ReZoom

For some, a life change is inspired by hearing a doctor's diagnosis. For others, it's hearing the roar of the airplane engines taking off for a job interview across the country. But for Steve Nygren, it was the unlikely sound of a bulldozer that took him on a path from retired restaurateur to a second career as an eco-developer.

When Nygren, a prominent Atlanta restaurateur, retired in 1994, his empire consisted of 34 restaurants in eight states. Eager to spend quality time with his three daughters, he and his wife Marie bought some land in a rural area 30 miles south of Atlanta and opened up a bed and breakfast.

"I thought I was going to be a gentleman farmer," recalls Nygren, 61. "Never did I guess I'd be working as hard as I'd ever worked in my life, as a land developer."

As the story goes, Nygren was out for a jog one afternoon and heard a bulldozer razing trees nearby. Suddenly Nygren's beloved countryside seemed in jeopardy.

"My first reaction was to buy as much land as I could to protect us [from development]," says Nygren. "But then I realized this was not practical. I didn't have enough money to buy enough land to really, truly protect it." Instead, he brought together his neighboring landowners to discuss how their beautiful countryside could be both developed and saved.

Nygren never really thought of himself as an environmentalist. But an idea took form of how he could protect his countryside from the urban sprawl spreading like kudzu across the greater Atlanta area. The idea was about creating an eco-community that would maximize the untouched landscape. He invited environmental experts to his inn to discuss what a sustainable community would include, and visited communities around the country noted for their environmentally responsible planning.

Then, without a backward glance, he stepped out of retirement and started a community that he named, aptly, Serenbe, a morph of the words ‘serenity' and ‘be.' Currently in development, 80 percent of the rolling hills, meadows and forest lands on which it is built remain undeveloped, ideal for residents and visitors to enjoy while hiking, mountain biking or picnicking.

The residences on the remaining 20 percent of the land are built with environmentally responsible materials, appliances and construction practices, and are arranged in clusters, connected by meandering roads that evoke the English countryside. There's also a "main street" area of retail shops and services, and Serenbe Farm, an organic farm that provides residents and the local restaurants with fresh produce.

Was he concerned he'd fail? "You're always concerned," says Nygren of his decision to sink his finances into creating the development. "I sat my wife and daughters down together and said that we're going to have to mortgage everything, and that we could lose it, and lose our level of comfort. They all supported me in the decision to move forward."

Although his present and former lives might seem completely different, Nygren says his experience in the restaurant business was invaluable in creating Serenbe.

A self-taught chef, Nygren experimented with many techniques that classically trained chefs would never attempt, coming up with some very creative dishes in the process. "I see the same thing happening now," Nygren notes. "We were willing to take chances and to think about things differently than folks who had been traditionally doing this forever."

The couple's hospitality background helped in another way, says Nygren. "One of the key glues that helped pull this off was food," he says, recalling the numerous clashes between those neighbors who wanted to protect the land, and those eager to make a profit on their property by selling it to developers. "Being restaurateurs, we understand how to invite people to a table. If people weren't happy with the issues and discussion, they'd usually show up anyway, for the food."

The most rewarding aspect of Nygren's new life, though, is how his daughters have taken up the cause with abandon. His oldest, in fact, is now Serenbe's director of operations and owns the community's real estate company.

"Watching how the family responds to what we're doing is one of the greatest rewards; it beats anything I did in the restaurant business," says Nygren. "I'm seeing them concerned about the same issues."

At ReZoom, one of the ways we want to help build a better world is by being kinder to the earth. Check in for regular tips and ideas on making your life and home more environmentally friendly.