Luxury by the lake: Andover Construction highlights nature in townhome community

In Mike Hall’s latest townhome development, the pièce de résistance is the lakeside living.

The president of Andover Construction said he and his team have built three similar developments in Lexington, namely Patchen Wilkes Townhomes. They noted the successes with those projects and rolled them into this most recent one called The Harbour at Lakewood.

“There are a lot of (townhomes) in the market, but ours are a little different. We’ve found basements to be really successful,” Hall said. “We find people are simplifying their lives at all stages of life. If they want something turnkey, and want to spend some time out of town or have maintenance-free living, having the accessory of a basement is huge for storage or entertaining or a breakaway space from a typical 2,000-square-foot townhome.”

And residents can walk from the lowest level right out to the water. The 15 total townhomes range in size from 2,400 to 3,000 square feet, and each has a walk-out basement. Outdoor living is on the team’s list of best things, and all units have three levels of nearly 300 square feet of patio space. The waterside patios are quite spacious at 12 feet deep.

“They span almost the entire footprint of the townhome,” he said.

As they’ve learned how people live in homes like these, Hall and his team are prioritizing all aspects of outdoor living, including walking paths, a sense of community and connecting with neighbors, and spending time on and near the water. They’ve constructed about 150 townhomes in Lexington and nearby, and this makes the second waterfront development.

“I think the important part is nature. We can build beautiful homes anywhere, but when you’ve got nature to tie it into, when you’ve got the water and those views, that’s the part we can’t continue to replicate,” Hall said. “The attention we pay to the landscaping and to the community, that kind of ties back into what’s important and what I think makes people happy in these townhomes long term.”

The Harbour at Lakewood is in 40502, just before The Island on Lakeshore Drive, on Lake Fontaine (formerly Reservoir #2, named after nearby Fontaine Road), and residents have access to a private dock as well as an electric pontoon boat.

“There’s wonderful fishing on the lake,” Hall said. “Folks have their grandkids or their children out on the boat, and they can go out on the water for the day. It’s a nice piece to the puzzle.”

Each townhome is personalized, but all are brick with limestone detailing and have TREX decking on each floor, TREX Rain Escape (this allows a deck below another finished deck to stay dry), and Hardie siding. Interior materials can include granite and quartzite countertops, hardwood floors, and high-end appliances and lighting fixtures. They also feature metal-clad windows and doors, mahogany entry and garage doors, and brick-paved entry ways.

“We can create anything as beautiful as what’s out there. We’re adding to the beauty of the nature that’s there,” Hall said.

He also said he’s discovered that people from all age groups have shown interest in townhome living.

“When we started the townhomes, I surprised there was such a wide demographic,” he said.

He sees buyers from younger groups looking to downsize to working professionals who want a nice yard with expansive landscaping without the upkeep. He’s also worked with people who’ve given up large farm living for a home in town as well as those who travel (further) south during the winter and want to keep a turnkey residence in Kentucky. Though they vary, each resident seeks a nice, high-end home in a great community — and Hall and his team work to completely customize each unit to the wants and needs of the buyer.

“How they connect to the neighborhoods where people live is really important. At the end of the day, it’s their town home,” he said.

This story was originally published March 18, 2021 at 7:50 PM with the headline "Luxury by the lake: Andover Construction highlights nature in townhome community."