Sea Change Co-op has an accepted offer on a property that would suit us very well for our use at 150 Knickle Road Extension, in Lunenburg. It is a 15 acre former farm, bordering the town limit with Municipal District of Lunenburg, with two existing homes, two garages, a greenhouse and established mature landscaping and gardens. We have until April 30, 2024 to meet the conditions of our offer. Those conditions are to obtain the zoning variance required by the Town for our density and also to have our major funding in place. It is a tight timeline!
We are at the beginning of Phase One of our site feasibility.
We are planning a development of 30-40 homes. The general site layout is to have roughly equal numbers of one, two and three bedroom homes, clustered and anchored by the existing houses, which will serve as our common house space. We are considering the three unit sizes to be in the range of 800 square feet to 1250 square feet, with the smaller units being single level and easily accessible. The houses would be arranged to follow the terrain in three or four clusters. All would be a close walk to the common house, and give free access for residents to the surrounding landscape and wild areas.
- The existing renovated farmhouse is ideal for our use. It’s primary use would be as a common house, with flexible potential for spacious rooms such as the large kitchen, dining and living rooms, library / music room, art and craft /exercise room, guest suite and office space. It can be made ‘main level accessible’ with very little cost and effort.
- We would place a grouping of senior-accessible units on the level-ish area between the two existing houses. That area already has a vegetable garden and a greenhouse, as well as beautiful mature landscaping.
- The slope from the main house down to Schwartz Road could accommodate a cluster of hillside walk-out homes, without impeding the view to the Lunenburg waterfront from above.
- The bottom of the property, adjacent to Schwartz Road, is kitty-corner to the Bluenose Academy, which houses primary to grade 9 students. The Lunenburg Farmers Market is next door to the school and the major grocery, pharmacy, NSLC and hardware store are all an easily walkable distance.
- We would be lowering our overall cost by increasing the density, and creating a clustered grouping rather than dotting the land with evenly spaced houses.
There are many positive aspects to this property as a location for this kind of development. It will require a plan use amendment to allow for our density with the Town of Lunenburg.