Pat Gallagher/The Valdosta Daily Times

VALDOSTA — It’s somewhat of a family affair that has brought Hahira its very own “Stone Creek” styled residential subdivision. Creekside West off I-75 Exit 29 is the work of the Dr. Young Tillman family and the Jimmy Whatley family.

Put those two families together and you get Doubletree Communities LLC, the real estate firm named to imply the two family trees. Creekside West is a Doubletree Communities project being marketed by Tillman Realty Services.

As the first few single family homes rise from the ground in the 82-lot first phase of Creekside West, Young Tillman is promising that the new subdivision will be similar in high quality living as is found in its sister development, Lowndes County’s Stone Creek subdivision.

In fact, until Creekside West amenities are completed, new residents can join Stone Creek for golf, tennis, and use of the swimming pool with no initiation fee. Creekside West will have tennis courts, 40 acres of green space, swimming pool, lighted walking trails with picnic areas and fishing ponds available to residents.

“Creekside West is designed to replicate the Garden home area of Stone Creek,” Young Tillman said. “The lot sizes will be larger (in Creekside) but the homes will be similar. Homes start in the low $200,000s.”

The subdivision sits on 174 idyllic rural acres just across the street from the Hahira Business Park just a stone’s throw from I-75. With the interstate’s lane-widening now complete, the subdivision’s close proximity to a highway with an improved, breezier traffic flow adds marketing potential to prospective residents who can choose a home that has an easier commute to Valdosta, Tillman said.

“With I-75 widening complete, it is amazing how fast you can get around,” he said. “But we are designing the community to appeal to all ages. We feel like the age mix we have at Stone Creek is a healthy one that will also work well in Creekside. We have found that older people in Stone Creek enjoy having younger people around.”

Creekside West evolved from a three-year process of land acquisition, planning and the current development phase, Tillman said.

“We’ve been looking at Hahira for several reasons, the growth coming here, obviously, but also the fact that there’s a great school system in Hahira and that Hahira is a real great place to live,” he said. “Also, Creekside is very close to the Lowndes County recreational park, which is right across the street 1/4 mile away with a ball field. So we have a lot to offer for a great quality of life.”

The subdivision has a gated entrance, wooded and lake front lots, underground utilities with county water and sewer service, a property owners association overseeing deed restrictions and architectural control to protect homeowners’ investments, and more.

Lots are going fast. Thirty-one of the 81 lots in phase one have been sold. A total of 300 lots are planned for build out.

Young Tillman, a well known retired dentist-turned-developer, and wife Penny joined sons Todd and Mark, and Jimmy Whatley and wife Ann at Creekside to celebrate the new subdivision.

Todd Tillman, Young Tillman’s son, just bought Century 21 Winnersville Realty, which now operates as Tillman Realty Services in Hahira. Contact that office at 229-794-1107 for information on how to buy in Creekside, which is just west of I-75. Also, visit the Web site at www.creeksidewest.net for more information.