416 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

I know several families that have moved to BM. One of those families moved back into the city after realizing that living 20km from downtown and having to drive the crawl just to be on a golf course wasn't their cup of tea.

My only concern about BM would be (other than distance to downtown and other services) that the construction timeline has now been extended indefinitely and some buyers who expected a real community will be looking to ditch if the majority of the site continues to look so raw. Complaints are not uncommon at the hotel for that very reason.

[mysage]

We moved out of town to raise kids and as the Westshore gives all the services and recreation facilities we need there is hardly any reason to go back downtown and when we do we can easily time it so the "crawl" isn't a problem.

My question is really about values at Bear Mountain. We are considering that area or even farther north around Shawnigan/Mill Bay and are wondering where values are or are heading.

[Mike K.]

Right, makes sense. I would be weary about BM for the very reason that the project no longer has the same people at the helm and who knows what direction the masterplan will take once construction resumes. I know I wouldn't want to be looking at a four-storey concrete shell of a 14-storey condo tower that has sat untouched for years, but that's the reality for some people who paid a lot of money to be living on BM.

Shawnigan would be a great place to raise a family, IMO, and real-estate prices are a little bit more reasonable in the Cowichan Valley Regional District. I'm not sure what the taxes are like but they're probably similar to Langford's.

[sirswithin]

As someone who lives in Langford, I find little use for downtown Victoria. We have all the amenities anyone could ask for. We only ever go there for a walk-around on a Sunday afternoon, weather permitting. And because of our large retail tax base we pay less in property taxes.

[maniac78]

I also live in Langford but I wouldn't buy in Bear Mountain. Not because of the bankruptcy but I just wouldn't want to live on that side of the highway. On the weekends traffic tends to get nuts over the millstream overpass area. If you stay on the "downtown langford" side of the highway you never have to go near that overpass on the weekend.

[mysage]

We live on the "downtown" side of Langford now and find crossing over the highway a pain as you say but that is one of the reasons why we are considering Bear Mountain as the Market on Millstream, Costco,Home Depot and most of the shopping we do is on the Bear Mountain side and it seems it is less of a pain to move across the highway if we are going to move than stay on this side.

[LJ]

I find BM to be a fine place to live. Yes it would be nice to have the stores and such opened but it is just the same as any other development that never had those things planned. If you bought based on the fact that there would be a grocery store (or whatever) there you might now be disenchanted. Whenever I buy anywhere I buy on what is there now, never rely on what might happen because as we know things change. Sometimes that is a good thing, such as Cappella being cancelled for all those whose views were going to be impeded. There are cheaper areas and more expensive areas on the mountain, it all depends what you are looking for.

10 minutes to most shopping from the top of the mountain is not bad. To avoid the congestion at Millstream on weekends we go out the back way and come out on Spencer road and TCH with very little traffic.

[Mike K.]

To avoid the congestion at Millstream on weekends we go out the back way and come out on Spencer road and TCH with very little traffic.

Good point.

[Lorenzo]

To avoid the congestion at Millstream on weekends we go out the back way and come out on Spencer road and TCH with very little traffic.

Excellent! I thnk I'll try that this Saturday, along with the thousands of other Langford residents who hadn't thought of it!

[maniac78]

I take the spencer route to costco on the weekends too but you still have to dodge all the victoria shoppers doing braindead things around the interchange. Also it's not a good route to take from the costco side to the "downtown" side because you can get stuck for quite a while trying to turn left onto Goldstream. But yeah in general avoid Veteran's memorial on the weekend and don't use Peatt road heading towards Millstream either as it has become plugged as well.

[sebberry]

An overpass would solve all their traffic congestion problems at Millstream/TCH...

[LJ]

I take the spencer route to costco on the weekends too but you still have to dodge all the victoria shoppers doing braindead things around the interchange. Also it's not a good route to take from the costco side to the "downtown" side because you can get stuck for quite a while trying to turn left onto Goldstream. But yeah in general avoid Veteran's memorial on the weekend and don't use Peatt road heading towards Millstream either as it has become plugged as well.

I think you missed the point, if I am not going to Costco/Golftown etc. I don't go anywhere near the interchange on weekends. If you take the Spencer route to Costco you can't avoid Millstream, unless your walking, or riding a bike or motorcycle, then you can get through the road past the Four Points Sheraton.You are, of course, coming at it from the other direction with much less congestion.

I have never had to wait more than a minute at most to turn left on Goldstream at Spencer but if it became a problem I would turn right and then make the next left turn on Carlow Rd.

[Koru]

a note for anyone that may or may not be interested...the Jaso crane that was at Bear Mountain and was dismantled last month, has made its appearance in the Lower Mainland and is now erected on the Ultra site in Surrey.

[Mike K.]

Thanks for the update!

[D.L.]

Oh yeah, here it is - http://forum.skyscra...=138197&page=25

[HB]

Capella 9 UPDATE

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lots of Rust and Broom Bush

 

 

 

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http://youtu.be/XvJxNEOUvQA

[Nparker]

A wonderful monument to hubris.