Whether its parks, schools, shopping, playgrounds or ponds, Coopers Crossing is a community that has something for everyone.
According to Paul Gerla, the owner and manager of WestMark Holdings – the development company behind Coopers Crossing – thoughtful community design with "great attention to detail” is the reason the neighbourhood was voted the nicest subdivision in the Best of Airdrie Readers' Choice Award.
"Our goal from the beginning was to create the finest community in Airdrie," Gerla said. "Coopers Crossing is the result of 20-plus years of planning, and we couldn't be more pleased that the citizens of Airdrie appreciate our commitment to the highest quality in everything we do."
More importantly, he added, the people who choose to call Coopers Crossing home will benefit from their efforts for many years to come.
"To hear our residents say that ‘Coopers feels like home’ and ‘gives us the feeling it’s our own small town,’ is very rewarding," he said.
According to Gerla, part of the subdivision's charm comes from its "connectivity to every corner of the community."
"Coopers Crossing was designed around the park trails," he said, "Few communities can offer the variety of housing options, shopping, schools, playgrounds and ponds all linked via an extensive system of park trails."
The paths encourage residents to walk or bike to their destinations rather than hopping in a car, and allows them to enjoy the "charismatic streetscapes and beautiful parks," he said.
"This not only is good for your health and the environment but creates opportunities for people to meet their neighbours," Gerla said. "Residents who feel like they're part of a community...tend to put down roots and stay awhile."
The certainty that residents have found their "forever home" is reflected in their effort to plant trees or install patios, Gerla said.
"They believe they'll be here a long time to enjoy that patio and the trees and plants when they mature," he said. "This doesn't happen in every community, but it sure seems the case in Coopers Crossing."
The subdivision's namesakes, settlers Eleanor and George Cooper, also felt they'd found a long-term home in 1892. In search of good farmland, they came upon what is now known as Coopers Crossing, Gerla said.
“The couple set upon a wide stretch of prairie in what is now the city of Airdrie, establishing a family legacy of prosperity and community services that has lasted more than 100 years,” he said. “In 1999, WestMark broke ground in Coopers Crossing.”
With all the pathways and schools, it's also an ideal place for families to raise their children, Gerla said.
"There are six schools in and around the community, which means kids can walk to school from grades 1 to 12 in both the public and separate school systems," he said. "I have a hard time thinking of any other community that can make that claim."
But Coopers Crossing seems to appeal to young and old families alike, Gerla said, and multiple generations of the same family will settle down there.
"Parents send their kids to grandma's house through the park, and then grandma takes them by the pond to look at the birds or to the ice-cream shop in CoopersTown Promenade," he said. "It's wonderful to see this going on. It's what living a good life is all about."
Gerla added this is the eighth consecutive year the neighbourhood has been named Nicest Subdivision in Airdrie.
“It’s always great to have your work recognized,” he said.
