Brookmont’s Unspoken Truth - Part 3
The promotional core of the Brookmont development is the vast green spaces intertwined with native wildlife. Brochures adorn Earth colors along stock photographs and luxurious houses, luring customers into an elaborate misconception. J.D. Brooks' name is riding on this development to do successful, even if it includes twisting the facts.
Brookmont can be viewed as a well thought out con based on the actions of not cherishing the environment that the development frequently promotes. What makes the delusion even more fulfilling is the neglect by the home builders to not adhere to local and State regulations. Protecting the natural habitat in Douglas County is not a concern from the past actions of Brookmont's developers.
Out of all the rhetoric that comes out of the Brookmont PR machine, one quote stands out from J.D. Brooks himself that is briefly shown on the website, but extended in one of the brochures.
“The land was there long before we were. It is steeped in the ancestral history of our forefathers, serving as one of the original settlements of Douglas County . Incredibly, the land has been preserved and exists in its near original state, teeming with the wonders of nature. I've spent hours and hours on this land and I am always overwhelmed by the beauty of its magnificent rock outcropping, lush meadowlands, tree-thickened hillsides and wildlife. Truly, all of this was here long before we were. It is our responsibility, our duty to cherish this land, to develop it gently, to conserve and preserve it wisely and to make it home for both man and nature. ”
The problem with that statement is just about everything, with the exception that “the land was there long before we were.” First J.D. Brooks is not from Douglas County, therefore he could not relate to the forefathers of Douglas County . Secondly the Fowler's did not settle in Douglas County until 1886, sixteen years after Douglas County was created, therefore disputing the claim that the land served as an original settlement. The Chapel Hill community was further to the south near the Chapel Hill Courthouse.
About three quarters of land was in its original state prior to the Brookmont development. There are rock outcroppings on the property, some of which have been destroyed to create lots for homes. The only recognizable meadowlands, viewed both by ground and air, were on the Fowler's farm, which has been graded and is now considered The Village at Brookmont, and on private land that developers are wanting to purchase.
Lastly is the responsibility to cherish, develop gently, conserve and preserve the land. The actions of Falling Water, Inc and Patrick Malloy Communities have greatly disputed J.D. Brooks' vision. Both companies willingly destroyed a natural tributary, private property of many home owners including the Kirk's (1 and 2), and continually disregarded local and State restrictions for the past year.
Another PR scheme is the certification from the National Wildlife Federation considering Brookmont as a habitat for the Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program. Losing Georgia called the National Wildlife Federation to verify the certification and to understand the certification process. The representative on the phone could not verify Brookmont's certification due to limited information access, but did explain details about the program.
Before a certification can be processed a community or personal property must first contact and provide paperwork to the National Wildlife Federation to initiate the certification. The community has to be already developed and established where people are already living in a habitat (this would make the certification for Brookmont invalid). After the NWF has reviewed the paperwork a representative is sent to the community to do an evaluation.
Once the evaluation is complete, the NWF can approve the community or personal property for the program and later become certified. Afterwards the National Wildlife Federation does not conduct follow-up analysis of the certification to ensure proper accordance with the program's guidelines. Instead the NWF uses the honor system, entrusting communities to live up to the habitat program.
The National Wildlife Federation also does not have parameters to revoke a certification if a habitat has been damage or does not follow guidelines. Losing Georgia has made an attempt to contact Falling Water, Inc concerning the certification; no one was available to pick up the phone.
One more deception by Brookmont is their public site plan of the whole development. Viewing the site plan, one would believe that all bodies of water shown are man-made lakes. Losing Georgia scoured the development, sometimes by foot, to locate these so-called lakes and discovered that all were detention ponds.
Should J.D. Brooks and the developers of Brookmont explain their actions? One would most certainly hope, but it is doubtful because people like Mr. Brooks are in the business to make money and not to answer questions. If no one else is willing to explain some validity, at least the Losing Georgia Project is making an attempt to tell the truth no matter the controversy.
