‘A NATURAL SANCTUARY’
Island blend of urban, rural
When the land is as pristine as this, rushing into development would be a huge mistake, says the developer of a master-planned community in the Vancouver Island town of Lantzville.
So, the strategy is to do it once and do it right — and that has taken, and will continue to take, time, says Allard Ockeloen, chief executive officer of Lone Tree Properties Ltd.
“We are creating a community that represents the best aspects of this beautiful area,” he says. “We want to offer the opportunity to live next to a natural sanctuary, a recreational destination park the whole community can enjoy — forever.”
The community Ockeloen is talking about is the Foothills, a 744-hectare master-planned community in Lantzville, about 20 minutes from Nanaimo and hugging the Strait of Georgia.
“In comparison to Calgary, the Foothills would be considered similar to Mount Royal — an aspirational, family community of high-quality homes surrounded by beautiful views and carefully planned infrastructure,” he adds.
To preserve and enhance the natural beauty of the community, it was announced earlier this year that 295 hectares of private land in the first phase had been donated to the District of Lantzville to be used as public park and open space.
The overall development of the Foothills has been zoned for 730 homes, a mixed-use village, and a 364-hectare park.
The first phase of 77 home sites, priced between $250,000 and $500,000, has been sold out and development has moved onto the second phase. At completion, the Foothills will be made up of 730 residences, from family-oriented homes to executive estates, spread over four phases.
So, who is buying ?
“The Foothills has a mix of local family-home buyers who are looking to build and occupy, and recreational property investors, including Calgarians,” Ockeloen says.
The donation of the parkland has been shared by the first two residential phases, 295 in the first and 69 in the second.
But getting to this point of development has been a long road.
Lone Tree acquired the Lantzville property in 2012 after the previous developer ran into financial problems, some likely brought on by the global economic meltdown.
Then came the task of creating a vision and plan for the Foothills, working closely with the community to ensure it got the required approvals. After that came an extensive series of environmental studies to determine the best development paths to follow. Lone Tree has also sourced its own water on the property.
“Construction will be conducted carefully and progress gradually over the space of 10 to 15 years, in order to avoid major impacts to community members,” Ockeloen says.
The Foothills and the Lantzville area offers a blend of rural and urban lifestyles, providing a smalltown feel even though Nanaimo is just a stone’s throw down the highway, Lone Tree says in a news release.
“Residents of the Foothills will be in close proximity to recreation in the mountains, and the UNESCO Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Reserve, hundreds of kilometres of coastline, beaches, waterfront communities, and many small islands, as well as the world-renowned beauty of Tofino and Pacific Rim National Park,” the release adds.