BETHEL – Two local businesses announced plans Monday to develop 30 acres next to a historic resort’s championship golf course.

Under the development agreement with the Bethel Inn and Country Club, Savage Land Development LLC is to acquire land facing the 12th through 16th holes.

“When the golf course was completed in 1989, our plan was to provide acreage with ample set-backs from the fairways for single-family home development,” stated resort proprietor Dick Rasor in a press release.

In the past few years, the resort has built and sold 48 two- and three-bedroom condominiums, a new wing for the main inn building, a health club, and a conference center, in all, totaling more than $12 million in new construction, he added.

“Our partnership with Savage Land Development will be our first venture into the single-family home market, and, it marks an important milestone in our 25 years of ownership,” Rasor said.

The Bethel Inn and Country Club’s proposed project is to offer lot sizes of three-quarters of an acre, said Ron Savage, president of Savage Land Development.

The homes and property are to be priced from the mid-$400,000 range.

Land buyers are to have the option of working with brothers Ron and Rick Savage.

“The inn will collaborate on a set of guidelines for construction of the homes facing the golf course to ensure that the quality of home remains consistent with the resort’s quality reputation,” Rasor added.

Ron Savage stated that the development is expected to attract people looking for a vacation or retirement home in a resort atmosphere. Allen Connors, general manager of the inn and country club, agreed.

“Our resort hosts over 35,000 overnight guests a year, along with thousands of golfers and cross country skiers,” Connors stated.

“These outdoors-minded people provide an ideal market for upscale resort homes.”

Until now, Connors said that the inn has been able to offer resort accommodations, luxury condominiums, and interval vacation ownership to its guests.

Now, Connors said, the inn intends to offer single-family homes “to those who have long expressed an interest” in owning property at our resort.

“Our partnership with Savage Land Development LLC, will continue to grow and enhance our basic resort business while offering a new lifestyle alternative for our guests,” he added.

Rick Savage, head of operations for the Savage firm, described the impact of the new development as being beneficial to the community.

“By promoting these homes to second homeowners and retirees, we expect that this project will provide Bethel with greater property tax revenue while subsidizing water and sewer operations, but with little or no added burden on the school district,” Rick Savage stated.

The project has been briefly introduced to the Bethel Planning Board and is scheduled to proceed in late summer after all permitting has been completed.

Savage Land Development has built more than 150 homes in the Bethel area since the company’s inception 16 years ago.

In recent years, the company has undertaken a number of successful local residential development projects, including the Oak Tree Estates, Taylor Woods, Paradise Ridge, Birchwoods, and Countryside Acres subdivisions, Ron Savage stated.