new home living december 2013

source media group: celebrating its 10th year d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 3 n e w h o m e L i v i n g 5

contentsvoLUme 9 iSSUe 96 n december 2013

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River of life Tamani’s Riversong is

designed for living life to the fullest in Cochrane

Crunch time Land development crisis

not just an election issue

cover feature News

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6 new home Living december 2013 source media group: celebrating its 10th year

16

columNs

39 Around Town45 Hope at Large

Items

08 Editor’s Message40 Maps44 Advertiser Index

contents

21 focus oN

10 Toy tales Creativity and imagination

are highlighted in the hottest toys this season

show home profIles16 A relaxing retreat It’s all about leisurely comfort

in Trico’s Stanton

21 Four times the pleasure The four-bedroom Yorkshire offers

spacious living in EvansRidge

commuNIty profIle26 Heart of Cochrane Heartland offers relaxed,

friendly lifestyle

oN treNd35 Green Christmas 10 tips on how to celebrate

the season sustainably

shoppINg36 Christmas town Calgary’s best offerings

for Christmas shopping

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The year that wasWith Christmas fast approaching, and the New Year right behind it, I thought it would be a nice change of pace to contemplate the year that was. It’s fulfilling for me (hopefully, for you the reader, as well) to look back and see the various covers and features we’ve had over those past 12 months and it gives me a sense of satisfaction to see the growth of residential developments in the city charted this way.

The various show homes and new communities that were featured in New Home Living over the past 12 months shows just how rapidly the city is growing. What I couldn’t help but notice was the increase in new communities in Calgary’s outlying areas. Airdrie, Cochrane, Okotoks, Chestermere all have shed their sleepy bedroom community images and have becoming thriving centres of growth. Our cover feature on Tamani Communities’ Riversong in Cochrane is a great example of this surging demand for homes outside Calgary.

Maybe, I’m speculating here, but it certainly seems to me that home builders are gradually taking their business outside the city, as the industry and City council remain embroiled in determining the pace of suburban growth for Calgary. In this final issue for 2013, Jim Zang tries to explain how we got to this point and how things will likely unfold in the coming year(s). It’s difficult to foresee how the tug-of-war for Calgary’s growth will play out, but one thing for sure we will be there at the frontlines covering the issue.

Besides Riversong, we also feature Apex’s new community of Heartland — also in Cochrane — to underline just how much growth this town has experienced over the past couple of years. Our twice-a-year publications — Loving Airdrie Living, and Loving Cochrane Living, and the once-a-year Loving East Side Living — will continue to chart the growth of our neighbours in 2014.

We also shine a spotlight this issue on the new show homes from Trico Homes in Riviera of Riversong, and Homes by Avi’s in EvansRidge. While Marty Hope takes a look at the new Aspen Park.

Our 2013 Christmas issue also includes Kathy McCormick’s rundown of top local shops for your Christmas shopping pleasure, and ‘green’ tips to make your Yule more sustainable.

Calgary really is an amazing city, and the range of homes available is nothing short of astounding. I can’t wait to see what other developments are coming down the line. You better believe that New Home Living is your best source for the latest happenings in the industry.

Pepper Rodriguez, [email protected]

editor’s message n

@CalgaryNewHomes NewHomeLivingCalgary

Next moNth: Jessica Patterson talks about designing with sound in On Trend

p u b l i s h e r

Source Media [email protected]

a s s o c i a t e p u b l i s h e r

Jim Zang [email protected]

e d i t o r

Pepper [email protected]

a r t d i r e c t o r

Jean Faye [email protected]

g r a p h i c d e s i g n e r s

Lama Azhari [email protected]

Dave Macaulay [email protected]

Megan [email protected]

p r o d u c t i o n a d m i n i s t r a t o r

Colleen [email protected]

e d i t o r i a l

Elizabeth Chorney-Booth, Aaliya Essa, Marty Hope, Kathy McCormick,

Jennifer Seamone, Portia Yip, Jim Zang

p h o t o g r a p h y

Don Molyneaux

a d v e r t i s i n g s a l e s

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a c c o u n t i n g

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focus on n

TOY TALES

n By Aaliya Essa

Creativity and imagination are highlighted in the hottest toys this season

The besT parT of Christmas Day is seeing the joy in kids’ eyes when they see santa’s gifts — and by kids we mean kids of all ages. This year find toys they’ll love forever, from superheroes, to trucks, to everybody’s favourite Disney mice. any of these toys could make anyone believe in santa. nl

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n focus on

1] Ronnie Rocket Wow, $44.95 at Livingstone & Cavell Extraordinary Toys.

2] Lady Bug Tea Set in a Basket, $36.95 at Livingstone & Cavell Extraordinary Toys.

3] Pegasus from Schleich, $19.99 at Castle Toys. 4] Mini red piano, $84.95 at Livingstone & Cavell Extraordinary Toys. 5] The Dark Knight Rises from ARTFX, $150 at Comic-Kazi. 6] Volcano with Tyrannosaurus from Playmobil, $94.99 at Castle Toys. 7] Lego Star Wars-Jabba’s Sail Barge, $149.99 at The Discovery Hut. 8] Cargo and Passenger Aircraft from Playmobil, $99.99 at Castle Toys. 9] Bruder Scania R-Series Liebherr Crane, $127.99 at Castle Toys. 10] Beanballz Disney Mickey and Minnie Mouse,

$11.99 each at The Discovery Hut.

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| Advertising cover FeAture |

The gently flowing banks of the Bow River provide the spectacular backdrop to life in Riversong, Cochrane’s newest family-friendly community that’s as attuned to nature as it is to the needs of modern living.

The symphony of nature can be seen and heard through the 100 acres of natural woodlands set with-

in the community, and with the Bow River right at your backyard, the opportunities for year-round recreational activities are boundless. And the community is only coming into bloom with plenty of po-tential still ahead.

“Ground was broken for the community of Riversong about six years ago and still has about five to seven years left of de-velopment,” says Nicole West-man, Marketing Coordinator at Tamani Communities, Riv-ersong’s developer. “In a few more years there will be homes built up along the ridge which

Tamani’s Riversong is designed for living life to the fullest in Cochrane

RiveR of life

With the lushness of nature surrounding the community, it may seem like Riversong is a world away but it is only 15 minutes west of Calgary.

will have full views of the mountains and the Town of Cochrane.”

With the lushness of nature surrounding the commu-nity, it may seem like Riversong is a world away but it is only 15 minutes west of Calgary. “The lifestyle would be laid back with a strong community feel. People who love to head to the mountains to ski or hike would find their perfect home here, especially with its accessibility to major routes including Highways 1 and 1A. Add to that Cochrane’s small town values and family-friendly appeal and you really can’t find a more affordable, accessible and amenity-rich community that’s close to nature.”

