Home Automation EZine
EMagazine
Volume 5 Issue 2
April / May 2000

Features
Cover Page
Editorial
HomeAuto and You
Wireless Networks
UnorthodoX-10
Ocelot Ladder Logic
MultiDwelling Cables
Fast Hot Water
Power Conditioning
Building Trends
Spring Cleaning
Digital Future
FutureProofing
SummerGrove
Cabling FAQ

Mentors
Wayne Caswell
Data Networking
Interviews
CEO of BeComm
Edward Balassanian

 President OSGI
John Barr
Cabling Manufacturers
Leviton
Lucent
OnQ
Ortronics

Reviews
X10 UK Devices
Wireless Transceiver
Stick-On Wall Switch
Wireless KeyFob

Free Email Updates
Industry News
Article Library
Review Library

Home Automation Products & Services

Return to Main Menu
Home Toys Article
- April 2000 -
[HTI Home Page]
Information Services
Order Free Catalogs and Product Info
[Click Message To Learn More]

SummerGrove at Newnan

SummerGrove at Newnan is a 1,430-acre master planned community in historic Newnan. The community's architecture is a unique compliment to Newnan's small town charm. It boasts many of the latest in technology and advanced home wiring systems


Technology Fact Sheet

The Newnan Network
Newnan Utilities, the municipal provider of information technology to the city of Newnan, has developed The Newnan Network. It is operated by a high-speed 10 megabit (MB) ethernet network. It uses a combination of fiber optic and high speed coaxial cable. Residents in SummerGrove will access this network using a Bay Networks cable modem and an ethernet card in their computers.

Structured Wiring
SummerGrove uses cable modem technology to provide the fastest residential Internet service available in Atlanta. As new, faster technologies become available, SummerGrove will be ready to 'plug in' to them. Currently, most homes in the Atlanta area do not have the wiring to accommodate the fast data speeds of the Newnan Network. This network interfaces perfectly with the AMP OnQ structured wiring found inside each SummerGrove home. As other technologies become more widely available, the shortcomings of existing non-technical homes will become even more pronounced.

Better Communications Features Than Most Offices
Most offices have multi-line phone systems and many have LANs (Local Area Networks). Each SummerGrove home can accommodate up to four phone lines. Upgrades are possible if residents need more. SummerGrove homes have the infrastructure available in the home networking option to connect devices just like an office network. This means that residents can save money by connecting all their computers to central printing ports, share data across hard drives, etc.. The wiring inside SummerGrove homes can transmit data faster than many office networks. Additionally, residents can communicate to anyone else on the Newnan Network at 10MB. If residents are surfing the Internet, then connections will be at 1.54 MB. That's approximately 50 times faster than the average 28.8 KPS modem, and it is that fast both ways, unlike some other cable modem systems that still require a phone connection. Internet speeds at many offices are much slower than what residents at SummerGrove will have.

Managed Homes
Home management is a form of home automation that makes the home more efficient because it only 'works' when residents are there, like heating/cooling and lighting. When residents are away, the home knows it, and can make it appear that they are actually there by controlling lighting. This is possible by integrating lights, comfort, and security using AMP OnQ's home management system (HMS). HMS is a computer controller that 'talks' to each of the devices that residents choose to automate and allows them to control that device in a way that is appropriate for their activities when at home, or if they are away, these devices are managed in a preset manner.

Intranet Fact Sheet

The SummerGrove Intranet is an online meeting place built exclusively for the residents of SummerGrove.

It is designed to expand and evolve around the interests and activities of the residents. It will be a vital part of SummerGrove's social fabric, and one of the ways SummerGrove residents will create a living environment that is unique.

Residents will receive a user name and password to enter the Intranet system. They'll be presented with a series of screens that will determine preferences and establish accounts for other family members.

Clubs:
Joining a club at SummerGrove is easy. So is starting one. SummerGrove's online club feature helps clubs get organized, plan events, and recruit new members. To suggest the formation of a club, residents will submit a request that includes the club's name and purpose to an administrator. Once a club is approved, access will be given to an administration section with simple procedures for establishing the group.

Community Calendar:
SummerGrove's Community Calendar lets residents see all the great things happening throughout the month and the year. And residents can post activities, as well. Residents can find out when the next pool party is; or who's birthday party is coming up; or when school registration starts.

Chat Rooms:
SummerGrove's chat room, built especially for SummerGrove residents, allows residents to make new friends or catch the latest neighborhood news. There are a variety of chat rooms for different ages and interests.

Bulletin Board:
The SummerGrove Bulletin Board is a place to find a baby sitter, sell a car, or share a recipe. It also serves as a discussion forum, in which replies are automatically assigned to the question they address. Post a question, and replies are automatically e-mailed. Request all postings within a certain period of time and the Intranet automatically sorts them.

Kids Club:
The SummerGrove Kids Club gives kids a chance to find out more about their new community, to make new friends, and help each other with homework (or video game scores). Kids can start their own special interest clubs, and feel secure in an environment in which access is limited to SummerGrove residents.

Resident Directory:
This online directory book makes it easy to find neighbors without having to look through a phone book. Use the directory's search function to find friends with similar interests and backgrounds. Residents can search by name, hobbies, schools attended, and a host of other parameters.

Fact Sheet

SummerGrove at Newnan is a 1,430-acre master planned community in historic Newnan. The community's architecture is a unique compliment to Newnan's small town charm.

SummerGrove boasts many of the latest in technology and advanced home wiring systems (see technology facts).

With more than 30% open space, SummerGrove is being carefully designed to preserve the beauty of its natural surroundings while incorporating the southern charm and traditions for which Newnan is known.

The community has over five miles of walking trails and pedestrian paths that wind through the community, leading residents to SummerGrove's 100-acre lake.

The SummerGrove Golf Club was designed by Jemsek Golf, one of the country's leading daily-fee golf course developers.

SummerGrove has a wide variety of pools, tennis courts and neighborhood parks.

SummerGrove is expected to be completed in 8 years. Upon completion, SummerGrove will have approximately 2,000 homes.

The SummerGrove information center has a vast array of displays depicting homes, amenities and life at SummerGrove. There is also a technology alcove where prospective residents can experience the speed of SummerGrove's ultra-fast Internet capabilities and demo SummerGrove's community intranet.

Homes are priced from the mid $100s to over $400s.

Directions to SummerGrove:
From Atlanta, take I-85 South to Exit Signs 9 (Newnan). Go left on Hwy. 34 one mile, and turn right on Shenandoah Blvd. SummerGrove is located at the intersection of Lower Fayetteville Road and Shenandoah Blvd. On-site Sales and Information Centers are now open. For more information, call (770) 252-9000, or visit www.summergrove.com.

Pathway Communities Fact Sheet

Founded in 1979 as Peachtree City Development Corp., Pathway Communities has been the principal planner of Peachtree City, one of the nation's premier master-planned communities.

In 1979, there were approximately 6,000 residents living in Peachtree City. Today, more than 30,000 people call Peachtree City home.

Pathway Communities regularly welcomes visitors from across the United States, as well as from other countries, to study its successful development and marketing programs.

Pathway Communities and its affiliated companies currently have over 100 employees.

In addition to SummerGrove and Peachtree City, Pathway Communities is also developing a 380-acre master-planned community in Henry County as well as Avery Park, a 346-acre master-planned community in Newnan.