Business View Civil and Municipal l January 2023

171 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 12 When Kathy Di Silvestro, owner of Crystal Homes made her first visit to the Village of Hillsdale in Springwater Township, she was enchanted. “I instantly loved the place,” she recalls of the village just north of Barrie and minutes from the junction of Hwys. 400 and 93. “It was a cute place with a real sense of community, a kid-friendly environment, and an outdoor lifestyle. It’s quite beautiful.” Di Silvestro believes strongly in the community’s potential and that’s where her company, along with Fernbrook Homes and Zancor Homes, have launched Hometown Hillsdale. A new master-planned community of detached homes on lots 50 to 100 feet wide. Hillsdale hasn’t had new development for decades and Springwater Township’s Growth Management Strategy identifies the village as a major settlement area with a target of 5,000 new residents. Hometown Hillsdale, with 450 to 500 eventual homes, will help achieve that target. “The property is U-shaped, and the subdivision will wrap around an elementary school,” says Di Silvestro. “People are working from home now and it’s great to be where you can enjoy lifestyle amenities. A short commute is no longer the objective. It’s multi- generational living and working from home.” “This community is very pedestrian-friendly, everyone is nice and it’s a good place to raise families.” Di Silvestro says, “people don’t want to lose the star-gazing,” and buyers are happy that the development has large lots and generous greenspace. Another advantage of Hometown Hillsdale, she says, is the sense of living in the countryside yet having municipal services such as sewer and water. It was important to Di Silvestro and her partners that the new homes complement the existing architecture in Hillsdale, and there will be a variety of styles including modern farmhouse, contemporary and traditional. “Our goal was to enhance what was beautiful about Hillsdale. We want the people here to be proud to have this in their community.” Realizing the trend to multi-generational living, Di Silvestro says there will be secondary suite options on some plans either on the main floor or in the basement, depending on lot size. “We have flex plans with main-floor office potential and extra workshop space, with lots up to 100 feet wide and 120 to 200 feet (deep). You can’t find that anywhere else but here.” CO U N T R Y - S I Z E H OM E S O N S P R AWL I N G LOT S , COM I N G TO J U S T N O R T H O F B A R R I E . FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VI S IT: HometownHillsdale.ca Email: HometownHillsdale@CrystalFernbrookZancor.ca