Dahlonega's growing caché for retirees and baby boomers is attracting more than just new homeowners.

The popularity of the area has now drawn a substantial investment from one of the state's most prominent luxury resort developers.

(ENLARGE)

Debbie and Jerry Smith love their 7,000-square-foot home in Achasta. The home overlooks the golf course.

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Just over a year ago — in January 2007 — Linger Longer Communities, the developer of Georgia's famed Reynolds Plantation at Lake Oconee between Atlanta and Augusta, bought Dahlonega's elite gated community, Birch River, with big plans in mind.

To signal the extent of their intentions, Linger Longer launched its new investment by changing the name of the upscale community to Achasta, a name derived from the Cherokee word for light.

"Our vision is to create the ideal community environment with service, amenities and quality of life that exceeds the expectations of all who come to Achasta to live, work and visit," said Ron Larson, managing director.

Larson said the company is "committed to adding millions of dollars" in new investment in the 1,058-acre community of about 180 homes currently.

Already, Linger Longer has increased Achasta's budget for turf care and invested in new maintenance equipment for the Jack Nicklaus-designed, par-72 golf course. Over the winter, the company upgraded the bunkers, added three fountains and planted more than 500 new trees to enhance the course.

Linger Longer also made improvements to the community's gated entrance and has plans to rebuild the golf clubhouse and add an upscale community center with an outdoor pool for lounging and refreshing, an indoor lap pool and the kind of full-service fitness complex upscale resort buyers expect. Although Achasta is not officially designated as an "active adult" community, Larson said more than half its full-time residents are retirees.

"It will have all the things the baby boomers are looking for in terms of an active lifestyle," Larson said.

For community residents Debbie and Jerry Smith, the improvements are just icing on a very sweet cake. The Smiths, who were among Birch River's first buyers in 2002, moved to the community from Lilburn after selling their computer business.

They looked at homes in Gwinnett's Sugarloaf community and the Country Club of the South in Alpharetta, but one look at the Birch River location convinced them to settle there.

From the wrap-around deck of their 7,000-square-foot, three-bedroom home, the Smiths can see portions of the 10th, 11th and 18th holes as well as the Chestatee River, which flows through the development. They love the way the mountain mists hover over the river in the morning and the sunset silhouettes the mountains in red each evening.

"Our views from up here are just spectacular," said Debbie Smith.

But just as appealing to the Smiths is the easy access they get to Atlanta from the top end of Ga. 400, just a mile away, making shopping, dining and Hartsfield Jackson International Airport easily accessible in an hour or less when they want it.

"If you want Atlanta, you can have it at your own convenience," said Jerry Smith, "but we don't get many of the drawbacks."

Dahlonega mayor Gary McCullough said that accessiblility has been a big factor in the planned construction of another 500 units of housing for adults 55 and older in Dahlonega. The mayor called the growing numbers of retirees "kind of a boon for the city."

"It doesn't add to the school tax burden and they do a lot of voluteer work," McCullough said.

John Scott, associate professor of economics at North Georgia College and State University in Dahlonega, said the combination of access to urban amenities and unspoiled mountain vistas provides the community's magnetic lure for second-home and retirement-home buyers. He calls it "where shopping civilization meets the Appalachians."

"This is where the Appalachians start," Scott said. "There's a 360-degree view of the mountains, but you've got a thriving little community."

Last year, U.S. News and World Report named Dahlonega one of the 10 best towns in America to retire.

Achasta resident Craig Kritzer might disagree. For him, it's been the best place to launch a second career.

After retiring from his law practice, former Buckhead residents Craig and his wife, Cydney Kritzer, founded Frogtown Cellars, one of the vintners now striving to raise north Georgia's profile among the roster of regions producing signature American wines.

"We're working every day," Kritzer said. "We chose to live at Achasta rather than at the winery because we wanted a community."

The Smiths share Kritzer's love of wine. They have a 1,200-bottle wine cellar they built themselves in their terrace level and participate in Achasta's active wine society.

Linger Longer has a master plan calling for 750 homesites grouped among five geographic neighborhoods in Achasta at build-out, but the plan also calls for preservation of 48 percent of the community as permanent greenspace. Homes are priced from the low $100,000s to more than $1 million.

"We have something for every segment of the market," Larson said.