Cottages at Troutburg boast year-round resort community on Lake Ontario

Listen to this article

The original developer has moved on and the original premise for the property has been scrapped, but the Cottages at Troutburg is still very much alive and growing.

Owned and operated by Midlakes Development and Construction, a family-owned entity, the Cottages at Troutburg is a year-round lakeside community in the town of Kendall, just off the Lake Ontario State Parkway.

“The space, the beauty and the tranquility of the area makes people want to be here,” said Jack Howitt, CEO of the development company.

His firm had been brought into the project in the beginning, but only to acquire the 126-acre property. That was in 2013, nearly 15 years after the Salvation Army shuttered what had been known for decades as Camp Troutburg. The Wegman Companies was the original developer and had planned to carry out the blueprint for the cottages.

The initial premise was for the Cottages at Troutburg to be a three-season resort comprised of upwards of 400 tiny houses. The mini homes would offer 300 to 400 square feet of living space, providing a downsized, close-to-home getaway from April-December.

“But the appetite of consumers wasn’t for the tiny homes,” Howitt said. “They also needed to be vacated in January, February and March, and that just didn’t sell.”

So Howitt’s firm took over the project and revamped the plan. Instead, of tiny homes, the Cottages at Troutburg now offers a more spacious ranch, cape or chalet design, with six styles to choose.

The size range is from 1,250 to 1,900 square feet, and options include two-bedroom/one-bath or three-bedroom/two-bath plans. Each cottage is built on site, to order, with some custom alterations possible.

“At first we tried to sell the tiny homes but we were equally unsuccessful,” Howitt said.

So Midlakes Development and Construction brought the larger cottages to market, with the eventual blessing of town officials.

“The town wanted to see some growth and gave us a goal of adding $500,000 to the tax base,” Howitt said. “So now we have a four-season resort community. People wanted something they can live in.”

The goal is to build 100 cottages. Right now, there are about 30, with nine others under construction. The average chalet, with three bedrooms and two baths, goes for between $140,000 to $145,000. A more elaborate ranch with two bedrooms and one bath, a great room and extra finishes including a heat pump system is priced at $134,900.

“The combination of having the beauty of the lake and the serenity of the space around you is catching on,” Howitt said.

The community includes a lodge, where residents can host large events such as wedding receptions and graduation parties; a clubhouse, which has a large living room, game room, card room and lending library; a beach and dock; a swimming pool and basketball courts.

The sale price is for the cottage but not the site. The land is leased and ends up being a little bit like a homeowners’ association payment. The Cottages at Troutburg is responsible for mowing and landscaping, snow removal, trash pickup.

The site lease is $499 for non-lakefront and $549 for lakefront and includes taxes and insurance on the lot but not the cottage. That site fee is locked in for 10 years and the next lease cannot increase more than the cost of living index, Howitt said.

[email protected]/(585) 653-4020