The Community of Kingsport is the culmination of a six year long process to develop a distinct community within the outskirts of Annapolis. The project began as an annexation into the City of Annapolis limits. The property consists of 105 acres and contained large portions of existing woodlands and open meadow. Two arterial road systems cross through the site, which allow for vehicular access to communities beyond this subdivision. This required a coordination of both interior and exterior vehicular circulation patterns to allow for the continued circulation during construction of this subdivision. Neighborhoods adjacent to this development were also concerned about the visual and physical impacts of this community. The property is bounded by several distinct uses. Two creeks border the north and south portion of the property, a multi-family development is located to the north and large lot single-family developments are located to the south. Fifty-five acres of the site are within the critical area zone, which require additional environmental protection and concerns. Needless to say, there were a lot of environmental and community interests that needed to be addressed during the planning stages of this project. The development team has worked with all of the adjacent communities to incorporate their specific needs and to weave the proposed development into the fabric of the adjacent communities. The development team has also worked hand in hand with the City of Annapolis staff to develop the design elements needed to produce an exciting community and a superior product that will increase the quality and level of development for this area.

The development consists of 172 single family lots in a neo-traditional development. The layout was designed with varying degrees of density, housing types and lot sizes. Designed as a planned unit development, the project includes narrow streets (28' pavement width), houses set closet to the street with front porches, sidewalks and street trees, and a series of alleyways. The hierarchy of housing styles was proposed to provide a transition between the adjacent developments - higher density development to the north and lower density to the south. Most of the houses and roads are located in the center of the site within the existing meadows, to minimize disturbance to the existing wooded and critical areas. Over 25 acres of reforestation provides an extensive forested buffer around the perimeter of the site. The forested areas were placed in a conservation easement to preserve their integrity.

Landscape features within the site include a wet pond with a fountain and entrance features at the site entrance, buffer screening around the perimeter of the development, the center common area, and a large pond area on the south portion of the site. Recreation amenities abound in this development and include an extensive pedestrian hiker/biker trail system throughout the development, which connects to offsite systems, an active pool and recreation area, several interior pocket parks, additional active recreation fields, tot lots and a fishing and crabbing pier. The project also includes major improvements to the area's infrastructure, including relocated roads, a sewer pump station and a recreation field that will be transferred to the city.

The developer has improved the environmental character of the site by increasing the woodlands, localizing development in open areas, providing many recreation amenities and providing a transition to the community fabric of the area. Of the 105 acres, only 50 acres were where used for the development of the lots. Approximately 55 acres have been placed under permanent conservation easement. The product of this development provides a standard for community development of the future.