Close to a third of this picturesque community is nes-tled along the shores of the Bow River. But it also has amenities that make life here seem so much more lei-surely and carefree, including having the Bow Valley High School right at the entrance to the community.

“We have a second park down along the Bow River, we also have many bike paths and a pedestrian bridge that


| Advertising cover FeAture | | Advertising cover FeAture |

allows residents to take a lei-surely stroll right into the heart of down town Cochrane, in fact, we’re the only development on this side of the river that has this unique feature,” Westman adds.

The floods that hit southern Alberta last summer may have put into question the safety — or indeed the sanity — of living so near the river, but Tamani General Manager, Cam Hart, quickly puts those concerns to rest.

“With all due respect to the terrible events that happened with the flood, this was a good news story in Riversong,” Hart says. “The water did not reach the lots in the community and the flooding was limited to the floodway, where we have no development. This is due to current regulatory and development practices that were followed, which means the lands adjacent to the river were developed to with-stand the one- to 100-year flood. This involved a significant amount of grading work, raising the elevation of these lands and adhering to setbacks from the river.”

Riversong was designed not only to withstand nature, but to blend

with and nurture it as well. The architectural designs are very high in Riversong, giving it a consistent and luxurious, high-end appeal, and Tamani has taken steps to make it an environmentally-sus-tainable neighbourhood.

“We have amazing architiecture in the community and a group of award winning builders,” Hart says. “Environmental sustain-ability plays a significant role in the community, all homes in our new Riviera of Riversong enclave are built to Built Green Gold standard and we have incorporated two residential wind turbines into the community that provide power to the park and pathways.”

A wide range of homes and floor plans are available including front drive, semi-detached, laned, manors and villas. “Riversong includes a broad range of real estate options crafted to satisfy the diverse needs of our buyers,” adds Westman. “Rarely has a prop-erty like this been available to home buyers in the Cochrane and Calgary area.”»


| Advertising cover FeAture |

With the river valley and mountain views at your doorstep, Riversong offers “resort living in the heart of Cochrane.”

FAST FACTS:

Community: Riversong of Cochrane

Developer: Tamani Communities

BuilDers anD priCes: Townhomes from

innovations by Jayman from the high $200,000s

Semi-attached homes from Trico Homes and

innovations by Jayman from the low $300,000s

laned homes from Sabal Homes and Trico

Homes from the low to mid $300,000s

Narrow lot front drive homes from innovations by

Jayman in the mid to high $300,000s

luxury villas and manors starting in the low

$400,000s from Jayman MasterBUilT

front drive homes from Trico Homes, Nuvista

Homes and Jayman MasterBUilT starting in the

mid $500,000s

DireCtions: West on Highway 1, north on

Highway 22, and right on River Heights Dr. and

follow the signs

sales Centre hours: Monday to Thursday

from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., weekends and holidays

noon to 5 p.m., closed fridays.

for more information, visit www.riversongcochrane.com

New to the community are street oriented townhomes, starting in the high $200,000s, from Innovations by Jayman. Also available are semi-attached homes from the low $300,000s from Trico Homes and Innovations by Jayman, laned homes from the low to mid $300,000s are from Sabal Homes and Trico Homes, and narrow lot front drive homes in the mid to high $300,000s from Innovations by Jayman.

In Riviera, which is their upscale enclave that’s closest to the Bow River, they have luxury villas and manors starting in the low $400,000s from Jayman MasterBUILT and front drive homes starting in the mid $500,000s from Trico Homes, NuVista Homes and Jayman Mas-terBUILT. “A great range of housing options to accommodate a wide choice of lifestyles,” Hart says.

There are 18 show homes currently open, where visitors can get a feel for the kind of lifestyle that awaits them in Riversong. With the river valley and mountain views at your doorstep, Riversong offers “resort living in the heart of Cochrane,” Hart says. n


show home profile n


ImagIne lIvIng jusT steps away from the banks of the bow river in a quiet, fami-ly-oriented community surrounded by both nature and all the amenities you’d ever need. Couple that setting with a spacious four-bedroom home that gives everyone in your family plenty of room to breathe, yet still feels luxurious. This kind of idyllic liv-ing may seem unattainable to most, but can actually be within reach by making the short picturesque drive out to Cochrane.

The stanton is an award-winning show home located in the riviera phase of Co-chrane’s riversong development, located just on the south side of the bow, east of highway 22. The tucked-away neighbourhood feels like a refuge in itself, and the stanton home of-fers a real opportunity for families of varying sizes to relax and live harmoniously in 2,796 square-feet of comfort — all for $730,000 (or $586,000, including lot and gsT for the stan-dard three-bedroom model).

When entering the show home from the front-attached garage, you’re immediately greeted by a spacious and functional mud-room, featuring both stylish lockers and a closet. The mudroom leads directly into a butler’s pantry for easy grocery unpacking, and then onto the first of the stanton’s many

It’s all about leisurely comfort in Trico’s Stanton

A RELAXING RETREAT

Trico Homes n show home profile

show-stopping features: a enormous kitchen complete with a large island and a countertop that spans the length of the entire room, reaching right into the cozy nook/dining area.

The counter and cabinetry stretching into the nook fea-tures an optional wine fridge, bar sink, built-in wine racks, and plenty of space to set out food and beverages, making it an ideal spot to entertain and host dinner parties. glass patio doors lead out to a deck that covers the entire width of the house.

Off of the kitchen and nook is a 15-foot by 17-foot-eight-inch great room, showcasing a stunning infinity fireplace. The show home designers have placed a flat screen televi-sion over the mantle to illustrate how the room can easily accommodate media elements without them overpowering the elegance of the room. That confluence of function and style is a theme that runs throughout the stanton.

“This home is for a large family, but you’re not losing the glamour either,” says area sales manager erin reeves. “That’s what this home is all about — entertaining and having more room for a mature family. Whether you’ve got four kids or you’ve got teenagers, there’s room for everyone.”

The main floor is rounded out by a flex room — designed as an office in the show home, but could just as easily be used as a formal dining room or opened up into a comfy reading room or library. a small half-bath is tucked around the corner from the mudroom. The front entry way and stairway are also offset from the great room and kitchen, giving the home an added sense of dimension.

n By Elizabeth Chorney-Booth

»



Fast Facts:

builder: Trico Homes

area: Riviera in Riversong

style: Two-storey, semi-estate

size: 2,796 sq. ft.

price: From $586,000 including lot, GST, Built Green Gold, and exterior allowance. Four-bedroom showhome style is approx. $730,000

address: 1 Riviera Crescent, Cochrane

directions: Take the #1 Highway from Calgary west to the Alberta Provincial Highway 22x. Follow the 22x north and turn right at the signs pointing to Riversong. Follow the signs to the Riviera showhomes.

hours: Monday to Thursday 2 to 8 p.m., weekends from noon to 5 p.m., closed on Fridays.

