September 5, 2008

Westhaven's flats 'seven' of a kind



Town Center condos offer lock-and-leave living

FRANKLIN — There are plenty of new condos to select from throughout Williamson County today, from traditional townhome styles to more urban loft-style locations. But only three of the seven one-story flats built over businesses in Westhaven's Town Center remain available, and once they're gone — except for resale — no others like them will follow.
That's a unique fact considering that when Westhaven, Southern Land Co.'s master-planned, mixed-use development just west of downtown Franklin, is built out in the next seven to eight years, it's expected to have 2,700 homes.
Among the seven Town Center flats are six unique floor plans, three have fireplaces, all can be accessed by elevator and all have views of the new 12-acre lake under construction.
The buyers the units have attracted are as unique as the floor plans.
Ted and Cathy Barfield plan to move into their new flat in a few weeks. They don't have far to move. Just three years ago, the Barfields bought a single-family Westhaven home after living in a condo on Nashville's West End Avenue. Ted Barfield, 66, says they are ready to get back to the "condo style of living."
"We wanted to be within walking distance of the restaurants, the grocery store and the businesses that will eventually be a part of the Town Center," he said.
Construction continues at the development's commercial center, where a Harris Teeter supermarket and Mafiaoza's restaurant already have signed leases. A Vanderbilt Medical Center clinic opened earlier this year, and three of the condos are over the Regions Bank building.
As current residents, Ted said he most appreciates the ability to walk long distances in Westhaven without leaving the neighborhood. And since Cathy Barfield spends several months a year in California visiting family, the condo will mean less maintenance, allowing them to just "pick up and go" as they want.
Lisa Cahalan, director of sales for Westhaven Realty, said the popularity of the flats hasn't surprised her.
"It truly is lock-and-leave living because owners don't have to maintain anything other than what's inside their residence," she said.
Westhaven's homeowners fees vary according to the property. Cahalan said the condo flats fee is $454 a quarter. That includes access to the residence club and its fitness center, movement studio, movie theater, arts studio, four pools (including a heated, saltwater fitness one for adults only) and tennis courts. Comcast service, including Internet and premium digital cable, is also included, as is maintenance of the community's common areas.
The flats do have an additional monthly maintenance fee that includes lawn care and casualty insurance.
Privacy is top priority
The flats are in two buildings, the Discovery Center and the bank building. Each building has a private elevator for residents' use and each unit has a private stairway entrance as well. For security, the buildings are key-coded so no one can enter the residential areas without proper codes or permission from a homeowner, Cahalan said.