Rodrock Development

“We’re excited to announce that area custom home builders with excellent credentials are bringing new floor plans to Grey Oaks,” says Darol Rodrock, company founder. “I’ve worked with many of these guys over the thirty five years we’ve been in business and each of them bring integrity and design excellence to everything they do.” Five builders have projects underway in Grey Oaks, including James III Homes, James Engle Custom Homes, Mark Lovsky Homes, J. S. Robinson Fine Homes and Prieb Homes.

Rodrock also encourages homebuyers who already have a floor plan or a builder in mind to check out the home sites and amenities that Grey Oaks offers today’s homebuyer. “We also welcome outside builders, with developer approval,” says Rodrock.

A new phase of home sites recently opened in Madison Pointe of Grey Oaks. Many back to treed Shawnee City Park vistas, or are adjacent to the newer Prairie Ridge Elementary School, located right in the community. The new home sites are also close to the Grey Oaks community pool, park and play area, which was a first of its kind recreational amenity for the Kansas City metro area. Features include a zero-entry infinity pool with fountains, changing cabana, pergola-covered gas grill and picnic areas, sand volleyball court, age-appropriate playgrounds and walking trails linking to the city park.

Another reason to visit: James III Homes, model builder for Madison Ridge of Grey Oaks, was recently recognized for design excellence during last month’s Kansas City Home Builders Association Spring Pick of the Parade Homes Tour. The builder’s Aspen III Five was named an American Dream Grand Award winner.

The two-story, five-bedroom plan features an open first-floor great room with fireplace. Four bedrooms, including a large master suite, are upstairs. A fifth bedroom with a full bath is situated on the first floor just off the kitchen, and can double as a den or home office. A roof-covered outdoor lanai, which according to the builder “extends outdoor activity possibilities to three seasons, maybe even four,” features a floor to ceiling stone fireplace and ceiling fan.

This isn’t the first award for James III Homes. Last year, the builders’ plan, The Hawthorne, was also named a Pick of the Parade Grand Award winner. The story-and-a-half home features a first-floor master suite with laundry, three upstairs bedrooms, a total of 4-1/2 baths plus an upper-level loft that can serve as a home office, study or playroom.

The Hawthorne’s open first floor layout features a great room with a fireplace with an old-world-style mantle flanked on both sides by custom cabinetry, a formal dining room and a breakfast room with access to the covered outdoor patio. The large kitchen includes an oversized center island offering extra seating and storage, extensive custom cabinetry, granite counters and a large walk-in pantry with built-in shelving.

Prieb Homes currently has two new homes under construction in Grey Oaks. The Davidson, a two-story four-bedroom, 3-1/2 bath home features a welcoming front porch stretching across the the Craftsman lodge-style front elevation. The master suite features two separate master closets, a custom walk-in shower and a second floor laundry.

In total, the three Grey Oaks communities are comprised of more than 400 homes. Grey Oaks is virtually surrounded by schools accommodating students in grades K through 12. Prairie Ridge Elementary School is situated within Grey Oaks. Mill Valley High School and Monticello Trails Middle schools are situated on land adjacent to the community. A parochial school is also nearby.

With the completion of recent road construction projects, Grey Oaks homeowners now have direct access to Highway 7 and related shopping located just west of the community. The newly completed Silverheel Road provides a connecting link between Grey Oaks south to Shawnee Mission Parkway.

Community amenities include the Rodrock Development Moms Council, a concept created by company founder Darol Rodrock to help new neighborhoods get off to a great start. “It’s an idea that still works,” says Rodrock. “Community volunteers plan annual events—like the Easter Egg Hunt and Holiday Horse-Drawn Hayride events, for example—to help newcomers get to know each other and have fun.”

Locally owned Rodrock Development has a thirty-five year track record for successful Johnson County residential community development. “For many, purchasing a home is the biggest financial decision they’ll ever make,” says Rodrock. “Our company’s financial strength is a comfort to homebuyers concerned about the long-term viability of their investment.

“Buyers who have their hearts set on extra touches to make their new home especially nice owe it to themselves to visit Grey Oaks before deciding on an area, community, floor plan and builder,” says Rodrock. To check out available homes and home sites before touring, visit the developer’s website at rodrock.com. Or, contact Grey Oaks community managers Bob Sloan or Sherri Hines at 913.441.4111. 

The Grey Oaks Community Welcome Center is open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.;Sundays noon to 5. To get there, take I-435 west to Shawnee Mission Parkway, west on Shawnee Mission Parkway to Monticello Road, north on Monticello Road to the main entrance at Clear Creek Parkway.

Forest View, the woodland-view community situated high atop natural rock bluffs in Olathe, is giving homebuyers more to see this spring including new two-story and reverse-story-and-a-half floor plans. Located just west of K-7 and south of 119th Street on Clare Road, the Rodrock Development community is comprised of three communities, all now open to outside builders.