Web: www.tricohomes.com

The second floor is where the sense of refuge and retreat really begins to set in. at the top of the stairs is a spacious bonus room completed with optional built-in shelving big enough to accommodate all of your media equipment as well as books and décor pieces. The room is large enough to fit a sectional couch so that the entire family can hunker down to watch a movie, and is detached enough from the downstairs great room so that kids or teens can use the entertainment centre while parents entertain or relax downstairs without bothering each other. at the back of the house two large secondary bedrooms, complete with walk-in closets, are separated by a full bathroom, and a third bedroom is located right off of the bonus room.

The stanton’s most spectacular selling point, however, is undeniably the master suite. not simply a bedroom, this suite features a sunken bedroom, a spectacular spa-style ensuite bathroom with a glass and tile shower and a gorgeous soaker tub, and a roomy master retreat that provides the perfect hideaway for some quiet time. With its vaulted ceiling and stone and tile finishings, this suite feels more like a room in an elegant resort than what you’d normally see in a private home.

Yet, despite the indulgent comfort of the master suite, designers still took practicality into account at all turns. The master’s large walk-in closet connects directly into a second-floor laundry room fitted with ample counter and storage space. home owners would be able to bring laundry directly from the dryer into the closet without having to carry it through other points in the house.

“We get people commenting a lot that Trico homes are very liveable,” reeves says. “You can actually picture yourself living here and it’s functional to live in this space.”

show home profile n

Those practical touches, combined with the abundance of living space and lush details make the stanton a unique show home that will accommodate the chang-ing needs of any family as children grow older and time marches on. nl

THE STANTON HOME OFFERS A REAL OPPORTUNITY FOR FAMILIES OF VARYING SIZES TO RELAX AND LIVE HARMONIOUSLY...

The pOpular COmmunITY of evansridge — with its vast blue skies and distinct inner-city feel — is the perfect setting for one of the largest home models offered by homes by avi — the Yorkshire.

This four-bedroom, triple-car garage home ranges in size from 2,568 to 2,602 square-feet, and is truly a first-class home that will meet the needs and desires of a wide range of buyers. but if you want to build the Yorkshire in this thriving community, you will need to act fast, cautions megan pangilinan, area sales manager for homes by avi.

she says the latest phase in evansridge is the only one here with wide enough lots to accommodate the Yorkshire.

The four-bedroom Yorkshire offers spacious living in EvansRidge

FOUR TIMES THE PLEASURE

“It’s something new that we can offer in evansridge because of the size of the land and the lots that are currently available,” says pangilinan. “It’s really a model that’s offered in any of our commu-nities if the land will allow it.”

The Yorkshire show home, opening november 16, will certainly wow with its distinct homes by avi design touch, but the home offers much more than this.

What makes the Yorkshire so enticing is without a doubt the three-car garage, four bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, upstairs laundry and a bonus room. The main level is also the perfect mix of airy and cozy with

Homes by Avi n show home profile

Story by Portia Yip n Photos by Don Molyneaux

»



cleverly designed spaces that still offer an open-concept feel. “The bonus room is centrally located as opposed to over the garage

so it’s a great way to divide up the master suite and the additional bedrooms,” says pangilinan. she also points out that apart from the luxurious master suite, two of the additional bedrooms also have walk-in closets. “Four bedrooms are becoming more popular — they’re difficult to find, but this layout is fantastic.”

Features that complement the space includes a gas fire place, nine-foot-high ceilings and a sleek hardwood/tile flooring com-bination on the main level, plus tons of cabinetry in the kitchen with granite or quartz countertops and a stately stainless steel appliance package.

at first glance, the exterior of the home suggests it’s a two-car garage, but on the inside there’s plenty of room: two vehicles can fit side-by-side with a tandem third space in the back for another vehicle. The tandem space can also be an extra storage area for fun toys like bikes, quads, kayaks and more. For those really ambitious, there could even be room for a mini woodworking shop.

pangilinan adds that avi customers are always welcome to visit the avi Definitions selection Centre where they have the opportunity to work with a professional interior designer. “It’s the place to go to make all those details come together,” she says. “It’s a really fun and personal process. You choose everything

from the flooring to the cabinet colours, door handles, you name it.”

as for the exterior, homes by avi offers quite a few elevations from Craftsman styling to more of an urban or contemporary esthetic to suit a variety of tastes. The Yorkshire starts at $575,000 including gsT.

For a house of this size, the demographics are mixed. pangilinan says there are potential buyers looking to move up, and also those making a lateral shift after re-quiring the fourth bedroom.

There’s an extensive product line-up in evansridge and potential buyers also have the opportunity to view the Wellesley show home at the Yorkshire sales centre location. a more compact home, the Wellesley offers three bedrooms, an open-concept layout and a bonus room above the garage.

as a growing community, evansridge is diverse — rich with rolling foothills and lush ravines, to being conve-niently located to amenities catered for an entire family. Developed by Dundee Developments, this 150-acre area will include a K-9 Catholic school, soccer fields, and two play grounds — all in close proximity to homes by avi’s current phase.

WHAT MAKES THE YORKSHIRE SO ENTICING IS WITHOUT A DOUBT THE THREE-CAR GARAGE, FOUR BEDROOMS, TWO-AND-A-HALF BATHS, UPSTAIRS LAUNDRY AND A BONUS ROOM.

show home profile n


“In evanston, we do have a commercial site that will be opening up soon which will have a grocery store, coffee shop and other amenities,” says pangilinan. “Once you’re in the community, you don’t really have to leave.”

The Calgary International airport and both the Creekside and beacon hill shopping centres are just a few minutes away; along with CrossIron mills and its recently announced new neighbour, the new horizon mall. everything else you need within the city is easily accessible via Deerfoot Trail, stoney Trail and the bed-dington Trail interchange to 14th street.

after building for 35 years, homes by avi has once again hit another milestone. at this year’s Canadian home builders’ association – alberta (Chba – alber-ta) awards, homes by avi took top honours in many categories, including the ralph scurfield builder of the Year award.

With homes located in every quadrant throughout the city, homes by avi continues to uphold their repu-tation for building functional yet innovative homes in desirable communities. just as homes by avi is proud of the homes they build, owners will be proud to make the Yorkshire in evansridge their humble abode. nl

Fast Facts:

builder: Homes by Avi

area: EvansRidge

style: Front-attached with a triple car garage

size: From 2,568 to 2,602 sq. ft.

price: Starting from $575,000 including GST

address: 8 & 12 Evansborough Green N.W.

hours: Monday to Thursday 2 to 5 p.m., weekends from

noon to 5 p.m.

