Visionaries Build Mountaintop Paradise

After successfully creating a ground-breaking community over the past 20 years in Lookout Valley, the developers of Black Creek in Chattanooga, TN, set their sights even higher. These visionaries had long desired to build homes with spectacular views of the valley from atop neighboring Aetna Mountain. However, there was one small catch — no roads existed to the top of the mountain.

Aetna Mountain is the last undeveloped mountain in the Chattanooga area. This has been a fantastic opportunity for the developers to create coveted mountaintop homes with access to many outdoor recreational wonders – all less than 10 minutes away from downtown Chattanooga. The city has been a top vacation and retirement destination for years, and since the pandemic, the area has become even more desirable. People come from around the country for its lower taxes, easy access to the outdoors, and great quality of life.

As one of the few family-owned master-planned communities, the Chazen family has taken special care to protect and preserve the natural beauty of the land in Black Creek. So when the family began to plan the route to the top of the mountain, they enlisted the assistance of family member and developer, Andrew Stone. A trained geotechnical engineer, Stone was excited to oversee the development of the mountain and the road that would carry future generations to their new mountaintop homes. Stone said, “Our idea was to design the road to the land.”

Constructing a road is no small feat. However, when you are rising over 1,600 feet in elevation, it makes it even more challenging. Black Creek partnered with the city of Chattanooga to both help plan and maintain the two-lane divided boulevard that rises 1,000 feet over the course of two miles. The process took less than five years, with two years for permitting and two years for construction. According to Stone, “There hadn't been a mountain road built in the area in over 100 years.” Both the Black Creek developers and the city were committed to making this collaboration safe, profitable, and without damage to the existing mountain ecosystem.

Native plants were added on both sides of the road to add to the aesthetic appeal and increase road stabilization. Over 1,000 trees have been planted in the area since the road's construction, and another thousand will be planted this fall. Homesite designs are thoughtfully planned to maintain much of the majestic tree cover. Black Creek strongly believes in the conservation of Chattanooga’s great outdoors and has generously donated 1,000 acres of their property to the Tennessee River Gorge Trust to protect the area's flora and fauna, and to be used for hiking and biking trails.

“We are one of the few planned communities that is fully within a city of our size,” says Stone. The City of Chattanooga provides all of the emergency services, including a future fire department which will be located on top of the mountain. And, as a bonus, residents can enjoy the fastest internet in the Western hemisphere. For that reason, as well as Chattanooga's natural wonders, the city is quickly becoming a technology hub and a destination for young professionals, active families, and empty nesters.

Aetna Mountain's impressive views and natural feel are only the start of what makes Black Creek special. There's already a stunning 18hole course designed by Brian Silva, a fitness center, outdoor pickleball and tennis courts, a two-level swimming pool, and fun events all 12 months of the year. Future phases of the development will include a second clubhouse and pool, lodging, and some small neighborhoodserving commercial businesses where residents can grab some essentials without having to travel far from home.

The dedication that this community's developers have to making everyone feel comfortable, connected to the outdoors, and part of a community is inspiring. The Aetna Mountain road dedication ceremony will take place in early October, a perfect time to go breathe in the mountain air. And, if this recent project shows anything, it is that Black Creek is willing to move mountains for its residents.