‘FRESH’ SLATE INVITES FAMILIES TO ARTESIA
Heritage Pointe community features wider backyards, deeper lots and open green space
For the last 25 years, Craig Van Dongen and Fiona Goulding have lived in the mid-century community of Meadlowlark Park. It was a seven-minute walk to Chinook Centre, a short bus ride on Elbow Drive to work downtown and their home was surrounded by wonderful 65-year-old trees.
It’s been an idyllic location; however, life changed when the downturn hit and Van Dongen was forced to find a new job. He landed on his feet in Rocky View County south of the city and because Goulding’s job as a veterinarian was also in that vicinity, the couple thought it prudent to move into a house out that way, too.
“We’d also been inner city and we kind of wanted to move out of the hustle as well,” said Van Dongen. “Our present bungalow is large, and we wanted to downsize. We don’t have kids and basically what we’re in is meant for a family. It’s just Fiona and me and the dogs.”
The couple was familiar with Heritage Pointe, a luxury golf course community in DeWinton, but followed show home signs one day and discovered Artesia at Heritage Pointe on the other side of Deerfoot Trail.
“We fell in love with the area,” Goulding said.
After touring the show homes in Phase 3 of Artesia, the pair found the perfect house, but decided to wait for the release of Phase 4.
“It’s a little bit more elevated, it’s got green space and we wanted a particular lot,” Van Dongen said.
They were first in line for their very specific location, a pie-shaped lot at the point of a cul-de-sac.
“There’s about 40 feet between us and our neighbours — we’re
amazed at how much space we have,” said Goulding.
Because one of their goals was to downsize, the couple is building the smallest bungalow that Brookfield Residential offers in Artesia — the Catania with 1,654 square feet of living space. They loved the roof lines of the French Country-style Carmini bungalow and in consultation with Brookfield were able to incorporate the architectural elements into the Catania.
“It’s going to be very unique and we look forward to seeing it,” said Goulding, who expects to take possession in fall 2019.
The floor plan includes one bedroom on the main floor with a master ensuite, a half-bath and an open-concept main floor with a fireplace. Van Dongen said that they enlarged the garage by two feet to accommodate a truck and altered the deck to accommodate more living area outside the walkout basement, which they are having developed.
“There will be two bedrooms, a bathroom with double vanity, a games room and storage. We’ll convert the back bedroom that looks out onto the green space into an office, so we’ll have just one guest bedroom,” Goulding said.
Over the years, almost every aspect of their current bungalow in Meadowlark Park, circa 1955, has been updated. When they go to list their home in the spring, it’s ready for a new family to move right in.
Van Dongen said his wife has always wanted a new home.
“It’s only 100 square feet less than what we have now, but we always wanted new — to start fresh and basically retire there,” he said.
Brookfield Residential recently acquired the remaining home sites in Artesia and will be the exclusive builder in the community’s final phases. It will also take responsibility for the homeowners association, which manages the community amenities such as the tennis courts.
Marketing manager Justin Castelino said there are 17 lots remaining in the current phase of construction with home prices starting in the $900,000s.
“We start with the Catania, which is very spacious with a triple-car garage, to bungalows that are over 2,000 square feet in size. Brookfield also has a number of two-storey models in a pretty generous range from 2,600 to 3,600 square feet with three- and fourbedroom options,” he said.
Castelino said Brookfield works with homeowners like Van Dongen and Goulding to create a home that’s unique to them.
“We have some leeway in modifying exteriors and our floor plans to make a very personalized home for someone,” he said.
Artesia is designed so that almost every lot offers a walkout and a view with streets laid out to create enclaves of homes where everything is “very pedestrianoriented.”
New homebuyers in Heritage Pointe and by extension Artesia have primarily been downsizers, but there’s a shift taking place, he noted.
“It’s interesting to see younger buyers, early to mid-30s, with younger kids that are looking for more space, wider back yards, deeper lots and open space like the older communities. Plus, there’s access to some good schools in the country, such as Heritage Heights in the Foothills School Division,” he said.
Van Dongen and Goulding are looking forward to the move.
“We have friends who live in Artesia already,” said Goulding.
“It seems like it’s a warm community, quite friendly. We’ve walked around the ponds — we look forward to walking across to the neighbours and hanging out.”