Web: www.homesbyavi.com

n show home profile

... HOMES BY AVI CONTINUES TO UPHOLD THEIR REPUTATION FOR BUILDING FUNCTIONAL YET INNOVATIVE HOMES IN DESIRABLE COMMUNITIES.


Nestled in the rolling foothills on the edge of the sweeping bow river valley with soar-ing rocky mountains as a backdrop, lies the charming and desirable community of

heartland. located in the heart of Cochrane with easy access to amenities and downtown, this intimate and family oriented community truly has a special rhythm.

“a lot of people here want to know their neighbours, and that is important to them,” explains excel homes senior area manager, nada elaraj. “I have never seen a community with such a big concentration of friends and family who want to be neighbours.”

In keeping with the area’s small town western am-biance, heartland, a master planned community by

community profile n

n By Jennifer Seamone

HEART OF COCHRANE

Heartland offers relaxed, friendly lifestyle

apex land, offers its homeowners a different way of life from bustling city neighbourhoods. “It is a place that steps back in time to a slower and simpler way of life, and that is why people choose to make heartland their home,” says elaraj.

situated between highways 1a and 22 — heartland’s architecture and design reaches back in history to honour Cochrane’s heritage and alberta’s storied Western tradition. Featuring home styles of alpine, homestead, prairie and arts and Crafts, it is easy to imagine the roaming bison, and cowboys of the past.

There is an old saying ‘home is where the heart is’, and if this is true, heartland will certainly steal yours. horseshoe park, a centrally located green space,

wilson townhomes


Fast Facts:

commuNIty: Heartland, Cochrane

developer: Apex Lands

BuIlders: Excel Homes, Birchwood Properties

style: Townhomes, laned homes, front-drive single-family

prIce: Townhomes from $199,900; laned homes from $336,000; front-drive single-family $369,000

address: 153 Heartland Way, Cochrane

dIrectIoNs: Exit off Trans Canada to Cochrane, left on 1A, first left.

hours: Monday to Thursday 2 to 8 p.m., weekends and holidays noon to 5 p.m., Heartland Townhomes closed Thursdays

weB: www.heartlandcochrane.com

provides residents a 3.5 acre recreational spot in their own back-yard. The park features a large play-park, paths, soccer field, and an abundance of trees and benches.

Future plans include two more parks, two ponds surrounded by walking paths, and a 10-acre parcel of land which has been set aside for commercial development. adding to the community’s appeal, an elementary and middle school are located close by, so children have less ride time and more play time.

everything about heartland and Cochrane says ‘let’s get outside’, including the planned pedestrian access connecting residents to the 30 Km pathway system which connects the communities of Cochrane and the charming western-styled town center.

In addition to the great outdoors, Cochrane has many other health and fitness opportunities including the big hill leisure pool and two golf courses. There is also spray lake sawmills Family sports Center, featuring three ice rinks, a running track and fitness cen-ter. as part of the facility, a new aquatics center is slated to break ground in 2015. With the mountains so close by the recreational and sport opportunities are endless. as if all this wasn’t enough, Canmore and banff are a mere 45 minutes away.

The community of heartland consists of two townhome projects by birchwood properties and excel homes, but is mainly of detached single family homes by excel homes.

The range, by birchwood properties consists of 17 three-storey, four-plex buildings. prices in this development start at $199,900 plus gsT for 1,140 square-feet. There are three plans to choose from with optional basement development which adds an additional 252 square-feet. These homes have great standard features and each one includes an above ground parking stall. since their launch on October 5, sales have been going very well, says Community sales manager Dahlia macrae. each building is surrounded by a green area, and each home has its own private entry and verandah; with charming ranch styled exteriors our townhomes feels more like a house, she adds.

Future plans include two more parks, two ponds surrounded by walking paths, and a 10-acre parcel of land which has been set aside for commercial development.

n community profile

»

ainsworth show home

ainsworth show home

paxton show home

heartland Townhomes by excel, offers two-story townhomes in blocks of three and four side-by-side units. Three of the models include rear at-tached garages and an optional loft, adding an impressive 700 square-feet of living space. The three bedroom two-and-a-half bath, 1,209-square-foot berkley starts from $274,900. The largest home, the stapelton, sits at 1,532 square-feet, with garage, from $360,000. The optional loft would bring the home to a generous 2,200 square-feet.

“The loft is great, it gives people the option for more above-ground square footage without having to develop the basement,” says area manager, mary Therese la madrid.

rounding out the selections of homes is excel homes with front-drive garage single-family models, and laned single-family homes. Two front-drive garage show homes are available to be viewed. The Weston, 1,739 square-feet starts at $395,000. The ainsworth sits at 2,108 square-feet and starts from $415,000. both homes feature three bedrooms, two-an-a-half baths and bonus room. laned homes beginning at 1,420 square-feet are priced from $336,000.

With many more floor plans available, there is an abundance of selection, all offering great value. elaraj adds that prices of homes in heartland av-erage about $70,000 less than what you pay for the same house in Calgary, and all include the sought-after benefits of small town life. nl

community profile n

With so many floor plans available, there is an abundance of selection, all offering great value.

Images on this page are of the weston show home



news n

Just because the election is over, doesn’t mean the land development controversy is. In fact, it’s just beginning and there’s a possibility, especially with the prevailing attitude of the current City hall regime and many of its minions, that things could get much worse before they

start to get better.some experts, such as guy huntingford, CeO of the urban Devel-

opment Institute Calgary, have gone so far as to say the situation regarding future available land for development has reached crisis proportions.

The problem is especially pronounced in Calgary, where the rate of home ownership is high compared to other cities. The 2011 national home ownership survey showed the national average at 69 per cent versus Calgary at 73.8 per cent.

perhaps not surprisingly, then, given the demand driven by a rel-atively strong economy and in-migration, the price of the average new single family detached home in Calgary rose from $180,339 in 1998 to $484,881 in 2012, an increase of nearly 160 per cent.

Calgary developers and builders are continuing to respond to market demand by designing innovative new communities and offering a variety of single and multi-family housing choices, from entry level single and multi-family options to move-up and estate homes — often all in the same community.

City hall, on the other hand, rather than responding to the market, seems to want to dictate to it. For, even though mayor nenshi has acknowledged the looming land crunch, things seem to move at the pace of the tortoise rather than the hare when it comes to stream-lining the new development process.

unfortunately, an artificially created shortage of land, tunnel vision urban planning, and a strong economy which continues to draw workers by the thousands annually, is the three headed mon-ster we’re faced with. It all combines to form a perfect storm of not enough serviceable land. and we all learned in economics class what a shortage of supply does to demand, and prices. likewise, we all know who ultimately controls the supply of land.

