Blend of old, new good for city

In a town built on history and with deep roots to the past, sometimes something new has great appeal.

That seems to be the case with homes being built in the community.

RPS Homes began building its The Cottages townhome neighborhood in mid-2017 and it quickly became popular. It offered three three-bedroom floor plans ranging around 1,300 to 1,400 square feet, each with a two-car garage. They included some landscaping and paver driveways.

Buyers scooped up all 65 units and the development is now sold out.

In March, ground was broken for the city’s first large-scale single-family neighborhood, Storybook Homes’ Boulder Hills Estates, and before the year was over, the first three buyers had already moved in.

In all, 127 homes will be built on the 30.83-acre parcel near the intersection of Adams Boulevard and Bristlecone Drive.

While there were a few setbacks and challenges to getting the home plans approved, including some resistance from members of the City Council, Planning Commission and residents about certain features and variance requests, the company was determined to bring the project to fruition.

And it seems with good reason. Interest in the homes, which are priced from $419,000, is high.

A tour of the models revealed a few reasons why.

Janet Love, Storybook’s president, said the floor plans are versatile, with many options to customize the home to fit a family’s needs. The smallest of the one- and two-story homes is 1,935 square feet and the largest is 3,491 square feet.

The designs have options to create extra bedrooms or work spaces and to maximize the space, providing room for storage. Who doesn’t need more storage space?

On a tour of the models, she also pointed out features such as windows placed high on the walls to allow for art and furniture placement while letting in light, designer features including quartz countertops and painted cabinets, covered patios and space for pools and/or parking recreational vehicles.

Among the many model homes I’ve visited throughout the Las Vegas Valley these had some well-thought out features that will certainly be appreciated such as dual sinks and two large walk-in closets in the master suite; secondary bedrooms on the opposite side of the house from the master bedroom; and good-sized, conveniently placed pantries in the kitchen.

Love said she had some major input on creating the designs so that they would be practical for families. So did a group of area real estate professionals, who let the home-building company know what would appeal to Boulder City residents and fit in with the city’s aesthetics and philosophies.

Families seem to agree with their decisions, as sales of the new homes are going well and recently released sites are already reserved, according to company principal Wayne Laska.

Laska’s and Love’s excitement to be part of Boulder City is evident in the way they speak about the homes — almost as if they were their children.

There is no reason why the city can’t mix in some new things with the old every once in a while. The key is finding the right balance. It would appear that’s exactly what is happening here.

Hali Bernstein Saylor is editor of the Boulder City Review. She can be reached at hsaylor@bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9523. Follow @HalisComment on Twitter.