60 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

Circling this back to Washington, the sales success here cannot be understated. They had such a strong response to their initial release that they increased it from roughly a quarter of their inventory of 34 homes, to 40%. Demand for townhomes is intense, and their supply is the smallest out of all market segments (maybe mobile homes is smaller, but that's not a growing industry and is slowly being phased out).

 

This developer is also working on a project on Ophir Street in Saanich that will follow the same principles as Washington.

[Citified.ca]

This week, Formwell will unveil formerly unreleased floorplans for its remaining homes at Washington.

 

A rendering of Washington's avenue-facing townhomes, part of the project's final offering as sales surge to 75% sold-out status. This week developer Formwell unveils unreleased floorplans among its remaining two and three-storey residences at 3080 Washington Avenue in Victoria.

 

75% sold-out, 'Washington' townhome project in Burnside-Gorge unveils spring unit release

https://victoria.cit...spring-release/

[Citified.ca]

 

 

This project has sold through the majority of homes, with several planned for release later this year. The project website is here.

 

Washington, the City of Victoria's largest 'missing middle' dev in years, on-track for 2023 completion

https://victoria.cit...023-completion/

[Citified.ca]

Washington's display home will be opening this weekend, between noon and 2PM on Saturday and Sunday, to preview the build quality of the project's townhomes. Five homes remain for sale and will be revealed as part of the last pre-sales phase.

 

Final 5: Washington pre-sale unveils last 'missing middle' townhomes at the Burnside Gorge project

https://victoria.cit...-gorge-project/

 

Townhome living spaces overlook a tree-lined setting on a quiet residential street in Burnside Gorge. © Mary McNeill Knowles / MMK Creative

 

A completed kitchen at Formwell's Washington Display Home, showcasing the company's townhome development completing next spring along Washington Avenue in Victoria's Burnside Gorge neighbourhood. Kitchens at Washington feature heritage-inspired details and well-considered design elements. © Mary McNeill Knowles / MMK Creative

 

Functional storage is at the forefront of Formwell’s design approach, like this built-in entry storage area. © Mary McNeill Knowles / MMK Creative

 

[Victoria Watcher]

Final 5: Washington pre-sale unveils last 'missing middle' townhomes at the Burnside Gorge project

 

 

[sebberry]

Missing middle?  The ones friends of HFL keep telling us are illegal to build?  

The $70k Volvo in the rendering with $1k worth of paddleboards strapped to the roof just screams affordable

[Banksy]

This is missing middle to the last detail and no, it is not affordable housing.

 

I am following the Vibrant Facebook post on this project and people are debating how this housing is not supposed to be about affordability but it could have a small trickle down market effect eventually or maybe not a perceivable one at all. I feel bad for the young people who believed missing middle would bring down housing prices or make home buying affordable  when they finish university. What they don't know yet is when they leave university they will be saddled with high debt at 20 year interest rate highs and their job prospects won't cover all the fancy things they dreamed of having in their 20s. Maybe by their late 30s they'll buy a home if they're smart and start saving immediately.

Edited by Banksy, 28 September 2022 - 09:31 AM.

[corvus]

I promise you no one leaving university right now thinks they can buy a house - don't worry about disappointing them, Banksy. The big dream is more along the lines of having maybe just one roommate, instead of several.

[fitzsystar]

fyi all - This project is coming to a close. The first two families moved in this week and others are moving in throughout August and September. As Formwell's first project, it seems like it's gone pretty smoothly (from the perspective of someone without knowledge of the industry, but who lives on this street.) The progress has been good, and the homes are looking really nice. I know at least those of us with kids on the street are looking forward to having more neighbours (friends, potential babysitters, and my daughter has big plans to launch a cat sitting business on our street!)

[Mike K.]

Yes, I drove by recently and it has turned out exceptionally well.

Cat/pet sitting is a huge, huge opportunity! You have no idea what people would pay for that piece of mind.

[fitzsystar]

Agreed re: the opportunity in cat sitting. Except our daughter is only 10, so "her" cat sitting business inevitably means "her & mom/dad" cat sitting business. She's too young to just send off into someone else's home by herself yet. Though it's coming! I think she and a friend have big plans to launch a larger cat sitting network of their friends a la "babysitters club" series. I love the entrepreneurial spirit! 

 

Also, a few of us neighbours on the street kindly asked Formwell if they'd consider hosting a welcome party for the new neighbours in their development, that's also open to the rest of the street so we can welcome them to the neighbourhood and get to know one another. I hope they say yes! Washington Ave is changing so quickly, between this development, the Washington 8 (8 homes built on a deep lot that previously held 1 older home), and a development that replaced 1 home backing onto the playground with 4 homes. All together, these three recent developments replaced 5 homes with 46, all within the span of a few years. Exciting! 

[Nparker]

46 new homes that were built without the need for any "missing middle" housing policy.

[Mike K.]

^very true.

The key difference being the developer secured the higher density or a rezoning, and capitalized on the uplift. Now the City did it for them, so the seller capitalizes and the financiers need the developer to come up with even more cash to bankroll their project.