Caught in the middle of the tug-of-war are consumers, who just want to have a reasonable choice of quality affordable housing options.

recent dust-ups between the mayor’s office and certain members of the land development and home building industry have inadvertent-

Crunch timeLand development crisis not just an election issue

ly had the effect of pitting inner-city residents against folks in the ‘burbs thanks to the spotlight being turned on the cost of developing new land with the necessary services and infrastructure.

since the mayor is a proponent of increasing density, you’d think he’d be happy with the way things are pro-gressing. Thanks mainly to developers’ efforts, many new communities have much more of a live/work/play design and incorporate all kinds of green spaces, playgrounds, schools and community centres into their master plans. Quarry park is a perfect example.

Truth be known, they’re building better communities than ever. and the kicker, density has actually gone up significantly in the past few years in the suburbs. In fact density in new communities is actually higher than in many inner-city neghbourhoods. For example, density rates in areas like upper mount royal and elbow park come in at 2,089 and 2,153 people per square-kilometre,

Story by Jim Zang n Illustration by Lama Azhari


n news

Caught in the middle of the tug-of-war are consumers, who just want to have a reasonable choice of quality affordable housing options.

while somerset checks in at 4,870 and evergreen at 4,196.It truly seems to be a case of ‘do as I say and not as I

do’ as the mayor himself lives in a single family home in what is not, by any stretch of the imagination, inner-city.

Developers currently pay all development costs on land — roads, sidewalks, etc. plus half of the costs for bringing new water and wastewater services. The other half is picked up by the city by what his royal purpleness has labeled a “sprawl subsidy”, a total he puts at $4,800 per lot.

according to the first agreement, in 2001, developers were to pay $52,000 per hectare. The current rate is $316,000 per hectare, with the present deal set to expire in 2015.

raising property taxes for new areas is one option. Of course, when you’ve already raised property taxes more than 30 per cent in the past three years, it’s understand-able why team purple might be a little gun shy on the topic of another increase.

nenshi believes developers should cover the $4,800 also, meaning the cost is passed on to the builders, who buy the lots, and eventually to the consumer. It’s a sce-nario that could combine with the supply and demand equation to push prices even higher.

net migration to the city was nearly 40,000 people in the past two years. The rental vacany rate is hovering just above one per cent, the lowest of any major metro centre in the country. besides the fact all these people don’t want to live in the inner-city (maybe they don’t want a high-rise condo, maybe they can’t afford an in-fill or lot prices in an established community), there just plain isn’t anywhere for all of them to live in the inner-city.

putting more strain on the situation, homes in Calgary are already more expensive than places like Okotoks, Cochrane, strathmore and airdrie. more and more home-

buyers are looking to these communities for their affordability and lifestyle, choosing to commute in to work in Calgary but paying property taxes where they live.

some businesses may choose to do business elsewhere too. “The lack of land development approvals is making more builders consider building in the outlying towns of Okotoks, airdrie, Chestermere and Cochrane,” says a representative of one of Calgary’s largest condo developers who is feeling the crunch, “where there are less land development restrictions. I always used to have 500 units in inventory, now I have 50.”

One co-worker I spoke to paid $2,500 in property taxes alone last year. If that’s a new homebuyer in a suburb that’s a minimum of $50,000 in revenue if they live there 20 years. Only $25,000 if they live there 10 years, but still a nice return on a $4,800 investment. Yet many, the mayor among them, refer to it as a subsidy, and not an investment in the future.

If the mayor and city council don’t want this revenue base, other municipalities surely will.

Taking the matter into their own hands, some members of the development and home building industry got together to discuss who would be the best candidates to support in terms of people who would see land development as perhaps somewhat less of a one sided partnership than the current administration. They were secretly recorded and then publicly chastised in the media for it by

the mayor and others.a local development company was accused of cir-

culating a ‘slate’ of business-friendly candidates amongst their employees and encouraging them

to take time off to vote. not a crime last time I checked, as long as there’s no coercion

involved. just democracy in action, folks. everyone has the right to vote for who they want to and, inevitably, folks end up voting for people with similar views to themselves.

In fact, a full half dozen of the can-didates endorsed by the builder/de-veloper are also candidates nenshi himself endorsed. To their credit, apex, parent company of excel homes, stands by their memo and makes no

apologies for it.It’s into the midst of this playground-like

atmosphere, with not all the kids play-ing nice in the sandbox, that alan norris, »


Alan norris

president and CeO of brookfield residential Communities, one of Canada’s largest land developers, stepped as the keynote speaker at the Calgary Chamber of Commerce October luncheon at the Carriage house Inn.

a who’s who of Calgary’s housing industry, including heavy hitters like shane Wenzel of shane homes, jayman masterbuilt’s jay West-man, Carol Oxtoby from heritage pointe Developments, Qualico’s Karin Finley and glynn hendry, ryan Ockey of Cardel, and others, were lined up outside the door to hear what one of the industry’s most respected voices had to say.

so, in a room full of chamber members from all walks of business, with the media present, alan norris did what he was supposed to: he spoke his mind. norris, who comes with a list of qualifications too lengthy for this already lengthy article, spoke in his quaint scottish brogue about coming to Calgary so many years ago, intending to stay a couple of years, and never leaving. he spoke of his love for Calgary and what we need to do to stay the great city we are; to re-main the destination of choice for newcomers. he spoke of some of the things that we’re doing right: for example, he said, the new com-munity of seton is one of the three largest mixed use developments in north america. and he should know, brookfield is active in three Canadian metropolitan markets and eight more in the u.s.

“people come from all over the world to see the quality of our communities,” he said, “and we should never lose sight of that.”

norris said that Calgary, at close to 11 units per acre on the suburban edge, has a higher density ratio in that area than any other north american city. still, he cautioned, significant challenges on the supply side, in terms of developable land, are looming.

and, while he supports the general philosophy behind planIt, the City’s urban planning program, he said it, too, is not without its challenges. “It’s a 60-year plan. You can’t do it in two years. We have to make sure we have choices available in case things don’t stay the same. Which they seldom do.”

norris favours what he calls “intensification on a common sense basis”, with a balance of housing choices. he knows all too well the fees associated with developing new subdivisions and the share developers pay. “property taxes,” he said, “are a very regressive form of taxation. We need to find other, more innovative ways.”

at the moment, he said, it’s reach a bit of an impass in terms of both funding and red tape. “The mayor’s in favour of cutting the red tape, but it hasn’t happened yet. almost 85 per cent of what we do as developers is dictated by standards. It’s hard to be innovative with the remaining 15 per cent.”

What norris is calling for is more transparency, both in the pro-cess and in the funding, accountability and responsibility. Where

is the money for new community development coming from and where is it going? If homebuyers have to pay more, what are they paying for? “user-pay works,” he said, “if people know up front what they’re paying for and make that choice.”

