Altair EcoVillage

  • Community
  • 0 followers

About the Community

  • Forming
  • Town/Small City

What we do

-Altair currently consists of seven families who have invested in the project, five other member families. (up to House #10 committed on paper). We follow the traditional Cohousing model, but are more of an EcoVillage. We are looking to build 29 town houses and duplexes, two- and three-bedroom units. We have purchased an 8 acre site in Kimberton village and have purchased homes adjacent to the open land to ensure we have access. The Township wrote an Overlay Ordinance that will allow us to build a sustainable ecovillage – cluster homes, Common House, pedestrian walkways, remote parking, and reduced parking. We are looking to submit our site plan for approval early in 2024, and hope to break ground Winter of 2024.
-We generally hold two meetings a month – a Social and a Members business meeting (usually third Sunday). We are soliciting new members and friends to help with the pre-approval costs. Members intending to live in the EcoVillage can invest as a Managing Member, their funds capitalized and earning a modest ROI, applied toward the cost of their home.
-Our goal is to build certified Passive Houses with close to net-zero energy heating and cooling. We will also use the Green Building Council’s SITES v2 Guidelines for ecological low-impact development.
-We anticipate having another Getting-it-Built workshop in the Spring of 2024. We have had design retreats for the site, Common House, and housing designs, and will have another design workshop to finalize the landscaping of the site in Jan or Feb 2024. We have contacted banks and foundations to help with the funding.
-We will be an age-restricted community, with 20% of the homes’ head of household under 55. We have an experienced developer, architect, Passive House consultant, mechanical/electrical engineer, and an energy consultant for the EV’s and solar energy work. We are finalizing a land planner. Our Construction Manager will build the project. We have a PA registered non-profit to create a funding stream to support various initiatives (ecology, electric cars, etc.)
-At the moment, we are taking reservations. You can visit our website or contact us by email or phone.

Our Vision

We at Altair are forming a cohousing community built around the following objectives:
-opportunity for diverse backgrounds to live together in supportive relationships
-the architectural design promotes a comfortable balance between community interaction and privacy
-attractive homes and common facilities designed on a model that is ecologically sound, emphasizing moderate consumption, resource sustainability, and horticulture.

Our Mission

We at Altair are forming a cohousing community built around the following objectives:
-opportunity for diverse backgrounds to live together in supportive relationships
-the architectural design promotes a comfortable balance between community interaction and privacy
-attractive homes and common facilities designed on a model that is ecologically sound, emphasizing moderate consumption, resource sustainability, and horticulture.

  • Community type
  • Cohousing
  • Ecovillage
  • Activities
  • Education

Gallery

  • 17 Total members
  • Open to new members
  • Open to visitors
  • Open to volunteers
Total
17

How to join

-A Full Member (or family) puts in $1000 non-refundable initially and $25/month for dues. Trailblazers contribute $250 toward their $1000 membership and can explore our project for 4 months. The Members have a say in how that money is spent and are party to major decisions. We are now taking refundable deposits on homes in $1000/$2000 increments.
-We also have Member Investors whose monies go toward the cost of their home but also gives them a return on the investment.
-All members join one of our Task Circles to contribute with the work that needs doing – land, legal-financial, membership, healthy green living, pr-outreach, hospitality, ev-energy, and care & counsel, and development.

Basic expectations or agreements for members

Please contact us by email or by phone. For orientations and site visits, please contact us.

Primary decision-making authority

  • Small Leadership Group

A few people (not elected by the broader community) make the major decisions.

Governance structure

  • Sociocratic/Circle-Based

Organized in circles or domains with distributed authority.

Economic model

  • Independent Finances

Members maintain separate personal finances with minimal sharing.

Economic scenarios for this community

  • There is a one-time fee, investment, or share purchase to join the community separate from accessing housing
  • Members need to pay fees, dues, or similar to live there on a per month or per year basis
  • There is a labor obligation
  • Members typically need to have their own job or other personal source of income to cover their expenses while living in the community?

Additional economic information

Join fee: $1000
Monthly fees/dues: $25
Labor: Encouraged or suggested
Members with pre-existing debt: Yes (some debt)
Work Fair Share program to be determined. We are developing a “skills bank,” and are getting the work done in Task Circles.

Shared resources and amenities that are accessible to everyone in the community

Common House, Garden(s), Greenhouse(s), Vehicle Share, Library, Workshop, Outbuilding(s), Large Scale Kitchen, Internet

Frequency of communal meals

  • 1-3 times per month

Substance use culture

  • Substance use occurs primarily at celebrations or ceremonies

Property status

  • Privately owned

Property owner

  • By several individuals through an LLC or a Tenancy In Common agreement

Setting

  • Town/Small City

Smaller municipalities with local services but rural character.

