Some locations sell themselves. Such is the case with the Landing, a new 12-unit townhouse development that overlooks Cowichan Bay's seaside village and marina.
The Landing's builder Kevin Fraser has trouble putting into words what attracted him to the property, but one look out the window puts the question to rest.
Just below the townhouse site, ancient fishing-shacks-turned-funky-shops and homey seafood eateries hug the shoreline. A maritime museum pokes out over the water, giving visitors a front-row view of the boating action around the wharves. Mountain, water and island views abound.
"In Cowichan Bay, there's always something going on, whether it's crab fishermen coming in or a log tow going by. I could sit here and look out the window for hours," Fraser says.
Small wonder that Cowichan Bay is catching the attention of an active baby-boomer real-estate market.
The scenery may be idyllic, but the road to development has been anything but tranquil. The Landing has had a bumpy ride from residents living behind the development, who are concerned about losing their ocean views because of the buildings' height.
Donna Einarsson of the Cowichan Bay Improvement Association said Cowichan Bay is unprepared to deal with increasing development pressures. "[The regional district is] working with an old community plan and there are some things in our building bylaws that should be tightened up." One of the sources of friction was how variations in natural grade affect the way building height is measured.
Area regional director Mike Tansley did not return phone calls to the Times Colonist, but Tom Anderson, manager of development services for the Cowichan Valley Regional District, said the district is embarking on a growth-strategy process to address development pressures. "The growth strategy will give a better indication as to the types of development and densities that are suitable and desirable in this area."
Fraser, owner of K2 Construction, has been building primarily custom homes in his 17-year career, but noted the last 10 years of that span have been spent catering to empty-nesters. The 12 units at the Landing are designed to appeal to buyers looking for low-maintenance living with high-end ambience.
The exterior reflects a modified arts -and-crafts style with solid fir doors, cement-plank shiplap siding, cedar-shingle gables, exposed posts and rooftop dormers.
Inside the show suite, the foyer floor is covered in 18-inch porcelain tiles, which transitions to American cherry hardwood. Buyers can also choose from birch and maple flooring.
The living room features a stone fireplace with a thick fir mantle. Glass sliders open to an arched, glass-sided deck with dark railing that resembles the prow of a ship.
Interior designer Wendy Wilson of Unique Interiors chose lighting that reflects the nautical theme, right down to the exterior lights that replicate dock lanterns.
Bulwarks and coved ceilings in varying heights create visual interest and the rooms are filled with corners, coves and nooks. The builder pulled out all the stops on windows, placing some in unassuming corners to expand the view and bring in more natural light.
From the living room, wide steps lead down to an entertainment-grade kitchen with shaker cabinets that come in fir, maple or birch. Buyers can choose to top their large islands with one of three granites: black uba tuba, clam and clay-coloured giallo ornamentale or an espresso-speckled tropical brown. Under-lit cabinetry creates a polished glow on the copper-glazed charcoal glass mosaic backsplash.
A laundry closet was originally planned to join up with the kitchen, but the first few buyers in the complex put the kibosh on that, asking for their laundry facilities to be located in the lower ground level. Fraser followed their lead and reconfigured the plan so all units will have downstairs laundry facilities.
"You do end up tweaking the design a little bit as you learn things from the customers," said Fraser.
Stairs bordered in fir and metal railings lead down to a ground-level media room, carpeted in a sound-absorbing berber. Glass sliders open to a large party-size private patio with a stained and tile-cut concrete deck that comes with a natural-gas outlet.
Steps down lead to a sunken flex room. A three-piece bath makes the lower level easily transformable into a private guest suite.
On the third storey, a large master bedroom features a vaulted ceiling, a seating nook and glass sliders to a cozy glass-walled deck overlooking Cowichan Bay.
The master ensuite features a curvy soaker tub, glassed-in shower, radiant-heat tile floor and double sink beneath a framed mirror. Natural light filters in through opaque glass panels and a matching glass door. The nautical theme repeats again in the brushed-nickel cabinet handles that Wilson chose for their resemblance to boat cleats.
A second bedroom and full bath add more sleeping space. All interior doors are solid-core with beadboard grooving.
Wilson looked for pieces with clean lines to show off the suite, "so as to not distract from the view." Wall colours range from beach sand to a mariner blue/green.
"There are significant sea views on every level," said Fraser, "even from the basement."
After completing the Landing, Fraser expects to return to custom-home construction. "These townhouse projects are great when they come along, but I'm staying with our bread and butter, our core where we've established a really solid track record," said Fraser.
Despite the controversy, Einarsson said that the new residents coming into Cowichan Bay can expect to be greeted warmly.
"We want them to feel welcome in the community," she said. "We don't want anything negative to be said to them. They're buying it in good faith."
DETAILS ON THE LANDING
Development: The Landing at Cowichan Bay, a 12-unit townhouse complex on a one-acre property.
Developer: Joint project with K2 Developments, Elmworth Construction and Johannsen Ltd.
Builder: K2 Developments
Design: Siggy Wittmoser
Nearby schools: Bench School and Frances Kelsey Secondary
Interior design: Wendy Wilson of Unique Interiors
Landscaper: Southern Exposure Landscapes
Landscape architect: Victoria Drakeford
Warranty provider: St. Paul Guarantee Guarantee Co.
Unit sizes: Ranging from two bedroom with 2.5 baths, 1,500-square-foot units with additional 700 square foot undeveloped basement to three bedrooms with 3.5 baths over 2,200 square feet
Phase 1 sold out. Price range on Phase 2 starts at $399,000 plus GST for standard finishings with unfinished basement. Upgrade options available. Build-out in four phases with three units per phase. Expect complete build-out by end of summer 2006.
Title: Strata
Parking: Double car garage
Strata fee for Phase 1: $169 per month
Occupancy for Phase 1: March 2006
Pets allowed.
Heating: Natural-gas forced air
Project completion: September/October 2006
In the car or on foot: Valleyview medical centre five minutes; District of North Cowichan Hospital 15 minutes; shopping one minute; parks and trails: two minutes to seaside village walk, waterfront park 10-minute walk away; recreational facilities: 10 minutes to Cowichan Community Centre and 15 minutes to Kerry Park Arena; to Empress Hotel 60 minutes, to Nanaimo ferry 50 minutes, to Swartz Bay ferry 70 minutes, to Victoria International Airport 60 minutes.
Sales centre at 102 - 1715 Wilmot Rd., Cowichan Bay. Show home open Sundays from 1 to 3 p.m. For viewing by appointment, call Kim Johannsen at RE/MAX Ocean Pointe at 250-748-8080 or toll-free at 1-888-748-8088 or email [email protected]
Check it out on the web at www.kimjohannsen.com
Like the furnishings and accent pieces? Wilson shopped at Winners, the Bay, Norwalk the Furniture Idea, Uncle Albert's Home Furnishings in Duncan, the Cobble Hill Furniture Shop and the Urban Barn.