Which is where accountability comes in. “It’s important they get what they paid for.”

and people do have a choice. If not in Calgary, then in outlying areas. all of the choices come at a cost, and with a looming lot shortage already threatening to drive prices up, a glut of red tape to wade through and the City whining about their share being too much, Calgary will have to do something to maintain its competitive edge in terms of continuing to draw skilled migrants to the city.

“It took three years to get approval for mckenzie Towne,” said norris, “and it’s still happening in seton. We have trouble getting approvals because the regulations are unclear and unstable. We’re way ahead of the u.s. on the product side, but they’re ahead on financing solutions, especially with regard to development costs.”

many u.s. cities, he said, are empowering communities to cover their own costs. That way, people know exactly what they’re paying for.

“It’s not a discussion just about housing,” he said. “It’s about keeping Cal-gary attractive to people.”

so what’s the next step? “We’ve got to get to the point where we’re not pitting taxpayer against

taxpayer, “he said, “the cost of choices must be transparent.”he called for more co-operation between the public

and private sectors. he praised Calgary’s innovation in products and called for more. he asked for a more open-minded discussion of progressive financing solu-tions. he commended mayor nenshi for wanting to cut red tape, but stressed the need for that desire to filter down through the various department levels at City hall.

The flexibility to respond to market dynamics is a key. “If we’re intensifying density,” he said, “ we need to allow zoning for secondary suites. You can’t talk about density if you can’t even allow that.”

We can’t get too much into the blame game, he said, instead of recognizing the issue, confronting it, and dealing with it. The election may be over, but the issues are not.

“It’s a challenge and an opportunity,” said norris, “I hope Calgary business, government and public alike is up to.”

because it’s not an election issue, it’s a Calgary issue — and it affects all of us. nl

“People come from all over the world to see the quality of our communities, and we should never lose sight of that.”

news n

Green Christmas10 tips on how to celebrate the season sustainably

1shop locally. shopping locally can be one of the greenest ways to celebrate the holidays, and definitely one of the friendliest.

supporting local businesses saves shipping/postage fees, uses less wrapping and packing materials, and greenhouse gas emissions.

2recycle. recycle your boxes, bows and wrapping to keep it out of the landfill. save it for next year, or take it to a proper

recycling station. even items like old computers, phones and Tvs can be recycled.

3 buy Wisely. look to purchase items with minimal packaging. Or try gift experiences rather than items. Who wouldn’t like a

spa package, tickets to a concert, movie, sporting event or theatre performance? a lottery ticket could just end up being the best present you ever bought someone.

4reduce clutter. Follow the four rs: rethink, or think twice about your buying habits; refuse or say ‘no’ to waste; reduce

the number of items you buy; and reuse, some of the best gifts are personally crafted using repurposed materials already in your home. maybe email cards instead of sending them out, saving paper and postage.

5 make a donation. Instead of buying a gift for the person who already has everything, make a donation to their favourite charity

on their behalf. get involved with putting together food hampers, adopt a needy family, or volunteer at a non-profit organization.

6be a creative Wrapper. Fabric gift bags are great as they can be used for years to come. reusable gift boxes

and bags are good too. Old newspapers and magazines also make for a unique and often entertaining gift wrap. Or, be the other kind of creative rapper, and send someone the audio file of the song you wrote especially for them.

7do a good deed. shovel someone’s sidewalk, bake them a cake, or offer to drive them to church or another Christmas

program. Or maybe even invite them to dinner. small gestures can make a big difference to seniors and shut-ins.

8re-giFt. Once thought to be tacky, re-gifting is now down-right acceptable as long as the item is new and not one-of-

a-kind. and you’re not accidently re-gifting it to the person who gave it to you. a perfect way to get rid of accumulated unwanted (but tasteful) office Christmas party gifts.

9use led lights. leD lights on both your home and tree pose less fire hazard and use less energy. remember not

to turn them on until after the supper energy rush hour and turn them off again when you go to bed. make sure plug-ins and extension cords are safe.

10 give the best giFt oF all. You. send a photo. pick up the phone. skype. Take the time to visit family and

friends. because that’s what it’s really all about. nl

oh christmas tree!Homes with black garbage cart collection can also leave their trees out to be picked up. Just make sure your tree is on the ground near your black cart collection spot by 7 a.m. January 9. Trees will be picked up within three weeks. For more information visit www.calgary.ca

It’s more eco-friendly to buy an artificial tree, but if you insist on having a real tree make sure you recycle it. The City of Calgary will be accepting Christmas trees for recycling between December 26 and January 31 at one of eight locations.

• Bowness Fire Station (#15, 6358 35 Ave. N.W.)• Prairie Winds Park (223 Castleridge Blvd. N.E.)• Bottomlands Park (St. George’s Dr. and 7 Ave. N.E.)• Marda Loop Communities Association (3130 16 St. S.W.)• Parks Compound (10312 Sacramento Dr. S.W.)• Spyhill Landfill* (69 St. and 112 Ave. N.W.)• East Calgary Landfill* (17 Ave. and 68 St. S.E.)• Shepard Lanfill* (114 Ave. and 68 St. S.E.)

*Landfills are closed Sundays and January 1.

n on trend


Calgary’s best offerings for Christmas shoppingChristmas town

W ith today’s emphasis on home-grown everything, it just makes sense to ex-tend that to your holiday

shopping as well. buying from the smaller, local shops means you will find one-of-a-kind treasures that are as individualistic as those people on your list.

Of course, it goes even further than that. You’re supporting local businesses that help to make Calgary a vibrant, exciting city.

so here’s our list of some of the city’s treasure-troves of gift ideas. The Top 10 spots to round out your festive season.

reWorkslocated in the heart of Inglewood, this little shop is unique: everything in it is repurposed to something else — and that something else is useful, beautiful and definitely a conversation piece.

“We’ve been in business for two years,” says solita Work, the owner of reWorks. “eveything we have here is made from recycled things — and almost everything is from north america.”

look for unique items such as clocks framed in and bracelets made from re-cycled bicycle chains, bags made out of seatbelts, licence plate mailboxes, and

more. some Christmas items include beautiful harvested

wood ornaments in snowflake designs.

modern counterinteriorsalso in trendy Inglewood, this store brings in its own custom-designed wood fur-niture from its manufactur-ing plant on vancouver Island.

“We’ve been here almost 12 years, and two-thirds of our product is made by us,” says owner Cindy shockey. “We’re known for our design.”

If anyone on your list is looking for that one-of-a-kind beautiful piece of furniture, this is the place. but it also has a selection of unique accessories, from candleholders, to decorative pillows, vases, and table lamps.

oWl’s nest bookslocated in the britannia plaza shopping area, this little store has been delighting cus-tomers for close to 40 years.

