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Preface to Adventure Bay Architectural Design Guidelines

An Introduction to Adventure Bay

Adventure Bay is a planned residential community within the city limits of Vernon, British Columbia. The total land area is approximately 220 acres of predominantly south sloping meadows, coniferous forest and shoreline.
The Adventure Bay development lands occupy a magnificent promontory extending into Lake Okanagan and rising more than 350 meters from the lake shore to the summit of Mount Deborah. The terrain affords dramatic views of Lake Okanagan and the City of Vernon, golf courses, Vernon Yacht Club, Silver Star Ski Resort, Ellison Provincial Park, the Coldstream Valley and distant Monashee Mountains, vineyards and u-pick orchards. Adventure Bay takes its name from a turn of the century inn built for overnight travelers who arrived by steamboat at nearby Okanagan Landing.

Municipal water and sanitary sewer services have been extended to serve the project. Other utility services are provided by Telus, Shaw Cable, Terasen Gas and BC Hydro.

The entrance to Adventure Bay is about six kilometers from downtown Vernon shops, restaurants, entertainment and medical services. Tronson Road is the primary access route to the site. Tronson Road has been upgraded to improve vehicle and pedestrian safety, convenience, visibility, and storm water drainage.

Within Adventure Bay the City of Vernon will operate and maintain the roads and municipal utilities, as well as the landscaped areas along public rights of way, ensuring consistent maintenance at no direct cost to Homeowners.
Tavistock Properties Ltd. (“Tavistock” or “Developer”) is the project Developer. In addition to the 220 acres comprising the Adventure Bay project, Tavistock owns approximately 350 acres adjacent to Adventure Bay, commonly known as the Tronson Properties. Much of this land will remain undeveloped open space. Part of the Tronson Properties will be developed in selected areas for housing and low impact recreational facilities. Access and utility services to the Tronson Properties will be through Adventure Bay.

Adventure Bay will be a mix of approximately 500 residences consisting of single family Homes, townhouses, multi-family buildings and cottages. Residences will be situated to preserve views and promote privacy on adjacent Lots.

The Developer has retained Architects to design several Home plans that meet the objectives set out in these Design Guidelines. Individual Homesite Owners may retain these or other Architects to design custom Homes other than those presented by the Developer, and to modify Home plans in the Developer’s portfolio. The Developer encourages Owners to select homes from the portfolio, and to contract to build the homes as designed, or to modify the plans to suit personal preferences and the topography of a particular Lot. These homes plans incorporate features many Owners find desirable. The homes are purposely designed for hillside construction at costs per square foot that are competitive in the Vernon area.

Sloping terrain affords an opportunity for outstanding views of Lake Okanagan and the surrounding countryside. Slopes also pose considerable challenges to Architects and Designers. It is essential for Owners to design, locate and orient Homes suitable for sloping terrain.

Comprehensive development planning, consistent architectural design and sensitive building strategies are intended to advance desirable and realistic environmental and community objectives at Adventure Bay. Roads and lanes meander along elevation contours to minimize unsightly hillside sculpting. Prominent topographic features and notable healthy existing vegetation have not been disturbed. Lot boundaries were drawn to take advantage of natural buffers, making each Homesite private and unique. Flexible setbacks based on the topography of individual lots are intended to encourage owners, Architects and Designers to subtly unite Homes with the hillside.

Architecture must also respond to the preferences, necessities and budgets of Owners. Interior room layout and flexibility, views, energy efficiency, cost of construction, and durability are equally important considerations.
This sub-region of the Okanagan Valley contains some of the most extraordinarily rich and varied landscapes in British Columbia. Protecting and enhancing the site’s existing geological features, habitat and biotic life forms, and defining an architectural style that enhances the natural setting and the neighborhood concept is the challenge now undertaken, and the objective of these Adventure Bay Design Guidelines (“Design Guidelines”).
The Developer of Adventure Bay has set as a high priority creation of a community, a place where daily experiences and contacts contribute to a sense of belonging. The relaxing pace and tempo, abundant birdlife, inviting vegetation, pathways through dedicated open space, accessible shoreline, spectacular vistas, amenities and quality architecture - collectively make this project unique. The success of Adventure Bay will come from identifying, protecting and enhancing the site’s natural features, defining and adhering to an architectural style that works in harmony within this setting, and establishing a community of seasonal and full time residents who appreciate and value this lifestyle.