[Citified.ca]

 

 

Photos: Joshua Lawrence Studios

 

Victoria's largest 'missing middle' townhome project in over 20 years completes on Washington Avenue

https://victoria.cit...hington-avenue/

[fitzsystar]

The Washington development has been a wonderful addition to our street: the Cecelia Ravine playground is hopping, and the street is now the kind of place where kids run to friends' homes independently (as mine have started to do; previously there weren't enough kids on the street to have a destination).

 

However, the development was supposed to come with a pathway connecting Washington Ave to Carroll Ave, one street parallel to the west. This was to be part of the "Doric Connector", eventually creating pedestrian / bike access from the Goose to Balfour, where people can then use Maddock to access the Pearkes recretion centre/library/shopping centre on Tillicum, or access the Goose from Saanich. The pathway is complete adjascent to the Washington development (running east-west along the north side of the site). BUT it currently dead-ends in the backyard of 3095 Carroll (see map). There's an easement beside 3095 Carroll, but we haven't seen any actual construction.

 

Does anyone here knows what's happening, or when a full connection will be established? I keep meeting families at the playground who need to take  the long way there, along Gorge or Burnside, meaning their kids can't do it safely by themselves. 

 

Thanks!

[Seechelle1969]

Hello fellow Burnside Gorgeian!

The city has been promising to do this for many years. Several residents have written city hall asking about it and are getting this standard response. One of the property owners that the city owns a right of way for have apparently built a deck on it saying they were not aware of the right of way when they purchased the property.

from Ross Kenny, Assistant Director - Transportation Engineering and Public Works:

We recognize the importance of the proposed connection from Carroll Street to the Galloping Goose Trail and the Cecelia Ravine, and planning for this pathway is still ongoing. To ensure the path is the best solution long-term for safety, accessibility, and connectivity, we are continuing to refine our design and approach. Due to current staffing resources and competing priorities I am unable to confirm a timeline for the completion of this pathway at this time. While there is no specific timeline, staff do recognize it as a high priority for the neighbourhood. Regarding this, the city designed and partially funded the crosswalk on Washington Avenue at Cecelia when we had the opportunity in coordination with the development.

You are correct in the history regarding the registered surface right of ways listed on the property at 3095 Carrol Street. Staff are aware of and are working though the complexities of finalizing the design and delivery of the pathway utilizing these SRWs.

In the meantime, significant safety improvements are coming to Gorge Road from Harriet to Blanshard street, including protected bike lanes, new bike and pedestrian crossings, intersection safety improvements and landscaping. This project will provide a safe and comfortable walking and cycling connections along Gorge Road to the remainder of the all ages and abilities cycling network in the City. While Gorge Road will provide a significantly safer and more comfortable cycling and walking experience for yourself and your neighbours, I recognize the desire and continued need for the completion of the Doric Connector to support a vibrant local community. Construction along Gorge Road is anticipated to begin this Spring – and if desired, you can sign up for updates on this project at victoria.ca/signup (select Gorge Road Safety Improvements).

[Seechelle1969]

Forgot to add the BG connecting Community Committee is working on a strategy to advocate to the city to get this done soon

[Mike K.]

Very good! Thank you for the update. So the developer’s component was to have been matched by a CoV component, which ran into some issues, it sounds like?

[fitzsystar]

Thanks @seechelle1969 for the update. What a shame. Let me know if I can help your work on the BG Connecting Community committee (is it part of the community association?)

 

I have a hard time understanding how someone could build on a city-owned easement, and hold up a community amenity from everyone else? I found the homeonwners' letter to council arguing against the Washington townhouse development, where they admit knowing about the easement when they bought 12 years ago (bolding emphasis is mine):

 

"When we bought our house 12 years ago we bought it to be our forever house. The stress that this proposal has caused over the last year has been overwhelming to say the least. Not only will we be losing our yard to the pathway, we will also be losing our privacy and security. We will also be dealing with years of noise, and mess from the construction making the use of our back yard with 2 small children unenjoyable. 

 

I know that it is easy to dismiss us because we did buy the house knowing of the easement. We were told that easements are common and that ours looked like an old path that would never happen. Being younger I don’t think that we really understood what that meant. A few years ago when the new burnside gorge plan was put into place we were not notified that this was happening. That seems crazy to me as it directly affects us. We only learned of this plan last year when approached by the developer. Still today we have never had the city contact us about the bike path yet the developers tell us that it will be the first thing put in. How is that even possible."  

 

Source pp 34-35 from: https://pub-victoria...umentId=67745  

[boomboombarrie]

As someone that grew up on Carroll Street in the 90's I find this conversation very interesting. 

 

While I find the townhouses to be an excellent project and similar projects in the City supportable, you do have to have some sympathy for the Carroll Street properties that have lost a lot of their privacy as the windows of these Washington homes do stare directly down onto their backyards. Plus, who would be happy with the City building a pathway through their home - preexisting easement or not. 

 

Anyways, as a kid that used to visit my friends on Washington street/access the Goose by hopping backyard fences, the connector will be beneficial to the neighbourhood. 

Edited by boomboombarrie, 19 March 2024 - 02:24 PM.