“I am one of the partners who bought it in 1996,” says susan hare. “We’ve continued to make our mark with unique, personalized customer ser-vice. We have a real connection with families and we carry the knowledge of what to carry, from infancy to seniors to fit our customer.”

besides books, the store also has a selection of specialized “beautiful things,” says hare. “Our china mugs with art themes have done incredibly well for us.”

britannia ornamentalhardWare & giFtsalso located in britannia plaza, this little gem is one of those stores packed with so many little interesting articles, you’ll want to spend time looking to be sure not to miss anything.

“This is one of the original stores in this plaza,” says heidi Krake, who has owned the store for close to 10 years. “It’s been here 60 years and its success is the unique items we have that you won’t find everywhere else, and our service.”

look for beautiful fine bone china pieces from emma bridgewater, botanic garden and Dunoon, for example — all made in england. basic spirit is a popular nova scotia pewter collection; Kitras art glass is anoth-er made-in-Canada item that’s popular.

shopping n

BUying FRom The SmALLeR, LoCAL ShoPS meAnS yoU wiLL FinD one-oF-A-kinD TReASUReS ThAT ARe AS inDiviDUALiSTiC AS ThoSe PeoPLe on yoUR LiST.

n Story and photos by Kathy McCormick


Christmas townsmitten ForFashion andJeWelleryYou know you’ll find unique in Kensington — it’s just one of the city’s most unique shop-ping areas.

smitten is just that — and it’s changed since owner rory Zerbe first opened shop 23 years ago.

Originally named joints, it was a picture framing store with other great giftware for the home — but it was so popular, “I realized after a while that I had filled my clients’ homes” and there was nowhere to go with the same concept, so Zerbe transitioned over a two-year period to today’s smitten.

You’ll still find a wonderful selection of unique jewelry — “artisan-made from europe, u.s. and Canadian designers, including some hometown,” says Zerbe.

but the women’s clothing has filled more than half of the large store. here, too, Zerbe says the selection is unique. “We carry lines you won’t see in department stores.”

chocolaterie bernard callebautIt’s a guarantee that everyone on your shop-ping list will be happy with chocolate — and why not pick from the best?

Whether it’s the original chocolatier bernard Callebaut at papa Chocolat in

Willow park or the new Choc-olaterie bernard Callebaut chain, it will be a hit. The new

owners of Chocolaterie bernard Callebaut now boast 11 locations

in Calgary, including one in Kens-ington.

livingstone & cavellextraordinary toysa staple of the Kensington era for two de-cades, this unique toy store harkens back to another era of artistic excellence with retro, older toys — and even some new as long as they meet the high standards of the owners, edward Cavell and Donna livingstone.

“While the emphasis is on older toys and good design, our toys also have an ecological bent,” says merchandiser monica sommer-ville. “We carry wooden or tin toys, rather than plastic.”

maria tomas Furnitureand décorWith its location along the design district on 11th avenue s.W., this store carries an eclectic mix of furnishings and accessories that is different than you’d find in many of the other stores, says one of the owners, julian riley.

“We are known for customizing the furniture and accessory pieces to what the customer likes and wants,” he says. Our furniture is ‘clean’ but not the very sleek modern look that you see in some other places. We’re more about real life — how does it fit in with kids and dogs, that sort of thing.”

stillWater spa at the hyatt regency calgaryIt’s a no-fail gift for every woman — a simple gift cer-tificate to one of the city’s most posh, most relaxing and most sumptuous spas.

and the selection of services will fit any woman’s desires, needs and wants, tri-ple time.

This is a gift certificate that’s always appreciated. and men will love it, too. nl

n shopping

rubaiyatlocated on vibrant 17th avenue s.W. rubaiyat has been the go-to place for all things different, from exotic jewelry, to hand-crafted wood, pewter, art glass, and ethnic ornaments and accessories since 1973.

“We wanted to show Canadian and local art work ever since my husband, David, started out in art school,” says pam haight. “This was the perfect way — we followed what we would like to have in our own homes.”

The purveyors of quality handicrafts carry every-thing from the traditional limited edition, hand-paint-ed Old World ornaments by Christopher radko, to the modern wooden vases by Colin schleeh.



a neW Three-Year partnership deal has been secured between Kidsport alberta and genstar Developments, a company that is no stranger to building great things.

senior Development manager for genstar, paul boskovich, says he is excited to get this partnership in place. “genstar is honoured and excited to make a long term commitment to Kidsport. We feel our involvement can help to create healthy relationships with Canada’s youth by encouraging physical activity, and healthy habits starting at a young age.

Funding provided by genstar will be distrib-uted into four of the communities that they op-erate in — edmonton, st. albert, sherwood park and Calgary, with 100 per cent of the funds going specifically to grants for kids. a portion will also be used each year to support some of Kidsport alberta’s program operations.

“really, this partnership could not have come at a better time,” says Kidsport executive Director, Carole holt. “The Kidsport program

is growing so quickly in alberta and across the country so gen-star’s support will be put to very good use right away to make sure that ever kid gets a chance to play. We are excited to work with them for the next three years.”

n By Pepper Rodriguez

around town

DID YOu KnOW Canada post wants to charge home builders a fee to register houses? It’s true. but appar-ently the good folks at The Crown corporation have suffered a recent bout of conscience (or a dose of reality) and have offered to reduce the fee they want to charge to register addresses in new neighbourhoods from $200 to $150 per home.

at the recent national Chba meetings in Ottawa, home building industry representatives from across the country agreed that wasn’t good enough. In fact, the fight is about prin-ciple, not a price cut. That principle being simple: Canada post has no business imposing new fees on home construction when their real problem is that Canadians are sending fewer and fewer pieces of mail. adjusting Community mailbox fees will not change that reality or make up the shortfall. and, as mail volumes contin-ue to decrease, will they just continue to raise fees to try to make up the dif-ference? Chba has asked Canada post to suspend plans to impose the fee and has plans to rally members and other stakeholders to oppose Canada post if necessary. This issue helps illustrate how the association provides its mem-bers — and in this case also consumers — with effective advocacy at local, provincial and national levels.

aCCOrDIng TO CanaDa mortgage and housing Corporation’s (CmhC) Fall 2013 Calgary housing market Outlook, total housing starts in the Calgary Census metro-politan area (Cma) are forecast to moderate to 11,700 units in 2013 before rising to 13,100 in 2014.

