When Chris and Marie Stark went house shopping last year, a community-oriented neighbourhood and a home that catered to their special needs were at the top of their special needs were at the top of their wish list.
The Starks, who are both blind, found both at Tweedsmuir on the Park, an adult lifestyle community being built by Phoenix Homes in Kanata’s Heritage Hills near the intersection of Terry Fox and Campeau Drive. The couple moved into their home on Sept.25.
“It was important for us to live in a neighbourhood where there was a sense of community and friendliness, “ says Chris, who works for the Canadian Transportation Agency. “We were also looking for a place with smart technology that would be helpful to us and remove some of the uncertainties we face.”
As far as the Starks are concerned, their two-bedroom bungalow has everything they were looking for.
It’s equipped with an intercom that allows them to identify visitors before opening their front door and by making a call on their telephone, they can connect to a system that tells them if a window or door is open, as well as inside and outside temperature readings and settings on their furnace. The sidewalk leading to their home is extra wide and they have a double garage, which make it easy to care for their guide dogs, Zena, Ritchie and Quincy. The garage serves as a large mud room for their canine companions. The basement is furnished and includes an office.
Since taking possession in the fall, the Starks have been delighted by the warmth and togetherness of their new neighbourhood. Members of the Sunrise Rotary Club in Kanata helped build a 20-foot by 20-foot dog run in their backward; a neighbour helped install a spotlight and timer and by mid-December, the couple had already attended two neighbourhood get-togethers.
“When you are blind, you can’t let it run your life or you will be isolated and insular,” says Chris. “You have to make an effort to get out- at Tweedsmuir on the Park we already have the feeling of belonging that we were looking for. We are delighted with the choice we have made and we thank our real estate agent and the staff at Phoenix Homes for being so supportive.”
Excellent customer support from Phoenix Homes is among the highlights of buying a home at Tweedsmuir on the park, where 47 homes in Phase 2 of the project are under construction. Sales personnel are happy to spend time with buyers to discuss features and modifications that will meet homeowner’s every need, and interior designers work with buyers to ensure the design is right. Once residents are comfortably settled, a series of amenities make life easy and pleasant, says sales associate Fred Neubacher.
Situated at the highest point in Kanata and surrounded by parkland, the community features a private recreation complex with wrap-around veranda, party room, a full kitchen, an exercise room, a library and a heated swimming pool and whirlpool tub. The complex, which will be built in the summer of 2002, also includes an outdoor tennis court, putting green and barbecue area.
Phase 2 consists of five bungalow models – the Argyle, Balmoral, Campbell and Edingburg – with distinct characteristics and superior finishes. Available features include cathedral ceilings, sunrooms, lofts, basement walkouts with patio doors (in 29 of the units) and brick/stone/vinyl exteriors. Basements have nine-foot ceilings and oversized windows. Some homes have a deck off the family room and master bedroom, plus a patio off the basement walkout.
Prices range from the $199,400 for the 1,239-square-foot Edinburg, which is a 28-foot wide home, to $268, 400 for the two-bedroom, 1, 749-square-foot Dunvegan, which has a sunroom and is 34 feet wide. A $100 monthly fee covers everything from snow clearing and grass cutting to hedge trimming and tree pruning. The homes are built in configurations of twos or threes.
All are equipped with a gas fireplace, hardwood and ceramic flooring, colonial trim, 40-ounce carpet with half-inch underpad, and a powder room and ensuite bathroom. Kitchens have attached breakfast areas. The builder is more than willing to customize homes to suit each owner’s needs.
Potential upgrades include 800-square foot finished basements, including a recreation room, bedroom and bathroom, which can be added for $20,000. The exteriors are maintenance free, with vinyl windows that never need painting.
Other standard features include security systems, privacy fences, cedar hedges, two-car garages and mid-efficiency furnaces.
Neubacher, who owns a bungalow in Tweedsmuir on the Park, says the lifestyle enjoyed by residents is one of the neighbourhood’s most appealing features.
“They can lock up in the fall and go to Florida, knowing that everything is taken care of, including snow clearing and security, or they can stay home and enjoy the clubhouse,’ he says. “Tweedsmuir on the Park is within walking distance of two shopping centres, there is a golf course six minutes away and it is a 25-minute drive to downtown Ottawa.”
“Residents get all of that and they are living with their peers amongst people who live and think like they do. It’s an ideal lifestyle.”
By Randy Ray Ottawa Forever Young January, 2002