Self-produced energy

  • Over 66%

Energy sources used

  • Photovoltaic Solar

Self-produced food

  • Up to 33%
  • Land area size
    9.5 acres

Reviews

Location

  • Pennsylvania, United States

Promoted Needs and Offers

Need
  • Communities with Openings
5 months ago

Join us in the mountains of Western North Carolina

Coweeta Heritage Center/Talking Rock Farm is located in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Coweeta is located in a beautiful and diverse temperate rain forest. It feels very remote here yet we are just 12 miles from Franklin, NC. Winters can be mild. Coweeta is blessed with springs and a stream, pristine forests, and abundant wildlife. Power is provided by a hydro-electric system which is not connected to the grid. An organic garden and trout pond provide healthy food that is also shared with the local community. Hiking, kayaking, and other outdoor activities are just out the back door. Coweeta is looking for others who would like to join together to form an Intentional Community embracing the principles of Voluntary Simplicity. Simply put (no pun intended): We wish “to live simply so that others may simply live.” It is a recognition that nature provides us with valuable services and resources that we can use to enrich our lives. Utilizing local resources, appropriate technology, and working cooperatively, we can discover creative ways to meet our needs as “directly and simply as possible.”. An example of this, in the tradition of many Indigenous People”, is to gather, and use wildcrafted foods as part of our diet. There is great joy in going to nature’s grocery for our sustenance. Voluntary Simplicity is based on the recognition that “very little is needed to live well” and that “abundance is a state of mind.” Living lower on the economic ladder allows us more time and freedom to pursue other life goals: community and social engagement, family time, artistic or intellectual projects, more fulfilling employment, political participation, sustainable living, spiritual exploration, and more. According to the Voluntary Collective, “The grounding assumption of Voluntary Simplicity is that all human beings have the potential to live meaningful, free, happy and infinitely diverse lives while consuming no more than an equitable share of (the world’s) resources.” We affirm the need for a work/life balance, the right to a healthy environment and healthy food, and healthy community relationships supporting a diverse population. It is our responsibility as engineers of a new generation to make the changes that we want to see happen and pass this on to the next generations. We can’t wait for someone else to do this important work. Voluntary Simplicity is a quiet revolution that can change the world. As one person said, “we must be poets of our own lives and of a new generation.” We hope you will join us here at Coweeta or elsewhere on our journey to a healthier and more sustainable future! Temporary housing is available in a 27 foot trailer trailer with attached deck next to a creek while we build additional housing. Your basic living expenses (shelter, basic food items, power and water) are met through our market garden or other fundraising projects that you will participate in. You are expected to contribute a given amount of your time and energy to help grow our community and meet our financial obligations. Possible future plans include establishing a retreat center for healing our earth and each other. Work includes organic gardening, construction projects and other community building activities. Come join Coweeta and learn how to live lightly on the land and enjoy the Earth’s bounty! For more information, visit www.coweetaheritagecenter.com Contact [email protected] for a visit or more info.  Paul
Need
  • Communities with Openings
12 months ago

Water Birch Co-op. Urban living in central Denver.

Large, lovely house built in 1900, two blocks from Cheeseman Park in downtown Denver.  5000 square feet. The house was a Buddhist Meditation Center for 20 years before we got it and has lovely, calm vibes. We currently have ten people and have room for one more. We are an intentional community sharing dinners, 3 living rooms, 2 new kitchens and a kitchenette, & 5 baths. Staple food (organic) is bought together. The group is self-regulating as a co-op; it decides together how the house runs. There are chores ;-) Average cost per room is about $1000 ranging from $650 to $1354. Currently available room is $875. We are just finishing renovation of three bedrooms on the third floor  they are $875 each and share our largest, newest bath (shower and separate claw foot tub) and a brand new kitchenette  they all have beautiful windows and lots of light. PLEASE CHECK OUT COMMUNITY LISTINGS FOR MORE INFO. Initial lease for 3-6 months while we and you decide if we are a good fit for each other.  Deposit in the amount of one months rent is required prior to move in.  We do background checks on all members. Utilities are currently $130 per person per month and are all-inclusive.  They will change if costs go up, that amount is insufficient to cover utilities, or more people mean the cost per person goes down.  WiFi is via mesh network from gig-speed fiberoptic service.  Heat is with radiators.  Cooling is evaporative.  We have a storage room in a nearby commercial facility.  And a new large workshop in the garage. Shared food is $125 per month per person; it is a pass-through cost divided evenly among residents; it does NOT include meat or alternative protein nor any alcohol.  We will not be surprised if that needs to go up some soon ($10 or 15). We have two dogs and three cats in the house  that seems like a sufficient quantity of furry friends for now. Our community intentions include: Communication with compassion. Shared space and life. Shared meals. Shared staple foods which are non-GMO and Organic. Group decision making. Safe, inclusive space: queer and trans friendly, anti-racist, non-violent, and feminist. The purchase of the house by the co-op in about five years. The expansion of the co-op, possibly to include other housing types (like separate apartments). Weekly meetings and house committees to manage our community. We are considering implementing Sociocracy as an organizing method. Quiet hours are from 10:00pm to 8:00am. We are looking for community members who: Want to live in a community not just have a place to sleep and eat. Want to live in a beautiful, clean, and organized house and are willing to help make and keep it that way. Residents should expect to spend 16 hours per month towards this goal. Are curious, compassionate, flexible, and open to living with others who will undoubtedly have different ideas about many things. Are interested in pioneering a new co-op. There will be work involved to get there. Are responsible and communicative. Embrace enthusiastically that living in community requires introspection and personal growth. Are not joining the community as a way of running away from something.
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