“Following a nine per cent reduction in 2013, total housing starts in 2014 are forecast to rebound with gains in both single-de-tached and multi-family construction,” says richard Cho, CmhC’s senior market ana-lyst for Calgary. “Continued job creation and heightened net migration throughout the forecast period will contribute to demand for new homes,” he adds.

single-detached starts in 2013 are on pace to reach 6,200 units, up four per cent from 5,961 units in 2012. nl

after 2013 dip, housing starts to rise in 2014

snail mail

CalgarY’s largesT sOlar panel power system became operational in brookfield residential’s mixed-used development of seton. The solar photovoltaic panel array, composed of 255, four-foot by five-foot panels, powers the retail centre’s lighting system (parking lot lights, decorative lights, and ground-level illumination). The power generated can light an area the size of a foot-ball field. It is Calgary’s largest solar panel power system, says brookfield residential communications specialist sharon lee, and according to information gathered from the solar energy society of alberta, at this time, it is the second largest solar panel array in alberta. Watch upcoming editions of this magazine for full coverage.

solar power in seton

hIT a hOle-In-One and live sustainably ever after. landmark group of builders awarded a 4.75-kilowatt, 19 solar photovoltaic panel array worth $20,000 to Thomas reid of airdrie, al-berta, who hit the ace during the earl’s ms golf Classic in september.

The solar panels will be installed free of charge. lori erickson, sales manager for land-mark homes (red Deer), says “sponsoring the earl’s ms golf Classic is one of the many ways landmark gives back to the community. The fact that mr. reid shot a hole-in-one is fantastic

hole-in-one gets free solar panels from landmark

kidsport’s carole holt with genstar’s onufry shinkewski

genstar partners with Kidsport

and we are truly happy for him and his family.”

The 19 solar panels are expected to generate approximately 6,000 kilowatts annually, sufficient to offset the majority of the reid family’s electrical needs.

reid says “Winning this prize and being the first to install landmark solar in aird-rie has been amazing. being able to reduce the cost of living in our home will benefit us immediately, we cannot wait to start producing our own electricity.”


calgary map n Northwest/Northeast

ChestermereRainbow Falls · Westcreek · Westmere


calgary map n Southwest



Southeast/Calgary area n calgary map


okotoks

cochrane

airdrie


Apex Developmentsheartlandpage 29

Apex Developmentshillcrestpage 47

Apex Developmentsmountainviewpage 3

Brookfield HomesCranstonpage 24

Cardel Homeshighlands of Cranstonpage 25

Cardel HomesQuarry Parkpage 4

Cedarglen Homespage 7

DS Homespage 41

Excel Homespage 2

HomExpopage 44

Innovations by Jaymanpage 15

Mattamy Homespage 48

NuVista Homespage 20

Tamani CommunitiesRiversong of CochraneFC, pages 12-14, 33

United CommunitiesDrake Landingpage 38

United Communitiesnolan hillpage 19

WaltonSkyview Ranchpage 9

West Creek DevelopmentsLegacypage 34

advertisers index n


hope at largen By Marty Hope

aspeN allure

COCO hOmes Is well-known for building upscale, custom homes in and around the Calgary area, but its most recent undertaking might just be the most high-profile one in its scrapbook.

“aspen park is an important community undertaking for Coco homes because of its prime location on the west side of Calgary, one of the city’s most sought after areas of Calgary,” says john sparrow, president of rain property advisory, on behalf of Coco homes. “It is one of the last pockets of resi-dential land left in aspen.”

The west side has become a prime location for upper-end housing, with various commu-nities reporting strong buyer interest — and aspen park is no different. sparrow says the development is already closing in on being 60 per cent sold, and possessions should be starting in the spring of 2014.

Coco homes, with a history of some 32 years in the housebuilding industry, is the exclusive builder of 51 single-family exec-utive homes that will make up this enclave immediately west of 85th street s.W. at the end of bow Trail — the location of the onsite sales centre.

While Coco will be in charge of construc-tion of the upscale residences, Cove prop-erties owns the subdivision and is bringing plans for the trendy community and the lots within it up to market with very high specifi-cations, according to sparrow, who adds that in addition to being the only builder, Coco homes is also the master planner.

Cove properties, which is headquartered in edmonton but is very active in Calgary in the multi-family sector, did some market research

when they were considering developing aspen park. “When their original market testing deemed the site was suited best for custom single-family homes they decided to work together with Coco to create this trendy community,” says sparrow.

so what will aspen park look like?Coco has developed a catalogue of eight floor

plans for the 51 two-storey homes loaded with stan-dards that other builders consider upgrades. priced from $624,900 plus gsT but including the lot, the three-bedroom/two-and-a-half-bath homes measure from the2,106-square-foot Tupelo model up to the 2,333-square-foot Willow.

“as a reputable, experienced custom home build-er, Coco has provided a good selection of pans with pre-planned options to make customization that much easier. but that doesn’t preclude customers from making their own changes to make their as-pen park home their dream home,” says sparrow.

Coco Homes is the exclusive builder in one of the last lots in Aspen

»

For information

Aspen Park www.aspenpark.ca.

Coco homes www.cocohomes.com.

Cove Properties www.coveproperties.ca.


With a focus on good looks and low main-tenance, homes in aspen park have durable hardieboard siding — a siding made of fiber cement, along with stucco detailing, eight-foot-tall designer entrance doors, low-e win-dows, and a rear deck with maintenance-free railings.

The Craftsman-style interiors come with floor plans showing nine-foot ceilings, uniquely-styled fireplaces, and second-floor laundry facilities while six of the eight models show a main-floor home office. all the homes also have stylish, workable kitchens. Interior finishes include hardwood and tile floors on the main level, with carpet on the stairways and the homes’ upper floors.

granite or stone are the choices for coun-tertops and are used in combination with full-height ceramic tile backsplashes. Kitchens are outfitted with top-of-the-line stainless steel appliances.

as for the neighbourhood itself, it has gen-

erous stands of aspen trees to help provide shelter and solitude. lot selection runs the gamut from walkout or pie-shaped of various sizes with some backing onto a green space.

“This area has a large grove of aspen trees offset from 85th street which also serves as a park walk-ing area while buffering the community from the east and leaving it open to the mountains in the west,” says sparrow.

While the focus for both Coco and Cove are on as-pen park, both companies have other developments.

Currently, Coco is building in the Tristar Com-munities areas of Cimarron estates and Cimarron Country estates in Okotoks. The company has also established an urban division that focusses on inner-city infills. as well, Coco is working its way through the various processes to bring on new communities in Cochrane and Chestermere.

For its part, Cove is involved with alura, a high-rise in Calgary’s beltline, as well as tow northwest Calgary projects — Kincora summit and The estates of valley ridge. nl

marty hope. For more than two decades marty hope has been reporting on the housing and development industry in Calgary, throughout Alberta, and across Canada. in march, he was presented with the maple Leaf Award from the Canadian home Builders’ Association which is given annually to a non-builder member in Canada for contributions to the industry.

hope at large n

“ThiS AReA hAS A LARge gRove oF ASPen TReeS oFFSeT FRom 85Th STReeT whiCh ALSo SeRveS AS A PARk wALking AReA whiLe BUFFeRing The CommUniTy FRom The eAST AnD LeAving iT oPen To The moUnTAinS in The weST.”

new home living december 2013

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