The Sequoia

The Sequoia Residences is a six-storey, 50-home condominium at 2520 Hackett Crescent, in the Turgoose area of Saanichton, District of Central Saanich. It completed in 2024.

The building sits on the Marigold Lands, the former Marigold Nursery site off Lochside Drive that has been redeveloped in phases since 2017. The Sequoia is the ownership component of that neighbourhood, delivered by Marigold Lands, a partnership between two long-standing Victoria developers. Nick Bray Architecture led the design; interiors are by Kimberly Williams Interiors.

The defining characteristic is scale. Where most new mid-peninsula condominiums are built around compact one-bedrooms, The Sequoia's floor plates are generous: one-bedroom homes run past 700 square feet with a dedicated laundry room, and the larger two-bedroom-plus-den corner suites clear 1,200 square feet with balconies to match. There are nine floor plans across fifty homes, which is a high degree of variation for a building this size.

Architecture & construction

Six storeys of wood frame over a poured concrete foundation and an underground parkade, clad in cement fibre and wood, under a membrane roof. Contemporary West Coast massing — deep recessed balconies, generous glazing, dark and natural finishes.

Orientation varies substantially. Homes face north, south, south-west and north-east across the building, with upper floors on the north and south elevations taking in ocean views toward James Island, Haro Strait and Mount Baker. Because this is a small-plate building with nine plans, exposure and floor are the two variables that most distinguish one home from another.

As a 2024 completion, homes are covered by BC's 2-5-10 New Home Warranty. The ten-year building-envelope portion of that coverage runs to roughly 2034. Ask for the warranty documentation and the developer's disclosure statement.

The homes

Configurations run from one-bedroom to three-bedroom, with dens and walk-in pantries on several plans. Suites reviewed for this page ranged from 704 to 1,207 square feet of finished area, all on a single level.

Common features across the building:

• Forced-air heating and air conditioning, via heat pump — standard in every home, which is unusual in a Vancouver Island wood-frame building of this vintage
• KitchenAid appliance packages with gas cooktops
• Quartz counters, custom cabinetry, walk-in pantries on many plans
• Living-room fireplace — gas on most plans, electric on some
• A separate laundry room rather than a closet stack
• Walk-in closets and built-in closet organizers
• Deep balconies, with the corner homes carrying outdoor rooms well over 300 square feet

Each strata lot includes a balcony, a parking stall and separate storage. Strata fees in the suites reviewed ran $284 to $489 a month depending on size, covering garbage removal, grounds maintenance and structural maintenance.

Amenities & policies

• Landscaped rooftop terrace with BBQ and dining area, plus covered seating under a canopy and pergola
• Secure underground parking, one stall per home
• Separate storage lockers
• Bicycle storage
• Elevator
• Pets: cats and dogs permitted, with number limits — aquariums, birds and caged mammals also allowed
• Rentals: unrestricted, no short-term rentals
• BBQs permitted, subject to bylaws

This is a deliberately light amenity package: a roof deck, bike room and elevator, and no gym, lounge or guest suite. The trade-off is a lower monthly fee than an amenity-heavy building of the same size, and less shared infrastructure for the strata to maintain and eventually replace. Verify current bylaws with the strata before writing.

Location & getting around

The building sits off Lochside Drive near Mount Newton Cross Road, with the Lochside Regional Trail effectively at the door. The trail is flat and paved, running north to Swartz Bay and south into Victoria, where it links to the Galloping Goose. Saanichton Bay is a short walk.

A café, pharmacy and family clinic sit within the immediate neighbourhood. Saanich Peninsula Hospital is close by. By car, Victoria International Airport is roughly six minutes away, the Swartz Bay ferry terminal about thirteen, and downtown Victoria about twenty. Frequent transit runs the Highway 17 corridor. Everyday grocery shopping is a short drive toward Saanichton Village rather than a walk.

Who it suits

The Sequoia suits downsizers coming out of a Peninsula house who do not want to give up square footage to do it. The floor plans are large, the outdoor space is real rather than token, and single-level living with in-suite air conditioning and a walk-in pantry covers most of what people say they miss after leaving a detached home. The airport and ferry proximity makes it a practical lock-and-leave for owners who travel.

It suits cyclists and walkers for obvious reasons — the Lochside Trail runs past the building, and getting to Sidney or into Victoria without a car is genuinely easy here.

It is a less natural fit if you want a building with a gym, a lounge and a concierge, or if you want to walk to a grocery store. It is also a two-vehicle problem: one parking stall per home is standard, so a second car needs a solution before you write. And as a newer building, first sales may attract GST — buyers should satisfy themselves on how that applies to the specific unit rather than assume.

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