Qualico Communities Blog

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    When Will New Amenities Be Available?

    Topics: Amenities, New Homes, New Community
    Posted on May 23, 2016 by Kirsten Warwick

    Communities play a huge role in our society and culture – they give us identity, and others to identify along with. It is a point of pride when you tell your colleagues at work “that is my community!” They are also the places we live, raise our families, and experience life. But before a community is all of those things, it’s an empty field of dirt and grass.

    Here are some amenities that contribute to the creation of your community, and answer the question of when new amenities will be available in your neighbourhood.

    Basic Infrastructure

    It’s difficult to build a community without the basic infrastructure, so expect roads, water mains, and gas lines to be built first. Timelines for the completion of these amenities can be dependent on things such as permit approvals and the weather. But it’s likely that by the time you are exploring the neighbourhood for a lot to build on, this infrastructure has already been built.

    Keep in mind though that if you choose to build on a lot that is on the edge of the community, be sure to ask about future development. It may not be that way for long as future phases of development are planned and constructed.

    new-amenities-kids-playing.pngParks & Playgrounds

    Green spaces to have a game of tag football in, or a play structure for your kids to play on are important amenities to have (especially on those long summer days!) Parks and playgrounds are included in the planning of each community. If you are buying a home in a new phase of a community’s development, you can anticipate these amenities to be completed during the period of time when the phase is being constructed.

    The timeline on when these items are completed is also dependent upon how large the park or playground is, and the time of year. Really, it is difficult to build a playground during the winter, right?

    Landscaping

    While the homeowner is responsible for the landscaping on their lot, the developer is responsible for the landscaping in all of the community’s common and natural areas. This includes storm water ponds and parks, as well as the landscaping around the perimeter of the community and along its boulevards.

    Schools

    Deciding where to build new schools is a complicated and lengthy process undertaken by the Province of Alberta and local school boards. They look at demographics of different areas of the city, both now and the foreseeable future, as well as possible locations for a new school. Developers work with municipalities to leave land available in some communities for a future school. This doesn’t guarantee a school will be built but provides the possibility. 

    Commercial Areas

    Most new communities are built in close proximity to commercial businesses that can serve the neighbourhood. However, it’s important to note that these services usually aren’t built and opened until the community has a certain number of homes occupied.

    Take a look at Tamarack Common as an example. That community now has amazing commercial amenities opening close by, including great restaurants, banks, and much more still to come. The community’s first residents may have had to wait a little while for these services to be only a moment away, but now they are reaping all the benefits of that.

    Community League

    These organizations are usually started by a small and dedicated group of residents within a neighbourhood. They organize community events that bring the neighbourhood together, serve as a voice to city council on matters of concern, and implement community events (outdoor hockey and skating, special discounts at city facilities, and summer sports for kids.)

    It is rare for the developer of a community to initiate the creation of a community league. This is because organizations like this require the commitment and the passion of community residents to thrive and grow. 

    However, if a new community has amenities that require costly upkeep, the developer will create a community league that all residents will pay for in order to maintain things like swimming lakes, fountains, or elaborate community entrances.

    When considering buying a home in a new and growing community, it’s important to keep in mind when features such as roads, parks, and other community amenities will be constructed.

    Photo credits: Plan, Park

     

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