Homes in Forest View feature four to five bedrooms, large master suites, custom finishes throughout, and three-car garages. Home prices range from the $280,000s to the $400,000s and up. “With so much to offer, homebuyers owe it to themselves to compare Forest View before making a final new-home buying decision,” says Langhofer.

Many of the community’s daylight, walkout and cul-de-sac home sites back to mature trees, “making Forest View the ideal setting for custom build jobs,” says Langhofer. Homebuyers who are looking to build are encouraged to bring their own floor plan and builder, with developer approval, or choose from several plans already available. New homes ready for touring or currently going up in Forest View are by area builders James Engle Builders, Hilmann Homes, Rodrock Homes and Tabernacle Homes.

Forest View is served by Olathe USD 333 School District. The new Forest View Elementary School is located right in the community. New middle and high schools are nearby.

Forest View is aptly named. The focus here is on nature. One hundred and sixty acres of wooded green space have been set-aside as a nature preserve. The community is also surrounded by Johnson County parkland, which is slated for a future large-scale park similar to that of Lenexa’s Shawnee Mission Park. (Visit the Johnson County Park and Recreation District web site at www.jcprd.com to see a conceptual rendering of the proposed Cedar-Niles park.) Forest View is also adjacent to the Ernie Miller Nature Center, the first nature center in Johnson County. Forest View’s community entrance, a three-tiered, 50-foot waterfall cascading over natural rock bluffs, is quickly becoming an area landmark.

The Meadows of Forest View’s four fully appointed four-bedroom former model homes, by Rodrock Homes, are now for sale. Three back to treed vistas. “These former models feature virtually every upgrade, including extensive landscaping, a lawn sprinkling system, deck, designer décor and other extras,” says Langhofer. Available homes include open, expansive two-story and reverse story-and-a-half layouts, some featuring a master suite plus a second bedroom on the first floor.

In The Hills of Forest View, homes feature four to five bedrooms, formal dining rooms, large master suites and custom finish details. Jim Engle Builders’ new model home, The Hawthorne II, is underway. The open four-bedroom two-story plan features a laundry room adjacent to the master suite closet. The master suite also features vaulted-ceilings.

A second Engle home is also under construction in The Hills of Forest View. The Hawthorne III features five bedrooms, with one situated on the first floor suitable for use as an office or guest suite. Another custom build job, by Tabernacle Homes, is also underway. Floor plans for all three new homes are available for viewing in The Hills of Forest View Welcome Center.

In The Estates of Forest View, Hilmann Homes has introduced four new homes this spring, including two-story and reverse-story-and-a-half plans featuring custom fine-furniture-style cabinetry, extensive ceiling and base molding detail and other extras. More of the popular plans are under construction now.

Also going up in The Estates of Forest View are two custom build jobs by Jim Engle Builders. “Activity is brisk in Forest View, and we’re excited to see 2011 getting off to such a great start,” says Langhofer.

Forest View’s five-plus acre outdoor recreational amenity includes a pool and cabana, water play area with fountains, pergola-covered gas grill and picnic areas, sand volleyball courts, playgrounds and walking paths. The acres of set aside green space, comprised of mature woods, are now a permanent home to area birds and wildlife.

The Rodrock Development Moms Council, a concept created by company founder, Darol Rodrock, to help new neighborhoods get off to a great start, is “a unique idea that works everywhere we’ve introduced it,” says Langhofer. He cites year-round events at Forest View, such as the upcoming Memorial Day weekend pool opening party, this month’s Easter Egg Hunt, and the community’s annual holiday horse-drawn hayride events, as examples of outings designed to encourage newcomers to get to know each other, and have fun,” says Langhofer.

Langhofer also cites developer longevity and fiscal stability as another Forest View advantage. “Home buyers have the security of knowing that our developer brings a successful thirty-five year track record of value-added residential community development to the table,” says Langhofer. The locally owned developer has more than sixty new-home communities located throughout Johnson County in its portfolio. “Today, more than twenty five thousand people come home to a Rodrock Development community every day,” says Langhofer. “It’s a commendable track record.”

For more information about Forest View, visit the developer’s web site at www.rodrock.com or stop by each community’s Welcome Center, open every day from noon to six. For The Meadows of Forest View, contact Barbara Teaney or Anita Hadel at (913) 254-1002; The Hills of Forest View, contact Glenda Hauck or Darlene Parks at (913) 254-1188; for The Estates of Forest View, contact Paul Knickrehm at (913) 254-1000. The full time, on-site real estate professionals are available to help ease the new-home buying and building process.

“Forest View is a great destination for a nature outing, and we welcome visitors,” says Langhofer. “Spring is an especially good time to visit, and particularly so this year.”