FEEL CONNECTED WITH THE WATER
Okanagan community serene yet close to city
The next stretch is ready in a picturesque Okanagan community featuring a beach, marina and extensive trail system.
McKinley Beach is a 353-hectare community near Okanagan Lake and a short drive north of downtown Kelowna. The master-planned project is by veteran Kelowna-based company G Group Land Development and North American Development Group.
The development has been a natural fit for Albertans seeking a lake access interim vacation home that will someday be their place to retire full time, says Andrew Gaucher of G Group.
Part of its success comes from a location that strikes the balance between easy access to city amenities in a serene location that feels tucked away, he adds.
“When you’re out there you really feel like you’re out there, but it doesn’t take much to get back to town,” Gaucher says. “Given that it’s in a very rural or natural setting with only a 14-minute drive to downtown Kelowna really sets it apart from anything else.”
McKinley Beach recently opened sales on its fourth phase of development, where lots start from the $198,000s. These home sites are spacious, stretching 60 feet wide, and come with sightlines that soak up the natural beauty of the B.C. interior.
“Every lot has a lake view,” Gaucher says. Okanagan Lake spans 110 kilometres from Penticton on the south end up to Vernon on the north.
Along the shores of the lake are a number of beaches and natural green spaces —which sets up nicely for recreation next to the water.
This includes the beachfront at McKinley Beach, that stretches 915 metres and sits along landscape that makes it easy to access and enjoy the lake, Gaucher says.
“It’s all a walkable beach,” adds Gaucher. “It’s not a sandy beach but it’s very clean and swimmable. It’s shared by the entire community and, unlike a lot of other areas in the Okanagan, you can utilize the whole lakefront so it’s not cliffs and things like that. You can walk the beach and access it all.”
Two of the 19 lots in the fourth phase and two of 10 home sites in the third phase have been sold. The first two phases are 85 per cent sold out. Proximity from the home site to the lake varies depending on the phase of the community. but none of the homes will be far from the fun in the water.
“There are some that are literally their backyards will be on the water and they range to probably a five to 10 minutes walk from there,” Gaucher says. “They are (all) pretty close, though.”
Gaucher says homes in the community offered through five prequalified companies with successful track record building in the Okanagan. This includes Rykon, Link Custom Homes, AuthenTech Homes, Alair Homes and 3rd Generation Homes.
The homes are two storeys and have a contemporary architecture with a low pitch flat roof design.
“Let’s call it warm contemporary,” Gaucher says. “It’s not contemporary where you feel it’s really stark and concrete. It comes from the natural environment in a more contemporary architectural massing.”
Capitalizing on the project’s connection to the water is a key amenity for boat-lovers. The development boasts a 92-slip marina with a concrete breakwater.
“I would say probably 20 per cent of our owners, to date, are boat owners and taking advantage of that,” Gaucher adds. “Even if you don’t have a boat, the marina is an amenity in the sense that, perhaps your friends have boats, perhaps you wanted to spend time out on the docks, swimming and things like that.”
Beyond the water, there’s no shortage of opportunities to enjoy the outdoors at McKinley Beach. The first two-kilometre leg of a 20-kilometre trail network goes in this year.
There’s also a planned 16-hectare vineyard offering wine tastings slated for the development’s north hillside.
“Anybody who likes the appeal of the Okanagan, it’s very classic Okanagan at our development here,” Gaucher says.
And that extends to life in Kelowna, where there’s a population of 122,000 people and a wide-range of urban amenities.
“I would definitely use the word casual,” Gauncher says of Kelowna. “Casual, easygoing, Californiaesque.” Along with its thriving boating and wine culture, it also doesn’t fall short when it comes to places to eat.
“We’re getting quite a good foodie culture here with some really high-end restaurants opening over the last 12 months,” Gaucher says.
Anybody who likes the appeal of the Okanagan, it’s very classic Okanagan at our development.
ANDREW GAUCHER