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Fireproofing part of the cost of Rainbow

By Monday’s deadline, 360 people signed up to buy the duplexes and single-family homes
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Raising Rainbow Construction on the homes at Rainbow, pictured here in 2005, is slated to begin August 1. Sprinklers will be required throughout the area for fire safety. Photo by Maureen Provencal

Are mandatory sprinklers raising the cost of the 150 Rainbow duplexes and single-family homes?

That question has been on many people’s lips over the past few weeks as they look for reasons why prices at the Rainbow resident housing project are higher than anticipated.

The Rainbow developers released preliminary pricing last month: the 70 single-family homes range from $525,000 to $625,000, while the 80 duplex units range from the upper $300,000 range to around $400,000.

Tim Regan of Vision Pacific Contracting Ltd., the developer charged with delivering the 70 single-family homes, confirmed this week that sprinklers have been required throughout the development by Whistler Fire Chief Rob Whitton to make Rainbow “FireSmart”.

The reason the sprinklers are required, explained Regan, is not because of insurance issues or the proximity of Rainbow to the fire department. Rather, it is because a prevailing wind crosses Green Lake and blows up Rainbow.

“The fear is if there was ever a fire in that area, it would spread up into the hills, and that is why they (Rainbow Joint Venture partners) got that designation,” said Regan.

“We tried challenging it, but there was not a lot of push back.”

Homes in Alpine Meadows and Emerald Estates, on the other hand, do not require sprinklers. Regan believes that is because they are not in the “eye of the wind.”

Vision Pacific has budgeted $10,000 per unit for sprinklers, though the cost may come down slightly if the company can get a discount for buying in bulk.

Altogether, the FireSmart requirements — including fireproof walls and roofs — are costing the Rainbow development slightly less than $20,000 per unit. That cost came down after Regan was able to waive the requirement of a Rainscreen, which was a $6,000 expense.

“Rain screens are for areas that are wetter than Whistler,” said Regan.

“Because of our snow and ambient wealth of humidity, we are actually not in the range that we require Rainscreening. We were being forced to put that in, but now, as of last week, we were able to negotiate and have that repealed, so that will bring down the costing.”

Ann Chiasson, a partner of the Rainbow Joint Venture, pointed out that FireSmart features are not required for Cheakamus Crossing, the other new resident-restricted neighbourhood in Whistler.

“Cheakamus does not have sprinklers, but we have sprinklers, and Cheakamaus does not have FireSmart, but we have FireSmart,” said Chiasson.

“I mean it is great. It is a safety feature. As long as people can afford it, it is a great opportunity to fireproof your house.”

She added that 360 people had signed up for the 150 Rainbow units by Monday’s June 30 th deadline. There was some fear that the Rainbow units would be beyond the means of most of the 700-plus people on the Whistler Housing Authority’s waitlist.

Sheila Kirkwood, assistant chief of Whistler Fire Rescue Services, said since Rainbow is on forested land, fire safety is a concern. Other residences in Whistler that require sprinklers, like Kadenwood and Stonebridge, do so because of their distance from the Fire Department.

Regardless of the sprinkler requirement, Regan said the price for the homes is still reasonable given the current construction industry in Canada.

“If you look at a brand new starter home at $500,000, you are paying that pretty much anywhere you go in Canada,” he said.

Regan added: “We are certainly aware of the socio-economic background of the list, and we are going to do everything in our power to deliver the product.”

“There is a range of product. There are lots of people on the list that have the ability to spend, and there are lots of people that do not. We are going to try, within our power, to produce a range of product to suit the different budgets.”

While the last price estimate released for the single family homes rests between $525,000 and $625,000, Regan said it is a safe assumption that the final prices of the homes will go up.

“If oil goes up to $200 a barrel, then you are going to assume there is going to be some inflation,” he said.

The exact price for the first 24 duplexes going on Rainbow has been calculated, said Chiasson, and Regan should know the price for the first 10 single-family homes soon.

Chiasson added that she did not want to release the figures to the public yet, but said “just the fact that we have the pricing on the first 24 duplexes is a good start.”

Serge Cote of Glacier Contracting Ltd., the group building the duplexes at Rainbow, also said he did not want to release the numbers yet.

“We have a few more details to finalize and until we know for sure when the start date will be, we are not going to be able to release those numbers,” he said.