Madison County has jewel in Foster Branch Woods

FOSTER BRANCH WOODS
• Location: Off County Road 600 West, near I-69 in Green Township near Pendleton.

• Year built: 2000.

• Lot size: Half-acre to 1 acre.

• House square footage: 3,000 to 7,000.

• Average home price: $650,000.

• Area schools: South Madison Community School Corp., Liberty Christian School, Indiana Christian Academy and other private schools.

The house she and her husband built in southern Madison County is only 15 or 20 minutes from everywhere she goes: Anderson for her children's school, Noblesville for church and Indianapolis for shopping.
"We feel like we're close to three major centers," said Lamb, who moved there in 2002. "To us, it's the best of both worlds. You're close to Indy, and you're close to the county where we work and our kids go to school."
The 29-lot neighborhood is in Green Township, just outside the Pendleton city boundary, said Tom Ross, co-owner of Century 21 Realty Group's Wood, Ross & Sharp. Ross sold the ground to the initial developer seven years ago.
The subdivision's 28 acres are tucked away off County Road 600 West, about a mile and a half from I-69, Ross said. Each lot is a half-acre to 1 acre, and the 16 homes range in size from 3,000 square feet to 7,000 square feet.
Homes typically cost $400,000 to $1 million and up, averaging about $650,000, he said. An architectural control committee ensures all homes are compatible with Foster Branch Woods' characteristic country French architecture, which can incorporate turrets, high-pitched roofs, weathered shutters and a mix of stone and brick.
Lamb's tan stucco home isn't exactly country French, she said, but it includes nine exterior sets of French doors and three interior sets. One of two patios overlooks a pond, and inside are four bedrooms and 41/2 baths.
A point of pride for Lamb is the cherry-finish, wood-paneled study, which she designed after an Indianapolis Dream Home.
Foster Branch Woods children can attend public school in Pendleton's district, South Madison Community School Corp., which has been a big drawing card, Ross said. Nearby private schools include Liberty Christian School, Indiana Christian Academy and several Anderson Catholic schools.
An issue on many of her neighbors' minds, Lamb said, is a proposed regional airport near Lapel that would replace facilities in Fishers and Anderson.
The airport, which Lamb said would be about a mile from Foster Branch Woods, could significantly affect property values in south Madison County and could disturb the quiet neighborhood ambiance.
"Most of us out here don't want planes flying over our heads," she said.
Lamb, who also is president of the Foster Branch Woods Homeowners Association, said she anticipates a maximum of nine more homes. The Lambs own two lots, and several other people own two or three. Ross said one or two homes or lots sell per year.
Foster Branch Woods resident Walter "Sonny" Clark said he enjoys the neighborhood's friendliness. Families rotate as hosts for annual picnics and gather for work days to clean up common areas, such as weeding and raking around the ponds.
"We do it as a big family. . . just to make it look better," he said