Media Coverage: Buffalo Spree by Nancy J. Parisi, June 2016 — Ellicottville, New York—a picturesque town with continual year-round festivals, two nearby ski resorts, an array of locally owned businesses, and a host of condos, B&Bs, and hotel rooms to accommodate a steady influx of weekenders—is also home to about 1,600 full-time residents.

They drive a real estate market that is strong and steady with homes averaging $300,000. Listings, as to be expected, mention proximity to the center of town and ski hills.

One new development project within town limits is Glen Burn Trail, a self-named “townhome development” along Route 219 with an official address on East Washington Street. On five acres, three family-owned companies will ultimately design, build, and sell thirty-eight homes with the tagline “Built by families for families.”

Hillview Mews, Chris and Jennifer McNally's Burlington, Ontario-based father-daughter company, owns the property and will be investing $8 million in the project, now in its second phase with eighteen homes built to date. The company offers 1,600-2,000-square-foot superbly laid out two-story homes starting at $250,000 and listed exclusively with Team Pritchard, a mother-daughter Ellicottville-focused real estate team. Halloran Construction, a locally-based father-son company, builds all of the Glen Burn residences.

In Unit #8, the kitchen boasts a lovely island made of walnut butcher block. Around the room are fine design flourishes both durable and warm: Cambria Quartz countertops (an upgrade from the Glen Burn Trail standard Corian countertops), KraftMaid cabinets with interior LED lights, hickory floors underfoot, and a gas fireplace in a corner of the lounge-ready living room. Radiant heated floors grace the foyer (additional radiant heat is an upgrade), and all homes have forced air heating and are air condition-ready.

Exposed wood beams, vaulted ceilings, and delicious details give way to views of the stunning natural setting through signature sound-muffling and extra-wide windows. Standard are three bedrooms, two full bathrooms, and “picture frame” wood trim. “Floor plans are flexible,” says Jennifer McNally, a certified urban planner with specialty in site design and project management. “Living spaces with seating areas and kitchens, and bedrooms can be on the main floor or upstairs.”

Unit #8 features a lovely master bedroom suite just off a corridor between the entryway and great room, a door along a hallway that, if the room was locked and off limits to renters, would not be noticed: a genius design feature. There is another en suite master bedroom on the second floor (with a dog bed in a corner: “most of our owners have dogs,” Jennifer says), as well as two guest bedrooms. The second-level entertainment area, overlooking the kitchen and great room below, could also serve as a guest bedroom. “This home is perfect for two families who would be sharing the home,” Jennifer suggests. “We have a unit already occupied with two families doing this now.”

Beyond the floor plan options, homes may be finished in traditional or modern styles. Some feature stone or reclaimed barnwood on fireplaces. Others have faux antique light fixtures, hardware, or mosaic tiles in showers. Every Glen Burn Trail property has front and rear patios, a very Ellicottville touch. Jennifer talks about collaborating with interior designer Gena Mansfield, who works at Cabinet World in Olean, New York, and their “shared vision” for general aesthetic flow.

Jennifer not only designs all the homes, but also stages them for sale. She talks about how she “creates narratives of the lifestyles” of future buyers, imagining how floor plans will come into play for day-to-day living, for family and friend visits, or future rental.

The name—Glen Burn—was her mother Wendy's idea, one that honors the unique setting that is Ellicottville: Glen (Scottish for valley) for the nearby hills, and Burn (Scottish for stream) for the waterways. Trail in the development's name signifies the actual trail accessing the town and nearby Nannen Arboretum. Soon, the trail will link to the Ellicottville-Great Valley Recreation Trail: “a place to enjoy Ellicottville in every season.”