will be opening here in late June, and that has created a lot of excitement.
What are homebuyers looking for most when choosing where to live and build long-term roots?
We have a community safety team under the foundation. We do not enforce violations with tickets, but there is visibility in the community, and we also have the county sheriff and highway patrol if needed.
Residents are looking for neighborhoods that are well maintained. We maintain landscaping for five miles along NC 42 through our foundation dues. The state does not maintain it.
People are also looking for variety. We offer townhomes, apartments, and single-family homes, and we now have some homes in the million-dollar range. Residents want the conveniences of shopping and grocery stores without having to travel 30 minutes in heavy traffic.
One of the biggest factors continues to be that there are no city taxes. Residents in neighboring towns may be paying thousands of dollars, while here they are paying less than $500 a year in foundation dues. Many of the conveniences of Flowers Plantation are within walking distance, with wooded pedestrian trails, private streets, a YMCA, schools, including Thales Academy, and UNC medical urgent care.
What role does infrastructure investment play in supporting growth across Johnston County?
Businesses such as Caterpillar, Grifols, and Novo Nordisk are all located within five miles of Flowers Plantation. We have residents who work in those manufacturing companies and are doing well.
Roads and transportation are major factors that need to be improved and planned ahead for growth. The State and Johnston County are behind in some areas of our road system improvements throughout the county.
The four-laning of NC 42 from Clayton through Flowers Plantation was completed about three years ago, and that was a major benefit for residents. Now Buffalo Road, which is still two lanes, needs to become four lanes.
Those improvements are on the DOT checklist, but there is no real timeline at this time. Infrastructure for the road systems is one of the major issues moving forward.
How is Johnston County’s growth affecting quality of life for residents?
The Eastfield development in Selma, about 15 minutes from Flowers Plantation, recently added several businesses, including a new Target, shops, and restaurants.
Those developments are important for the county and for communities like Flowers Plantation because residents no longer need to drive 20 or 30 minutes for shopping and services.
There are also other developments planned in the western part of the county that will benefit residents. The growth of nearby retail and commercial areas is certainly a plus for Flowers Plantation and the county because of the additional tax revenue and conveniences.
What are your top priorities for the continued growth and evolution of Flowers Plantation over the next three to five years?
The concentration is currently at the crossroads with 4 lakes, shopping, and dining, with additional multifamily developments or the addition of a medical office building that would offer medical specialization services.
We have a 16-acre waterfront district that we are planning as a focal point for the community. We are looking for a waterfront restaurant and planning retail underneath apartments or townhomes on a main street concept. It is being patterned after developments like Avalon in Alpharetta, Georgia, and Fenton in Cary, NC.
We are also evaluating three parcels for 55-plus residential communities, which has become a major request at Flowers Plantation. Creating a private, water-centered lifestyle for the 55-plus community is a major priority.
The waterfront district, multifamily development, and 55-plus communities will all be major parts of the next phase of growth.
Is there anything else you would like to highlight?
Having water and sewer throughout Flowers Plantation, managed by Aqua Carolina, is a major plus for residents. The governance structure through the foundation rather than a municipality is also beneficial.
The landscaping and maintenance throughout the community are top-level, and that is one reason people continue to move here. The landscaping along the major thoroughfares is maintained by the foundation instead of the state.
Flowers Plantation has been named Community of the Year in North Carolina twice, and we are hoping to continue building on that recognition with our new waterfront developments and additional restaurants.
Education is also important to Flowers Plantation. Two elementary schools were donated to the county by the declarant, and Thales Academy has continued to expand here, adding a second elementary school and making Flowers Plantation its largest campus.
Thales Academy is already maxed out, and the impact of education continues to be important for the residents and the community overall. There is so much to offer any resident who is looking for a place to live that has all the conveniences and no city taxes.
