Solstice at Tower Ranch community in Kelowna offers final collection of homes
The final collection of residences — single-family homes and townhomes — is on the market at Solstice at Tower Ranch, a Kelowna community with vineyards, a golf course, and Tower Ranch Mountain Park as neighbours.
Developed by Parkbridge Lifestyle Communities and Quadreal Residential Properties, most of the residences are single-family homes, complemented with units in the fourplexes. About 20 homes, ranging in size from 1,700 to 2,900 square feet, are still available at Solstice, says Lachlan Maclean, senior vice-president of Property Operations at Parkbridge Lifestyle Communities.
The 35-acre hillside site, originally designated to be part of a master-planned community, was acquired by Parkbridge in 2014 and developed as a 160-home retirement community.
“We saw it as a really great opportunity, a very attractive housing location. It has some amazing natural attributes being on the hillside in the Okanagan Valley, it has incredible views into the Okanagan Valley, overlooking Kelowna, and there was already a championship golf course (Tower Ranch Golf Course) operating immediately adjacent to the development,” says Maclean.
Buyers purchase the homes at Solstice but don't buy the land. Called the Solstice Live Smart Lease, homeowners acquire a 99- or 49-year lease for the land. Maclean says the advantage for buyers is that purchasing a home (and not the land) in a professionally managed community with shared amenities is more affordable.
Exclusive amenities for Solstice homeowners include a club room and a gym at the nearby Tower Ranch Golf Club, one of the 14 golf courses in Kelowna. The award-winning 18-hole course was designed by well-known golf course architect Thomas Mcbroom.
Other amenities include neighbouring Tower Ranch Park with its 6.6-kilometre loop Hoodoo Trail and the many other trails in the Kelowna area. The Kelowna Yacht Club is a 20-minute drive away, Knox Mountain Park is a 30-minute drive and Big White Ski Resort is a 60-minute drive.
The Peachland Farmers and Crafters Market is also a short drive from Solstice while local shopping and grocery stores are also nearby.
Inside the homes, the interior design by Sticks + Stones Design Group takes advantage of the views of the Okanagan Valley or the adjacent golf course, with a modern, airy and bright scheme.
Laminate flooring in the living room, hallways, kitchen and dining room visually connects the spaces while the foyer, laundry and bathrooms have tile and there's carpet in the bedrooms.
The kitchen cabinetry offers a choice of flat panel or shaker-style cabinet doors and includes a set of pot and pan drawers. The countertops are stone, and the undermount double-bowl stainless steel sink features a chrome high-arch faucet.
Homeowners have formed the Tower Ranch Community Association, which promotes activities for residents and enables people to quickly become part of the community and to get to know their neighbours.
One couple who happily settled into the Solstice lifestyle is the Schiblers. The couple moved to Solstice in 2019 and Stanley Schibler says they are living their best life.
In 2018, the Schiblers decided to move out of their condo in Okanagan's Lake Country.
“My wife didn't want to live her retirement life in a condo. She wanted a home — and she wanted another dog,” says Schibler.
Recalling that their previous homes required renovation and that the kitchen in a house they viewed needed a $60,000 makeover, Schibler suggested they visit Solstice.
“So we came up here and we went to the show home. It was December 2018. We walked into the building, and it was beautiful. It was bright, it was contemporary, it had a beautiful design. And then we came into the kitchen, which was exactly the same type of kitchen that my wife wanted. Then we looked out and we saw the panoramic view and my wife's face started to glow. We walked around, and I could tell she was very happy. It was just beautiful,” he recalls.
They bought a three-bedroom rancher, says Schibler, who has a background as an architectural draftsman.
“It is extremely well designed, and the craftsmanship is fantastic — and the location is unbelievable,” he says. “We wake up every day with that `wow' feeling. And it's not just us, it's also the people that live here. They have an (appreciation) of the incredible beauty of the region and the community feeling, plus you feel safe, and everyone is like-minded being an adult community.
“And we're healthy because of all the amenities — a golf course and a clubhouse with an exercise facility,” he says.
And yes, the Schiblers did welcome another dog into their home, a golden retriever named Lycka, Swedish for lucky and happy, words he also uses to describe their life at Solstice.