Cowichan Valley Company Keeps Natural Landscapes Within Its Projects
A Webb World Developments finished community
COWICHAN VALLEY – Building communities and keeping natural landscapes.
Those are the goals at the forefront of Webb World Developments, as founder Charlie Webb and his son Fynn Webb near completion of turning 35 acres in North Cowichan into a series of communities that blend into their environment.
Charlie Webb and Fynn Webb look over house plans
“We started off with developing 15 acres, and now, altogether about 35 acres of what was called Stone Haven, one of The Stone Families original family homes, ” notes Charlie, who started the company in 1995.
“We have all of these different phases: Stone Haven Estates, The Orchard, The Parkside, The Trail Side, The Trail Side Villas, Stone Manor Estates, and now the final phase, which I’m very proud of is called The Cottages at Stone Manor, which is an 18 townhouse project, with cottage-style homes. We are preserving the Original Stone Family home and much of the mature landscaping on the property located within the Cottages development.”
Charlie notes that the Cottages are going to match the English Craftsman style of the original Stone house, and “these Cottages are going to be situated around a very unique courtyard setting, providing a wonderful sense of community. They will be geared towards retirees, and will have a smaller footprint and be more affordable. It’s all about community, and the residents will be able to go out and work in their gardens from the large porches providing the unique community the opportunity to support and do things together.”
Happy Webb World Developments clients on site
Webb World Developments offers land development solutions that maximize the natural assets available to end purchasers by methods designed to protect the environment and assist land owners in achieving their financial goals. In addition the company also provides housing alternatives in the form of land and home packages as well as custom built homes for discriminating purchasers.
“My son and I pride ourselves on the fact that we’re building communities,” he adds. “When a phase of the subdivisions are completed, we love to see people living in their homes communicating with each other, walking to the parks and using the walking trails. We’re building beautiful homes, but we’re also preserving a lot of the mature landscape around the homes.”
Mike Stone, son of Carlton Stone, who owned Hillcrest Lumber, a major employer in the Cowichan Valley that donated the land for the Cowichan Valley Hospital, gave Webb the opportunity to purchase and develop on their family property.
Webb’s goal from the beginning has been to preserve the property’s beauty and build homes in the midst of it. For example, Webb has managed to preserve several large Sequoia trees that were transplanted there decades ago by the Stone Family.
“I was educated by a local arborist, who taught me how to preserve and maintain and build around the mature landscaping,” notes Webb. “For example, The Orchard phase was originally Mary Stone’s rhododendron garden and fruit tree Orchard. We developed a little strata project there, called the Orchard and we were able to preserve and maintain all of the very mature rhododendron trees and apple trees.”
Webb adds they have a lavender on the property that Mary Stone brought from France, which Dinter’s Nursery has been propagating that for years.
Working with his son, Fynn, has been “a game changer. With his extraordinary skills he’s been able to take Webb Worlds team to a new level that we wouldn’t have been able to do before. His new thinking has brought us into a new dynamic, managing the design of our new West Coast Modern Contemporary homes.
“It really is an amazing feeling to have so many people trust myself and my son to build them their dream home. It’s an honor, and I think the homeowners feel honored to live in communities like these.”
Webb World Developments has been growing exponentially in the past several years, and they are also constructing many new homes in the King’s View development in Maple Bay.
Webb maintains the secret to the company’s success is in its relationships, noting “I’ve been building relationships with local trades for all these years, and I have a real team of amazing trades, that I’ve been using for years. It’s almost like a family.”
Despite the difficulties of 2020 with COVID-19, Webb notes the Vancouver Island housing market remains strong, as the region is well recognized as a safe and beautiful place to live.
“The Cowichan Valley is such a unique area in the country, with the weather, the quality of life, the climate, and it’s so beautiful here. It’s a phenomenal place to live,” he states.
SPONSORED BY:
GOLD: GARY INTERIORS
SILVER: 360 COMFORT SYSTEMS, PACIFIC PLUMBING HEATING & REFRIGERATION, END OF THE ROLL DUNCAN, MAPLE GLASS AND CLOSETS LTD.
BRONZE: WESTVIEW POWER