TREE (Third Residential EcoVillage Experience) is now accepting new members! At the beginning of 2011 a decision was made to increase the number of units in TREE from 30 to 40 to make all the units more affordable and to increase the number of fully-accessible units. TREE is on track to begin construction in April, 2012, with projected occupancy in December, 2012 for some units and January, 2013 for the rest. TREE is well on its way to meeting its ambitious goals of sustainability, affordability, and accessibility. As the third neighborhood at EcoVillage at Ithaca, TREE will be part of the larger environmentally-oriented EcoVillage community on the crest of Ithaca's West Hill. Surrounded by 176 acres of rolling meadows, organic farms, and woodlands, and nestled close to the existing village, TREE will feature cutting edge green design, with most homes built to the stringent Passive House standards that originated in Europe. To date there are only 13 of these homes in the U.S. that are certified by the U.S. Passive House Institute, yet there are 25,000 built in Europe. We want to popularize this proven energy efficient model, and once built, TREE may be the first and largest showcase for this type of deep green design in the U.S. Our vision is to create a neighborhood of 40 reasonably-priced, energy-efficient, small footprint homes; live in a socially responsible, healthful, and ecologically sustainable way; and make group-centered community decisions based on consensus. We will have our own common house for shared meals and social activities. We seek families with or without children; people interested in aging in place; and people of diverse backgrounds and income levels. Our home designs are based on the passive house concept. In addition, the houses will be built using non-toxic, regionally produced building materials, and will include water-saving and reuse features; accessibility for those with special needs; and attractive exteriors and interiors. We currently have four house designs, plus apartments in the common house. We have planning meetings every third weekend at EcoVillage at Ithaca. For more information, please go to TREE's website where contact information and membership requirements are listed.