Babcock Ranch: A resilient community built on solar power

William Ryan Homes will soon be selling homes in Babcock Ranch, one of the most forward-thinking master-planned communities in the country. The community east of Fort Myers, Florida is built to be resilient, with solar panels meeting power needs and significant steps taken to help the town stand up to storms.

As National Public Radio reported recently, the community came through Hurricane Ian with barely a scratch, thanks to well-built homes, underground power lines and ponds designed to prevent flooding in surrounding areas.

“Aside from a traffic light at the development's main entrance that's no longer there, a few street signs lying on the ground and some knocked-over palm trees, you'd hardly know that a hurricane came through,” the story reported.

Babcock Ranch is the brainchild of Syd Kitson, a former pro football player turned developer who wanted to create a town that reminded him of his childhood in Orange, New Jersey.

As a Forbes story relates, the dream has become reality: “In this utopia, buildings and houses are powered by emissions-free energy, electric cars whiz by on two-lane roads, children ride their bikes to school, native plants adorn the landscapes and residents can be seen enjoying outdoor events with family and friends.”

The town sits on 18,000 acres next to one of Florida’s largest nature preserves – the 73,000-acre Babcock Ranch Preserve. Within the community, housing communities are joined by restaurants, shops, a daycare, a charter school, playgrounds and pools. With such a large area to work with, the developer, Kitson & Partners, has been able to keep abundant green space, including near the community’s lake.

Everything at Babcock Ranch is planned with resiliency in mind: Houses are energy efficient; about 80% of the landscaping consists of low-impact native trees and shrubs; irrigation is done with reclaimed water, and produce is grown in community gardens for residents and restaurants.

William Ryan Homes will be selling spacious 3- and 4-bedroom homes in The Sanctuary at Babcock Ranch, with home sizes ranging from 1,488 to 3,270 square feet and 2 to 4 bathrooms.

Babcock Ranch’s focus on being green matches William Ryan Homes’ commitments to sustainability. Our homes are built with state-of-the-art, energy-saving materials and building systems to help save you money, conserve energy and provide your family with more comfort.

A great way to determine a home’s energy efficiency is the Home Energy Rating System (HERS) index, which helps you understand that heating, cooling and water heating are the largest costs of homeownership outside of the mortgage. The HERS Index Score will tell you how well the home performs energy-wise.

The lower the HERS Index score, the lower your energy costs. With an average HERS rating of 55, William Ryan Homes green homes are 30 percent more energy efficient than a standard new home, and 45 percent more energy efficient than the average previously owned home.

Schedule an appointment to learn more about Babcock Ranch

To learn more about Babcock Ranch or the other communities where William Ryan Homes sells homes, contact Maxine at 813-773-2989 or email her at mstull@wmryan.com. She can quickly schedule your visit and answer other questions you may have about William Ryan Homes.