Longtime Hinesville developer Dryden Enterprises and members of city government and the Chamber of Commerce gathered Friday to cut the ribbon on Dryden’s latest residential community, Griffin Park.

The new subdivision, off E.G. Miles Parkway west of Frank Cochran Drive, already has several single-family homes completed and a handful of homeowners are settled in. Claude Dryden, owner of Dryden Enterprises, said plans for the completed neighborhood include at least three types of single-family sub-neighborhoods and a multi-family housing project that will accommodate as many as 250 families.

Among the features Dryden said he is most happy with are a fountain located in the center of a roundabout, the signs and landscaping along the entrance and planned space for playgrounds.

Griffin Park will also have a homeowners association, an element not too common in Hinesville.

"In most Georgia neighborhoods they have homeowners associations, but in Hinesville we haven’t had many because folks here were often in transit," Dryden said.

Mayor Jim Thomas was present at the ribbon-cutting and congratulated Dryden and his team on their efforts.

"The citizens appreciate the kind of work you do," Thomas told Dryden. "I think we’re going to get people to fill this place very quickly."

Thirty years ago, Dryden said, his company was building homes to sell at $50,000, but today the homes in Phase IA of Griffin Park are priced in the $200,000-$300,000 range, a price Dryden said more people in Hinesville are able to afford these days in part because of increases in pay for members of the military.

He added that his assessment of affordability comes from frequent market surveys and "trying to listen to what people want" in a new home.

"People have asked me about the state of the economy; we may be in a little downturn but it’ll come back, it’ll be good and we’ll be ready," Dryden said.