Making an introduction
Seven Peaks townhome project will be a first for Polygon in Squamish
With four girls and a boy in a blended family, mother Ashley Dempsey was taking no chances in getting exactly what she wanted in her new home.
So when she learned that Polygon was releasing another 12 homes after selling out 22 homes in just two hours in May, she set up her chair in front of its Seven Peaks development in Squamish the day before a Saturday release at noon. She had a realtor spell her off Friday night and rode her bike back the next morning from the family’s rented home nearby.
“They (Polygon) told me that some people had lined up (for the first release) and didn’t get one,” she said. “I said, ‘That wasn’t going to be me,’ so I was going to be the first in line.”
The wait paid off. “We got a three-bedroom end unit, which we are really excited about,” she said.
That kind of enthusiasm — assisted by Polygon setting up tents and heaters overnight and offering free coffee and breakfast for the hardy buyers — has been typical of the response to Polygon’s first project in Squamish, sales manager Grace Lim says.
“We had a lot of locals who have been watching us for months,” Lim said. “This is our first development here, and they are just amazed at what Polygon has got to offer: the quality of the finishings, the space, the whole overall style of the home makes it so livable for young families and couples.”
It was not difficult for Polygon, which has built thousands of homes throughout the Lower Mainland, to make the leap to Squamish, halfway between Vancouver and Whistler.
“Our team is always looking at new opportunities and places to build Polygon communities,” says Goldie Alam, senior vice-president marketing for Polygon Realty Ltd. “Squamish is a growing town that is extremely appealing to young families and is less than an hour drive from the city, so it seemed to be a natural fit for us to explore building there.
“It has the small-town vibe and neighbourhood friendliness that people look for in a community, and we’re so excited to be welcoming new homeowners to the area,” she said.
Census figures in 2016 put Squamish at 19,500 people with an average age of 37, compared to the provincial average of 43 years.
The West Coast-contemporarystyle townhomes are decidedly more spacious than what one might find in Metro Vancouver, with the three-bedroom-and-flex and fourbedroom models ranging from 1,485 to 1,795 square feet. But even without knowing those numbers, a walk through the four-bedroom presentation suite tells you there is space to spare. All the three-level homes are 24 feet wide, giving the main living, dining and kitchen area the feel of a detached house, rather than a townhome.
All rooms have ceilings of at least nine feet — some have 10-foot ones — with large windows that let in plenty of light. Bedrooms have built-in and walk-in closets and good-sized bathrooms. One showhome bedroom has enough height to accommodate a model railway train, whimsically suspended from the ceiling.
Even the garage has an overheight ceiling and ample room to fit two vehicles side by side, with room left over to store paddle boards, skis, kayaks and other toys typical among Squamish’s outdoor enthusiasts.
Outside, homes have backyards of varying sizes, allowing play space for small children and room for a family barbecue.
“We envisioned lots of couples and young families who value the natural setting and the abundant adventurous pursuits in the area,” Alam said.
“We knew there was interest from local Squamish buyers wanting a newer or bigger home and we also anticipated that we would attract buyers from Vancouver and the North Shore, people who are looking for more space for less money than in the areas they currently live in.”
That price gap is significant. For instance, Lim said, a 900-squarefoot two-bedroom condo in Polygon’s Juniper complex in the North Shore’s Lynn Valley sold this month for $724,000. The first homes at Seven Peaks, with almost twice the area at up to 1,795 square feet, sold in the high $600,000s.
While some may see Squamish as a bit of a distant drive from Vancouver, others point out that the commuter trek — under an hour from downtown to downtown — as comparable to the daily journey living in Langley or South Surrey.
Lim notes that there is also an express bus that leaves Squamish at 7:30 a.m. daily, arriving at Waterfront Station an hour later, and a return service leaving Vancouver at 5:30 p.m.
Ashley, who founded the Modern Life Management personal concierge business a decade ago, is lucky to have a colleague who takes care of Metro Vancouver clients while she serves those from West Vancouver to Whistler.
She and her builder husband have rented a home in Squamish for almost three years, and she swears they would never return to their former life in a detached house in West Vancouver.
“We don’t ever want a house, ever. We love the townhouse lifestyle. It’s so easy. We don’t have to mow lawns or clean gutters. We don’t do any of that stuff. We lived in a house. We were spending our time on weekends doing that.”
She and her husband and their family are very active in the outdoors, doing everything from mountain biking or paddle boarding one weekend to skiing and hiking the next. Seven Peaks is also just across the street from Brennan Park Recreation Centre with a swimming pool and ice rink, and just 10 minutes away from downtown Squamish by bike along level trails separated from car traffic.
Flooring is laminate wood style through the main level with carpeting on other levels. Homes come in a light and dark colour scheme. The kitchen features polished engineered stone countertops and full-height limestone-inspired mosaic tile backsplash. The entertainment-sized island dominates the kitchen space, which also has under-mount double stainless steel sinks. The refrigerator is a 32-inch Samsung bottom-mount model with french doors and an ice maker. The gas range is a fiveburner Whirlpool slide-in model. The dishwasher is also made by Whirlpool.
There is a powder room on the main level and two bathrooms on the bedroom level with a frameless glass spa shower in the ensuite and stone countertops. A side-by-side washer and dryer combo is conveniently located on the upper level.