55-and-older gated community planned within Legacy Farms subdivision off Sinclair Road
Charles Dunlap, Columbia Daily Tribune
4 min read
An exterior rendering of a 'Monterey'-style home as part of The Estates of Columbia, which is a gated, 55-and-older community planned off Crabapple Lane near South Sinclair Road set to begin construction in 2023.
A gated, single-family-home community for those aged 55 and older is planned to come to southwest Columbia by 2024.
Community members have generally voiced support for the subdivision.
"Our parcel was approved as part of the greater site plan approval for Sinclair (Legacy) Farms," said Chris Newman, Vintage Cooperatives sales manager. "We have since submitted for infrastructure and final grading. That is going through approval right now."
A final site plan still is a couple months out for The Estates of Columbia development, Newman said. Infrastructure will include water, sewer and roads.
"There is a lot of clearing and a lot of earth-moving that has been done (out there)," Newman said.
Construction of this parcel of the subdivision is set to be completed by the end of 2024.
The gated community will operate as a Vintage Cooperatives Community under the umbrella of Iowa-based Ewing Properties, Newman said. There already are six reservations among the 46 possible available lots. The community also will have a clubhouse featuring an outdoor pool and an indoor gym and pickleball court.
Residents will buy shares into the community, which will be constructed off an extension of Crabapple Lane into the Legacy Farms subdivision near South Sinclair Road. The subdivision is located just south of West Nifong Boulevard.
"A cooperative is a form of home ownership. ... You are buying a share of the overall development, rather than having a deed for your specific lot," Newman said. "Your share includes your lot, your home, as well as a pro rata share for the balance of the development.
"This is a member-owned community. Once we finish building the community, we turn over ownership and control to the members."
The gated community will be located on the west side of the subdivision. Share costs range from $450,000 to $700,000. This factors in whichever model of home is selected and what share value, at least 65%, an occupant buys.
"We have had informational meetings on a monthly basis. We have provided tours of potential shareholders up to Pella, Iowa, which is the closest completed community," Newman said.
An interior rendering of a 'Monterey'- or 'Mendocino'-styled home for The Estates of Columbia, which is a gated, 55-and-older community planned off Crabapple Lane near South Sinclair Road. Construction is set to start in 2023.
The next informational meeting is scheduled for Aug. 17.
While there are some reservations already in place, sales of individual shares will not happen until after the final site plan is finished and approved. Newman expects construction on the first 10 residences and the clubhouse to start early in 2023.
Another feature of the community is it is considered maintenance-free. There will be a community manager and maintenance staff. Contracts, decided on by members, will take care of landscaping and snow removal.
"We tell our members, they don't need a step ladder, lawn mower or anything else. You move in and enjoy life," Newman said.
The cooperative model also fosters relationships between neighbors, he said.
A majority of the Vintage Cooperatives Communities are in Iowa. Columbia marks the second development in Missouri. The first is in Liberty, now under construction.
There was a need and a desire for a cooperative form of home ownership in Columbia, Newman said.
"Columbia being a college town and having a lot of folks moving back to be close to their alma mater, the community's size and its amenities is what really drew Ewing Properties here. It was a combination of all of those factors," Newman said.
The Estates of Columbia is a planned gated community for those 55 or older off Crabapple Lane near South Sinclair Road. Residents will buy in through a cooperative, rather than individual home ownership.
Ewing Properties has conducted a variety of developments since the early 2000s, including hotels, convenience stores and apartments.
About 10 years ago, the company started cooperatives for older adults. It went from three-story, traditional retirement community concepts with underground parking, to two-level, apartment-style communities, and now — starting about five years ago — the single-family, patio-style homes within a gated community.
"This is the model going forward," Newman said.
Charles Dunlap covers local government, community stories and other general subjects for the Tribune. You can reach him at cdunlap@columbiatribune.com or @CD_CDT on Twitter. Please consider subscribing to support vital local journalism.
