Rangeview is another step closer to building on its history as the home of a one-room schoolhouse into a whole new community.

The land east of Seton, where the South Health Campus blends into the big prairie sky, was once ranched and farmed by the Ollerenshaw family, who first settled in the area in 1923. Generations of the family expanded the operations, and over the past 30 years, have transitioned the business and land holdings into residential architecture, land development and re-development, now under the name Section23 Developments Ltd.

Rangeview holds some personal history for Section23’s founder and executive chairman, Robert Ollerenshaw. His father attended that one-room schoolhouse, says Marion Murray, senior vice-president of Section23 Developments. And now, Rangeview has received unanimous approval from Calgary city council for its outline plan and land-use redesignation.

Section23’s Rangeview community — two quarter sections in size — is part of the greater Rangeview area structure plan that includes four other parcels of land to be developed, owned by Genstar Developments, WestCreek Developments, the Danube family, and the Deniau family.

Section23’s Rangeview will embrace a “garden-to-table community” theme, acknowledging its agricultural roots.
Amenities such as a greenway, community gardens, raised flower beds and apple orchards, along with with learning and teaching opportunities about food production, are being built into the fabric of the community. Even a greenhouse is in the plans.

“A real component for us in the plan for Rangeview was this concept of agricultural urbanism planning principles,” says Murray. “Sustainability is the notion of where does food come from, how do we grow food, how to create a sustainable way of living. But we didn’t want it to be a farming community. We’re creating some community spaces that would allow for the production of food and gardening. We’re going to have a home owners’ association to help manage that.”

Read the full Calgary Herald Article here.