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Formed: 1992 Established: 1996
Harmony Village
Golden, Colorado,
United States
Harmony Village from the roof of the commonhouse, photo by Evangeline Welch
 Harmony Village, located at the foot of the Rockies in Golden, Colorado, is a cohousing community, dedicated to sustainable living. Our Cohousing Community opened in October 1996 and has 27 households featuring Santa Fe style, energy efficient, clustered dwellings with common facilities and open space.
Our Shared Mission is to create a cooperative neighborhood of diverse individuals sharing human resources within an ecologically responsible community setting.
Membership in Harmony Village spans a diversity of ages, incomes, professions, and unit sizes. The "village" features a common house with a kitchen/dining area for some regular meals together, two rooms for children, common storage and laundry facilities, guest rooms, hot tub and big screen TV. The common grounds include a large community garden, orchard, onsite workshop, and a river-rock labyrinth. Twenty-seven housing units are clustered around small courtyards and the common house to encourage interaction among residents. About half of the original site is reserved as open space.
High on members' priority list from the beginning has been an ecological concern. Members seek to tread lightly on the earth, and hope this small effort to conserve our land and resources will begin a reversal of the devastating effects of ill-considered land-use policy and urban sprawl. Global change occurs one neighborhood at a time. Harmony Village intends to be part of that change.
 
Website: http://www.harmonyvillage.org/
Contact:
Harmony Village
1001 Cottonwood Circle
Golden, Colorado 80401-1794 United States
Ginny Cowles
Phone: 303-279-3811
Email This Community!
John Lightburn
Phone: 303-216-1140
Email This Community!
Last Updated:9/30/2008
 
Visitors Accepted
 (two guest rooms at the commonhouse)
Visitor Process: Call Ginny Cowles (303) 279-3811 or John Lightburn (303) 216-1140.
Affiliations: Harmony Village

Network Affiliations:
Fellowship for Intentional Community
:: Rocky Mountain Cohousing Association :: The Cohousing Network (International)
Population
Adult Members:
56
Child Members:
19
Non-member Residents:
0
Open to new adults:
Yes
(as dwelling availabilty permits)
Open to new children:
Yes
(as dwelling availabilty permits)
Gender Balance:
51% M 49% F
Open to which gender(s):
All genders welcome
Ethnic Diversity:
2% identify as 'people of color'
Age Focus:
No Focus
Age Restrictions:
No
Government
Decision Making:
By consensus
Identified Leader:
No
Leadership Core Group:
Yes
(we have a council consisting of five community members; council members are appointed by the community by consensus and serve 3-year terms; most members who are not on council are responsible for a "point person" position, i.e. trash/recycling, kitchen manager, purser/accountant, common house facilities manager, interpersonal communications; those who are not point people help with tasks on an "as needed" basis; this governance structure is relatively new and is still being fine-tuned)
Labor and Money
Financial Style:
Members have independent finances
Open to Members with Pre-existing Debt:
Yes
Labor Contribution:
Expected
(4 hours per adult member per month OR $15 for each work hour not contributed, work and monetary contributions are self-monitored)
Join Fee:
No
Regular Fees:
Yes
(community dues are approximately $75 to $220/month based on size of the unit, number of occupants, estimated maintenance costs and other factors; dues are reviewed yearly)
Land and Buildings
Small Town
(Golden has a small-town feel, but we are adjacent to Denver which is a major metropolitan area)
Area:
5.5 acres (2.2 hectares)
(about 1/2 is open space)
Land Owned By:
The community
(individuals own the land occupied by their residence and garage; the rest of the land is owned by the community)
Number of Residences:
27
(there are 27 townhome-style residences in 10 residential buildings, one family moved but remains an active part of the community sharing meals and participating in community events)
Cohousing:
Yes
Food, etc.
Percentage of Food Grown:
6-20%
(we have a large, organic community garden and orchard tended by our master gardener, David Wann, and several volunteers from the community; we have a contract with the City of Golden to supply untreated water via agricultural ditch, the water is moved by an solar-powered pumping system; some of the produce is sold, the rest is used by community members; we also have a member who raises honey bees)
Share Community Meals:
1 time/week
(attendance at common meals varies, average attendance is approximately 25 adults and 5 children)
Dietary Choice or Restrictions:
There are some dietary restrictions
(some members have food sensitivities, i.e. wheat, dairy, soy; most members take this into account when planning meals)
Dietary Practice:
Omnivorous
(people generally eat a varied diet)
Alcohol Use:
Used occasionally
(seldom at common meals)
Tobacco Use:
Seldom used
(prohibited in the commonhouse; discouraged in most residences)
Social Factors
Open to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and/or Transgender members:
Yes
(we have several lesbian and gay members including couples with children)
Restrictions on Romantic Relationships (between consenting adults):
No
Shared Spiritual Path:
No
Which Spiritual Path(s):
Native American
:: Buddhist
:: Paganism/Earth Religions
:: Protestant/Lutheran
:: Jewish
:: Unitarian Universalist
:: Ecumenical (includes "all religions")
:: Eclectic (integrates pieces from many religions)
(There may be other spiritual paths not represented here)
Educational Style(s):
Private school off the property
:: Public schooled
(there is a community member who runs an on-site daycare for community members)
Cohousing Details
Cohousing Status:
Completed
Year Completed:
1996
Number of Units:
27
 
 
Harmony Village from the roof of the commonhouse, photo by Evangeline Welch
commonhouse
community garden
children camping along pedestrian path
commonhouse interior
compost bins
exit to Fossil Trace golf course ponds
Click an image to see it full size.


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