Housing boom

Small-town charm, planning and the Southwest Bypass position town for growth

By Donna Williams

The real estate market is booming, and Ayden is well positioned to take advantage of the expected growth, local experts said.

“It is phenomenal,” said Realtor Pat Chappell, a veteran Pitt County agent who lives in Ayden and focuses much of her work on the market here. “Houses are selling and we are getting multiple bids. Prices are up 17 percent higher than what they were a year ago.”

A major factor in the town’s growth is the Southwest Bypass. Completed in November 2019, the highway cuts the commute to Greenville’s Medical District

and Industrial District by 10 minutes and allows easy access to U.S. 264 and points west.

Te interchange at the Bypass and N.C. 102 is expected to see signifcant commercial growth, which translates into jobs and a boost to the tax base. Residential growth will push development there and elsewhere in town, Chappell said.

In the last year, she has seen frst hand the need for housing in Pitt County as the real estate market has soared.

“It’s a seller’s market,” she said. “People are putting houses on the market and making money. Ten they have to buy something. It’s an interesting time.”

Growth in the region and a dearth of homes on the market has town leaders working with developers to plan out several new subdivisions to ensure future and current residents can make their home in Ayden.

Ayden’s future land-use plan was written to provide a range of housing options that build on the diversity the community has to ofer, Planning and Zoning Director Stephen Smith said.

In the last 18 months, the town has approved more than 700 residential lots in fve new subdivisions with more to come, Smith said. “We do envision at least another 200 lots on top of what we already got. We will likely see even more than that.”

Allen Park on Ayden Golf Club Road is already underway. Homes will occupy 65 lots in two phases. Buyers can choose from fve foor plans ranging in size from 1,700 to 2,800 square feet. All 43 lots in Phase 1 have been sold, Smith said.

Also coming to Ayden Golf Club Road is Monetvello subdivision, which will consists of 197 lots. Its Phase 1, which consists of 18 patio home lots, is underway, Smith said.

East Ridge subdivision, a 323-lot development, will be built on Ayden Golf Club Road near N.C. 102, while

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Allen Park is one of the new subdivisions in Ayden.

Cottages at Swif Creek, a 39-lot subdivision, will be constructed nearby on N.C. 102.

As the demand in housing increases, so does the need for infrastructure. Ayden approved a sewer extension along N.C. 102 with work slated to begin in June. Te extension will serve the new developments along Ayden Golf Club Road and will likely spur further growth, Smith said.

Across town, near N.C. 11 and Snow Hill Road, Legacy Park Apartments are under construction as well. Town ofcials said such developments are needed to provide more diverse housing options. Subdivisions also have been discussed along Snow Hill and North East College streets, Hines Drive and Pleasant Plain Road.

“We are starting to grow in a lot of diferent places, not just Country Club, which is encouraging,” Smith said.

“A lot of residential growth is happening in all parts of our town. It’s encouraging. It’s spread out and not focused in one area.”

In time, residential growth will lend to more commercial growth, Smith said, adding the town is poised for when this happens.

“Without roofops, your commercial growth is not really existent. On the commercial side of things, they look at roof tops. It’s encouraging to say in the next couple of years we’re going to have more than 700 new houses. Tat will help us without commercial growth,” Smith said.

“We have all the property near the N.C. 11 and Bypass zoned as highway commercial. We have put zoning and infrastructure in place to attract new commercial businesses as houses are built.”

An additional 700 homes in the next fve years comes as no surprise to Chappell.

“I was naming and claiming it 20 years ago. I’ve always felt if we could get some people here, they would start seeing what I was seeing and Ayden would grow crazy like it is now,” Chappell said.

A native of Greenville, Chappell fell in love with Ayden at a young age when she visited family here. Even then she recognized it as “the Mayberry of Pitt County.”

“Tere was

“I was naming and claiming it 20 years ago. I’ve always felt if we could get some people here, they would start seeing what I was seeing and Ayden would grow crazy like it is now” Pat Chappell of Pat Chappell Realty

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such a little network of people and everybody knew everybody. Everybody was willing to help,” Chappell said.

She married B.T. Chappell, a former Ayden-Grifon High School football coach. While B.T. was working the feld, Chappell was working concessions.

“With my husband as coach, I got to know all those kids. A lot of those boys still call me Ma Chappell. Several sent me Mother’s Day notes,” she said.

Te couple settled in town while their family was young. Chappell invested herself in the community, serving the Ayden Collard Festival, Boys & Girls Club, Pitt-Greenville Realtor’s Association, Pitt County Economic Development Commission, the Pitt County Home Builders’ Association, Ayden Chamber of Commerce, Ayden Historic Downtown Association, CrimeStoppers and Ayden Downtown Commission.

“To me, money is not wealth. It is helping people,”

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Chappell said. “It is my happiness. It makes me happy to help people.”

She lef her job as a payroll clerk at East Carolina University and begin a career that had interested her since she was 17.

“When I was a young girl I always thought it would be a great profession for me. I love people. I love talking. I wanted to help people and the No. 1 investment people normally make is their home. I thought it was something I could be of service doing,” Chappell said.

With time, her confdence grew, she said. “I wanted to know everything I could know so I could help (clients) and be a resource. I wanted to help create a smother transition. Tat’s the way I still feel today.”

Her eforts have made her the go-to agent for many in Ayden.

“In the real estate world, they called me Miss Ayden. I love Ayden. Ayden has been good to be,” Chappell said.

Knowing the town’s small town atmosphere, friendly neighbors and caring charms, Chappell said great things will certainly grow here.

“I knew Ayden was going to be the Cary of Pitt County,” Chappell said.

“It is the jewel in Pitt County.”

Pat Chappell is the Ayden specialist with Aldridge & Southerland Real Estate. Chappell chats with associate Kevin O’Sullivan.

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