The Neighborhood Plan

The overall layout of Homesites within Adventure Bay responds to the variations in landform across the expansive site, paying special attention to the prominent views and significant landscape features.

Roads have been designed and built to Hillside Standards, a category established by the City to assure reduced blasting and sculpting of hillsides, minimal damage to vegetation and wildlife habitat, lessened visual impact from afar, and pedestrian friendly linkages along narrowed roads and interconnecting trails.

Trails at Adventure Bay are a signature element of the neighborhood plan. These trails traverse amazingly varied terrain. They invite owners and guests to explore the biotic and geologic realms of Adventure Bay. The Beach Trail links residential areas to the waterfront. Lined with split granite rock, it is appropriate for golf cart use or walking, with spectacular lake views throughout. The Sunset Trail traverses the western slope of Adventure Bay, connecting the historic Morning Glory Gold Mine still surrounded by quartz and other elements suggesting riches just below the surface, to the Beach Trail. The Picnic Trail heading east from the residential core follows a cirque to a granite promontory overlooking Lake Okanagan, the sparkling lights of downtown Vernon, Silver Star Ski Resort, the Coldstream Valley and the distant Monashee Mountains.

Adventure Bay took more than five years to plan the pattern of development. The objective is to achieve a unique residential community defined in large measure by its subdued vehicular network, the quality of its architectural design, and preservation of natural areas. The Design Guidelines have been written to encourage the growth of such a community. Some Lots at Adventure Bay are located at the intersection of roadways or in other prominent positions. They will require particular design attention, and the application of custom design criteria, since their higher visibility is important for establishing the neighborhood’s image.

Our Land Ethic – Protect, Conserve, Restore

Nothing can replace easy access to nature near one’s home, especially during childhood.

Exploring Adventure Bay, Okanagan Valley, BC Children who are able to explore a diverse backyard habitat of woods, grassland, and shoreline in their neighbourhoods develop a connection to the land and to the landscapes that will stay with them for their entire lives.

They learn about the ebb and flow of nature and the cycles of life, and they understand that nature has an order and dynamic quite apart from that imposed by human caretakers.

They experience the sense of wonder and joy gained from watching birds, collecting autumn leaves, looking at insects under a hand lens, skipping stones across the lake, or simply inhaling the fresh smell of the forest in spring. They understand their place on the planet as members of just one of a vast diversity of species, each trying to survive in its own unique way.

Experiences such as these not only enrich our lives immeasurably but also help nurture generations of humans who care about protecting nature. In nature is the survival of mankind. In all of us the wonder of childhood exploration endures.

The Adventure Bay Official Land Use Plan aggregates the human settlement in designated areas, ideally those of lower ecological value and uniqueness.

Over time, as Adventure Bay nears build out, a protected, interconnected conservation network will take shape within the matrix of developed lands.

Natural Equilibrium

Largely by word of mouth, buyers from all over the world have purchased more than 100 home sites at Adventure Bay, Vernon BC. Many of our buyers have purchased more than one home site, intending to build on one and sell the other, with anticipated profits helping to cover the cost of future home construction.

Our purchase program encourages buyers to establish their foothold in the Okanagan now, yet they are permitted to build a dream house at any time during the next seven years.

Consistency of house design is assured by our Architectural Design Guidelines and portfolio of Prairie Style homes, featuring natural materials, oversized lake view verandas, and substantial sheltering rooflines.

Undisturbed yet accessible open space is within a short walking distance of every home.

Overall the gross density of Adventure Bay is less than one residence per acre.

We welcome you to discover Okanagan Lake real estate in Vernon B.C.

Call us at 250-558-4795 and we can arrange your own personal tour of Adventure Bay.