Laurel, long a favorite spot for Maryland residential development because of its location within commut-
ing distance of both Washington and Baltimore, is now home to Central Parke at Victoria Falls.
Victoria Falls, an active-adult community restricted to buyers 55 and older, is under development by Central Parke, a division of Slenker Land Corp.
Resort-style amenities are a hallmark of the Central Parke communities, and Victoria Falls will be no exception. The private Victorian-style resort club will provide a social and recreational center for the community, which will also include four Victorian-style gardens, a 1-acre lake with fountains, walking and biking trails, and a dramatic waterfall at the entrance to the development.
The resort club, which will have 13,500 square feet, will include an indoor swimming pool, a fitness center, a whirlpool spa, a sauna, an outdoor swimming pool with a terrace, a card room, a billiards room, an arts-and-crafts studio, a barbecue area, a catering kitchen, a patio, a massage room, a library and resource center, locker rooms, and an office for the lifestyle director who will coordinate community clubs and activities.
In addition to socializing at the resort club and at the many organized activities of Victoria Falls, residents will have a chance to socialize at the mail pavilion.
Central Parke has planned a low-maintenance lifestyle, known as the Carefree Maintenance Program, which covers fertilizing and mowing lawns, mulching, cleaning gutters, shoveling snow, trimming shrubs and plant-bed maintenance. All four builders at Victoria Falls will offer low-maintenance one-level homes.
Among the 650 homes that will eventually be built at Victoria Falls are condominiums, villas and single-family homes.
Michael Harris Homes is building 112 single-family homes with base prices from $384,990 to $394,990 and about 2,000 to 2,150 square feet of living space on one level. A second level can be added to each of the three available models.
Standard features of the Michael Harris Homes include a decorative brick foundation facade that builders call a “water table,” a covered front entry, vinyl siding with trim and shingle accents, a sodded homesite with extensive landscaping, a brick stamped asphalt driveway, and a two-car garage.
Inside, each home includes two bedrooms, two full baths, 9-foot ceilings on the main level with vaulted ceilings in the foyer and family room, a gas fireplace with a traditional mantel, ceramic-tile flooring in the foyer, a tray ceiling in the master bedroom, crown and chair-rail mouldings, a wall of windows including transom windows in the family room, and gas heat and hot water. Each center-island kitchen will include 42-inch oak cabinets, a breakfast area, ceramic-tile flooring, recessed lighting, a pantry and white-on-white appliances. The master bath will include a tub, a separate shower, a double-sink vanity, and ceramic-tile flooring and tub and shower surrounds.
The Thoreau model, with 2,150 square feet and a base price of $394,990, features a porch entry into the foyer, leading to a knee wall that defines the living room. Decorative columns separate the dining room from the foyer and living room, allowing for an open floor plan. Knee walls and columns are also used to separate the kitchen and breakfast area from the two-story family room.
A sunroom can be added to the rear of the home and is accessible from the family room and the master suite.
The master suite has walls of windows and an angled corner, which can be expanded into a sitting room with two bay windows. The suite also includes two walk-in closets and a luxury bath. Nearby are a second full bath, a second bedroom or den and a laundry room leading into the garage.
A staircase leads from the foyer to the second floor, which has an unfinished storage area and can be finished with a loft, two additional bedrooms and another full bath.
• For information on Michael Harris Homes at Central Parke at Victoria Falls, call sales manager Mary Makris at 301/604-5850 or visit www.centralparke.com.
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