Columbia County’s only subdivision built around a working farm is looking to expand.

The developers of Wrights Farm, at the intersection of Wrightsboro and Reynolds roads, want to add 81 new lots to construct the project’s third phase, according to paperwork filed recently with county planning officials.

Wrights Farm is an example of an “agrihood” – an emerging type of suburban development designed to evoke the feel of rural living by constructing amenities such as gardens and greenhouses that the residents can help maintain.

Augusta-based Southeastern Development marked 132 lots for the first two phases. Columbia County approved the second phase in January 2022.

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The working farm also is part of a growing initiative by Goodwill Industries’ Helms College. The school's culinary arts program, committed to food preparation using farm-to-table ingredients, will use the farm and its facilities as interactive classroom space.

The agreement between Wrights Farm and Helms began to take root as Helms was trying to start a similar culinary-based agriculture program at Lake Oconee. Jim Stiff, president of Goodwill Industries of Middle Georgia and the Central Savannah River Area, at the time tried to recruit Matt Mills, executive vice-president of Southeastern Development, to sit on Goodwill’s board of directors.

“We got to talking about his project on Wrightsboro Road, and he wanted a working farm out front,” Stiff told The Augusta Chronicle in April 2021. “I said, ‘Well, we’re interested in building a working farm at Lake Oconee, but let’s build at your place.’”

The Columbia County Planning Commission is scheduled to consider the rezoning proposal on Thursday.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Developers to expand Columbia County subdivision with working farm