Capella Starway Townhouses: A 1970 Condo on the Star-Named Streets

The townhouse streets east of Don Mills Road named after stars confuse almost every buyer who sees them. Capella, Cetus, Lepus and Nebula Starway hold one 75-home condominium from 1970, YCC-24, but Corvus, Vega, Ursa and the rest belong to a different corporation, and even Capella Starway is split between the two. Knowing which one you are buying into is the first job. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Two corporations, one set of star names

The streets here are named after stars and constellations, and they belong to at least two separate condominium complexes. This one, YCC-24, covers Cetus Starway, Lepus Starway, Nebula Starway and most of Capella Starway: 75 homes in all, according to condos.ca.

Next door, condos.ca lists a different complex on Corvus, Vega, Ursa, Lyra, Virgo and Leo Starway, and that complex also includes 12 to 20 Capella Starway. So a Capella Starway address alone does not tell you which corporation you are buying into. Confirm the corporation number on the listing and in the status certificate.

The distinction matters because each corporation has its own board, budget, reserve fund and rules. Two homes a few metres apart can carry different fees and different upcoming projects, so do not use a sale in the neighbouring complex as a direct comparable without adjusting for that.

A 1970 complex in a planned neighbourhood

Henry Farm was a working farm for more than 150 years. Henry Mulholland settled it in 1806, and George Stewart Henry, a later Premier of Ontario, sold it to developers in 1958. The subdivision was built out between about 1964 and 1972, with townhouse developments along its edges, and YCC-24 was registered in November 1970, in the middle of that build-out.

On the name: the City counts the Parkway Forest area east of Don Mills Road as part of Henry Farm, while the Henry Farm community association uses the name for the houses between Leslie Street and Don Mills Road. You will see both on listings for these streets.

Condos.ca records the complex as low-rise townhouses but does not publish sizes, layouts or a list of amenities, and there were no homes for sale or rent at the time of writing. Ask for a floor plan and measured size of any home you consider, and ask what parking comes with it, as condos.ca lists no parking details.

Homes of this age have usually been updated at least once, but rarely all at the same time. Kitchens and bathrooms may be recent while windows, the furnace or the electrical panel are original. Have an inspector go through each system, and ask the seller for receipts for any major work so you know what you are inheriting.

Self-managed, or not? Find out

Condos.ca lists the property manager simply as York Condominium Corporation. That can mean the corporation manages itself through its board, or it can mean the manager’s name was never filled in. Either way, ask who handles day-to-day operations, who collects fees and who keeps the records.

Self-management can work well in a complex of 75 homes with an engaged board, and it can save money. It also puts a lot of weight on a few volunteers. Read the board minutes for the last two years to see how decisions get made and how quickly repairs are dealt with, and check that the corporation’s records and reserve fund study are up to date.

Whoever manages it, the reserve fund is the document that matters most. In a 1970 complex, roofs, windows, private roads, walkways, drainage and fencing have been replaced at least once or are due. Look at the planned spending for the next ten years against the balance, and check the status certificate for any special assessment.

What daily life looks like here

The Starway streets appear to serve only the townhouse complexes along them. Ask whether they are private roads owned by the corporation. If they are, the corporation rather than the City pays for repaving, street lighting, drainage and snow clearing, and those costs belong in the reserve fund study. It also means the rules on where residents and visitors can park are set by the board, so confirm what parking each home has before you assume a driveway or a spare space for a second car.

The neighbourhood’s main recent addition is the Parkway Forest Community Centre at 55 Forest Manor Road, which opened in 2015. Elad Canada built it under a Section 37 agreement with the City, and it has a full gymnasium, a weight room, a fitness studio, a youth space and a YMCA child care centre.

Fairview Mall and Don Mills subway station are nearby, and Highway 401 and Highway 404 are minutes away by car. Transit times and walking details are in the panel on this page.

Pricing without active listings

There were no homes for sale or for rent in this complex on condos.ca at the time of writing, and condos.ca did not publish a price per square foot or a fee range. With 75 homes, sales come a few at a time, so averages can swing.

The recorded sales and leases on this page are the best place to start. The neighbouring Starway complex is the obvious next comparable, but treat it with care: different corporation, different fees and possibly different home sizes. Other 1970s townhouse condominiums near Don Mills and Sheppard are a useful third check.

If you own here, or you want to be told when a home comes up, ask me for the building sold report and I will separate the sales in YCC-24 from those in the complex next door.

Building specifications

Jatin’s honest take on 1 Capella Starway Townhouses

1 Capella Starway Townhouses — frequently asked questions

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