Evergreen – 621 Langside Avenue, Coquitlam


Saturday, October 31st, 2009

Comfortable living in up and coming community

Christina Symons
Sun

Porches and rear patios eleevate Evergreen residency into an all-season, all-hours opportunity. So, too, the community garden in lushly landscaped grounds, fenced for safety.

Evergreen, by its Burquitlam location, in Coquitlam adjacent to Burnaby, lends itself to the notion that this townhouse project exemplifies a fresh examination by property owners and builders of the meaning of residency in a bedroom suburb.

Linear does not limit the townhouse possibilities, the Evergreen show home demonstrates. The “public” space, for dining and gathering, is expansive, and flooring of engineered maple under foot, formal. The stone-and-steel content of the show home kitchen includes granite on the counters and tile on the floors and stainless-steel-clad appliances. PHOTOS BY GLENN BAGLO/VANCOUVER

EVERGREEN

Project location: Coquitlam

Project size: 29 townhouses
Residence size: 871 sq. ft. – 1,340 sq.ft.
Prices: $369,900 to $469,900
Sales centre address: 621 Langside Avenue, Coquitlam BC
Hours: Noon to 5pm weekends, 3pm to 5pm weekdays; or by appointment
Telephone: 604-202-7308
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.springbankcorp.com
Developer: Springbank Development Corp.
Architect: Hywel Jones Architects
Interior design: Creekside Interiors
Occupancy: January 2010

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Straddling Burnaby and Coquitlam, Evergreen delivers enviable old-fashioned values tailored for today’s sustainable lifestyle.

While some new developments are touted as the equivalents of a racy automobile or a sexy piece of lingerie, others speak of more down-to-earth possibilities, a walk in the park or flannel pyjamas.

Such is the homespun allure of Springbank’s Evergreen new-home project, 29 rowhomes; very practical living spaces; on a quiet greenway cul-de-sac and relatively affordable, from $369,900 to $469,900.

This hybrid district known as Burquitlam conveniently sits between Burnaby and Coquitlam, near Como Lake and Simon Fraser University (SFU).

“For this offering, our buyer is typically a young family either moving up from a condo or moving to Vancouver for the first time,” notes John Ritchie, one of Springbank’s two principals.

Once a sleepy set of suburban bungalows, today change is afoot in this enclave. It’s on the verge of becoming an important new transit, retail and residential hub, with several nearby mixed-use towers on the boards and promises of future rapid transit.

“Some of the advantages of living in a rowhouse (like Evergreen) as opposed to a condo (or the aforementioned upcoming towers), is that no one is above or below you and you end up with more space,” says Ritchie. “When you walk up to your front door and porch it feels more like a home with a sense of entry, rather than getting into a tower elevator.”

Of course, the major bonus of this address is riding on the on-again, off-again status of TransLink’s Evergreen line, linking Coquitlam and beyond to the existing Millennium Line. Currently “on.” the Evergreen line will feature a SkyTrain station literally a stone’s throw away.

But even without the Evergreen line, the address is very well situated, next to a small park and green space, near a vintage retail plaza set for a makeover which already includes a handy Safeway.

Evergreen is also within close proximity to Lougheed Station, the new Northgate Village and Lougheed Town Centre (H&M, The Bay, London Drugs and Wal-Mart), each a three-minute bus ride or 12-minute walk away.

“This neighbourhood is really a growth area,” says Ritchie who likens it to Burnaby’s Edmonds neighbourhood, pre-LRT station. Ritchie himself is looking for more developable property within Evergreen’s reach.

Positive change is also promised by way of a healthier lifestyle via the boutique developer’s ongoing commitment to sustainable site selection, design and construction.

“All of the homes in this community will be certified to the gold standard set by Built Green BC,” notes Ritchie who has more than 22 years experience, first on large-scale developments and now focusing on smaller-scale greener opportunities.

Buyers can expect lower energy bills, cleaner air and peace of mind in knowing that their residence has a smaller eco-footprint than a standard built home, he contends.

Eco features that come standard at Evergreen include sustainably harvested lumber and recycled materials, low- to no- VOC finishes to prevent toxic off gassing, recycling of construction wastes, low flow / dual flow toilets and Energy Star appliances and windows.

There is also the obvious lifestyle advantage of living within walking distance of shopping and amenities while close to nature, recreation and transit.

“In keeping with our commitment to changing the way we impact our environment, we chose a site that makes it easy to avoid using the automobile as the primary form of transportation,” says Ritchie.

Construction is nearing completion as promotions ramp up, a deliberate move to allow buyers to see first hand the quality of design and premium finishes.

The exterior expression is Arts and Crafts in sensibility – albeit townhouse style – with cute porches and playful back patios. Each home comes with access to an onsite community garden plot to grow a few vegetables, flowers or herbs. The surrounding landscape is lushly planted and fenced for safety. Out front a few benches and a corner garden add a friendly vibe to encourage gathering.

Inside Evergreen, quality without over-the-top embellishments is evident. The floors are thick hand-hewn engineered maple and hand-set ceramic tile and the counters granite. Maple shaker cabinetry outfits the generous kitchen, designed with family-sized needs in mind.

Despite the narrow profile of typical townhouses, Evergreen is thoughtfully laid out to maximize flow and living space. Bedrooms don’t feel cramped for example, thanks in part to a custom built-in wardrobe in most masters rather than a more conventional closet.

With all the present and future amenities, walking trails, parks, schools, recreation, shopping and services at your doorstep, this property is a textbook example of suburban success minus marketing excess.

And so at Evergreen, the developer is selling it just like it is: cozy, convenient, affordable and green.

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