Squamish development Ravenswood offers an idyllic mix of value and lifestyle
SIMON BRIAULT
The Vancouver Sun
Ravenswood
Project location: 39289 Falcon Crescent, Squamish
Project size: 117 three- and four-bedroom homes, 1,913 — 2,411 square feet
Developer: Benchmark Homes
Architect: SuCasa Design
Interior designer: Gannon Ross Designs
Price: from $800,000
Sales centre: 39289 Falcon Crescent, Squamish
Hours: noon — 5 p.m., weekends
Telephone: 604-670-7862
Website: http://benchmarkhomesltd.com/community/ravenswood/
Occupancy: beginning winter 2016
Take a look at the official District of Squamish website and you’ll see a prominent tag line — “Hardwired for Adventure.” While there are sections on the site about “Arts, Culture & Heritage,” “Education & Learning” and “Business & Development,” it’s the outdoor lifestyle that really puts this small mountain town on the map. Known as the outdoor capital of Canada, Squamish attracts people for the hiking, rock climbing and mountain biking, among many other adventurous pursuits.
The mountains, rivers and trails were certainly a big draw for Edward Archibald, who has bought a house at Ravenswood, Benchmark Homes’ new community, which is taking shape just north of the town centre.
“The big appeal for me is the lifestyle,” Archibald said. “I work in downtown Vancouver and the ability to unplug at the end of the day, get on the Sea to Sky Highway and forget about all the stresses of the work environment is awesome. I can get home and go for a mountain bike ride or a run along the river.”
“My wife, young son and I bought a townhouse in Squamish in October of last year and moved up in January,” Archibald added. “But we soon came to realize it was a little too small for what we want. There’s a very limited supply of single-family homes in Squamish and new ones are almost non-existent. It’s great to be able to get in early on what is going to be an amazing development when it’s all done.”
Archibald bought a three-bedroom plan in the first phase of 27 homes, with 32 more homes scheduled for the second phase, 22 for the third and 36 for the fourth – 117 homes in total. Archibald’s home, which he and his family will move into on Dec. 15, has 2,088 square feet of living space, a double-car garage and two and a half bathrooms. There are three plans to choose from – “wind”, “earth” and “water” – and also a selection of exterior finishes.
The community should be completely finished some time in 2019. It’s in a central location for Squamish, walkable to the Canadian Tire and the big-box stores in the north and also with easy access to the downtown core.
“Squamish is a town that is growing up and redefining itself,” said Jeff Bontkes, CEO of Benchmark Homes. “If you like biking and hiking and outdoor adventure stuff, it’s fantastic. Lifestyle is the primary reason to buy here, but we’re also offering great value. You can get a huge house on a nice lot in a really great community setting. Those things are not available in Vancouver any more for many buyers.”
Ravenswood homes are between 1,913 and 2,411 square feet. Kitchens feature premium cabinets with modern crown moulding, quartzite countertops, oversize islands and spacious pantries. The stainless steel appliance packages are by KitchenAid and there are hand-set tile backsplashes, double-bowl sinks and vented hood fans.
Bathrooms have ceramic tiles in the showers and rainfall shower heads as big as dinner plates. There are ground-fault circuit interrupter outlets in all bathrooms and framed, clear glass in the ensuites.
Other features include high-efficiency, forced-air furnaces, 50-gallon hot water tanks, insulated garage doors and asphalt shingle roofs with 30-year life spans. There are also roughed-in security systems, roughed-in built-in vacuum systems and two exterior electrical outlets. All homes come with two exterior hose bibbs, direct-wired smoke detectors on each floor and concrete flooring in the crawl spaces.
“A lot of communities in Squamish are built bit by bit with different builders and developers,” Bontkes added. “We’re building a really stylish looking neighbourhood that has continuity to it along with a park and some great landscaping. We put a lot of thought into how this thing’s going to look in the future.”
There’s a green belt on three sides of the community and although it’s close to all the amenities that Squamish has to offer, Bontkes said that the effect will be of a private little neighbourhood that’s welcoming at the same time.
“Squamish has managed to keeps its small-town feel over the years,” said Archibald. “My wife and I were living in Lower Lonsdale and we’re starting to recognize old neighbours from there that have moved up to Squamish as well. As they complete the community I think it’s going to turn into a really vibrant little neighbourhood. This type of place seems to be really hard to find these days in the Lower Mainland.”
“Squamish is unlike any other area in the Lower Mainland,” added Archibald. “You go out to Maple Ridge or Pitt Meadows or Langley and you still have that feeling you’re tied to the big city. Getting out to Squamish feels to me like a release, where I can spend quality time with my family, relax and enjoy the outdoors.”
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