Frog Song

  • Community
  • 2 followers

About the Community

  • Established
  • Urban

What we do

Our community is a part of downtown Cotati, California (population 6,700). We are a typical cohousing community in that we are not organized around any particular religious, economic, political, or lifestyle focus, other than our intention to create a neighborhood that by its physical design and social structure facilitates community.

Our community houses 30 families (including singles, couples with and without children, and single parents) in townhouse-style attached homes. Our common house includes a kitchen, dining room, guest rooms, children’s room, and a workshop.

We’re a little different from many cohousing communities in that we were required by the city of Cotati to include 6700 square feet of retail space as part of our development. We decided to keep ownership of this retail space as a community. We now live next door to a handful of small businesses, which are locally owned.

Community dinners and workdays are a part of our lives. Our key policy decisions are made by consensus, and we meet once monthly for two-hour business and community-development meetings.

Our group formed out of the old Acacia Cohousing Group in Santa Rosa, California, a group which started meeting in November of 1994. The current group came together in the late summer/early fall of 1998, and in January 2000 we found a 2.3 acre parcel of land in downtown Cotati. With the help of the Cohousing Company (Nevada City, California), and our developer, Wonderland Hill (Boulder, Colorado), construction was completed and residents began moving into their new homes in 2003.

Our Vision

Cohousing Community

Our Mission

Cohousing Community

  • Community type
  • Cohousing

Gallery

  • 67 Total members
  • Not open to new members
  • Open to visitors
  • Open to volunteers
Total
67

How to join

Open when homes come up for sale or rent.

Basic expectations or agreements for members

Please contact us through our email (listed on our website) to arrange a visit or tour. We cannot accommodate “Drop-in” visitors, so please visit only after you’ve made arrangements with us.

Primary decision-making authority

  • All Community Members Together

The whole membership decides collectively.

Governance structure

  • Collaborative/Horizontal

Power and responsibility are shared relatively equally among members.

Economic model

  • Independent Finances

Members maintain separate personal finances with minimal sharing.

Economic scenarios for this community

  • 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

Monthly fees/dues: Yes (amount not specified)
Labor required: 3 hours/week
Members with pre-existing debt: Yes
Each household qualifies for their mortgage independent from the rest of the community.

Members are required to help cook at least once a month, participate in work days, and serve on at least one committee.

Homeowner’s Association dues vary by size of home (sizes range from 2 bedrooms/1 bathroom to four bedrooms/3 bathrooms).

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

Common House, Garden(s), Library, Workshop, Hot tub or hot springs, Large Scale Kitchen, Swingsets & play areas, Internet

Frequency of communal meals

  • 2-5 times per week

Substance use culture

  • Substance use occurs primarily at celebrations or ceremonies
  • Religions
  • Buddhist
  • Jewish
  • Wiccan, Paganism, or Earth Religions
  • Unitarian Universalist

Property status

  • Privately owned

Property owner

  • By a single individual, couple, or Family Trust

Setting

  • Urban

Within city limits with access to urban amenities and infrastructure.

Self-produced energy

  • Up to 33%

Energy sources used

  • Photovoltaic Solar

Self-produced food

  • Up to 33%
  • Land area size
    2.3 acres

Reviews

Location

  • California, United States

Promoted Needs and Offers

Offer
Offer
  • Housing For Rent + Shared
4 weeks ago

Yurt Living & Joining our Family Rhythm (West County Sonoma)

We are a friendly English family of four living on a beautiful, remote property between Sebastopol and Occidental. We are looking for a grounded, proactive individual or couple to move into our yurt and join our daily rhythm. We live a screen-free, Waldorf-inspired life with our two sons (9 and 7) and our labradoodle puppy, ‘Rainy.’ Our boys are “real characters”—creative, high-energy, and robust. We’re looking for a partnership with someone who can help us maintain a calm, organized, and fun home. The Role & Schedule (20 Hours/Week Baseline) Your rent, utilities, and occasional family meals are covered in exchange for a consistent 20-hour weekly commitment: Childcare: 2x per week (4 PM – 8 PM) and Saturday mornings (9 AM – 1 PM). Outings, basketball, soccer, hiking, and bedtime routine. Cooking & Tasks: One mid-week block for bulk healthy meal prep. Ownership of boys’ laundry, dog walking, gardening, and basic property/pool maintenance. House-sitting: Keeping a watchful eye on the house and puppy when we are away. What We Offer Living Space: Private, standalone yurt with beautiful views over Sexton Valley. It has a “treehouse” feel, a new outdoor kitchen, a private bathroom, and a heated outdoor shower. Community: Access to 1.5 acres, including a hot tub and pool, with opportunities for gardening and mutually supportive living. Terms: No rent and no utilities. Overtime is paid at $25/hour. About You You are proactive without a to-do list. You have a clean driving record and proven experience with kids (ideally in a school or camp setting). You understand how to hold firm, playful boundaries and have a sense of
Offer

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