Intentional Communities - A Project of the FIC
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Formed: 2002 Established: 2006
Bartimaeus Community at Meadow Wood Condominum
Bremerton (central Kitsap County), Washington,
United States
(Voted one of America's Top Places for Raising a Family by Money Magazine)
Nearing completion of construction (this photo from 3/06).  More at www.bartcommunity.org!
 Bartimaeus Cohousing Community, L.L.C.
presents:
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************ “MEADOW WOOD” *****************
-----A UNIQUE CREEK-SIDE COMMUNITY-----
____________________________________
....“Our mission is to create a safe ...
.....residential neighborhood for ........
.....people to substantially grow .........
.....into the whole, healthy, unique .....
.....persons God intended”...................
This unique neighborhood in Bremerton, Washington offers affordable, quality living in a spectacular waterfront and mountain setting, an hour away by ferry from the world-class “Emerald City” of Seattle.
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***SOME FEATURES OF MEADOW WOOD***
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The community of Meadow Wood offers a "connected" living experience reminiscent of a New England village, nestled in a gently sloping pasture, bordered by a creek, surrounded by tall trees and nature trails.
A prime piece of natural real estate, it is nevertheless ideally located for "modern living" in the heart of Central Kitsap County,
--on a major bus line; at 1172 N.E. Fairgrounds Rd., near Wheaton Way
--within walking distance of the Swim and Tennis Club, and several local schools
--five minutes from East Bremerton shopping, or the Brownsville Marina
--eight minutes from Silverdale mall
--ten minutes from Olympic College
--15 minutes from the live venues of the Admiral Theater
--15 minutes from the Seattle ferry
The entire site is laid out to balance the desire for personal privacy within the social context of a friendly, intergenerational community, using the design principles of the cohousing movement.
_________________________________________________
SOCIAL AND SPIRITUAL DISTINCTIVES OF MEADOW WOOD
_________________________________________________
We envision a community dedicated to bringing out the best in each other, through active listening, mutual respect, an appreciation of differences, and honest caring.
Community decisions are made by consensus. There is no single “leader,” no pooled incomes, or other required communal practices. This is a unique neighborhood, not a commune or a church.
While most Meadow Wood residents will share an active Christian faith perspective, we also include those who agree with the values of the primary mission, as outlined on the website. Visitors who may not agree with all these values are still welcomed in a spirit of hospitality.
We won’t exist just for ourselves, but will actively seek ways to make a difference in the world, including a effort to assist others who can benefit from the resources of a larger community.
A guest house is set aside for a family in transition to stay in assistive circumstances while receiving individual help, as well as benefiting from living within a safe and healthy community of people. They will be considered carefully for suitability within the community by the membership.
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WE'RE RAPIDLY NEARING THE END OF CONSTRUCTION!
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We have purchased 7 acres of beautiful property in Central Kitsap. With its ideal location and protected natural habitat the property has already experienced very strong appreciation and should continue to do so. In April of 2005, we began to build the 24 remaining one to four bedroom clustered homes, along with a community center, or "common house," on three acres of the property.
Meadow Wood is not a typical developer-driven project --as a cohousing project, the future residents are also largely the developers. For equity members participating in the development of the property, there has been a desire to keep things affordable –making these some of the best new home value option in Central Kitsap today.
There are currently four remaining units --one 4BR, and two 2BR, so now is the time to act!
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CONSIDER YOUR PLACE IN MEADOW WOOD COMMUNITY!
_________________________________________________
For detailed home prices, floor plans for the one through four-bedroom models, the site plan, or details of equity membership, see our website at: www.bartcommunity.org. There are also a limited number of rentals available, and we are building a waiting list for interested parties.
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***WHAT IS “COHOUSING?”***
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Cohousing began in earnest some thirty-five years ago overseas, as a group of modern neighbors got together to figure out how to design the architecture of their community to better serve their needs, including the preservation of natural areas.
Today there are over 80 such communities in the United States, with more than 300 overseas, and many more in various stages of completion --a significant new trend considered one of America’s brightest prospects for addressing a number of social and environmental housing issues.
Cohousing communities are comprised of fully functioning, “green-built” individually-owned clustered homes with a spacious central building, called a “common house,” where daily social activities and perhaps some evening meals together can take place on a voluntary basis.
Cohousing brings the benefits of having community use of facilities such as these in our project:
•safe indoor / outdoor children’s play areas
•a common woodshop / auto shop areas
•a lending library / meeting room / crafts area
•community gardens or small orchard
•game room and solarium
____________________________
Could this community-oriented
neighborhood be just what you’ve been
looking for? Call us today!
call Joel Adamson at 360-308-0075
____________________________
  Status: Nearing End of Construction
Contact:
Bartimaeus Community at Meadow Wood Condominium
7771 Beacon Place NE
Bremerton, Washington 98311 United States
Phone: 360-779-2862 (Walter), 360-692-2310 (Christine)
Email This Community!
Nancy Conrad
Phone: 360-779-4644
Email This Community!
Barbara Buckham
Phone: 360-692-8064
Email This Community!
Guy Coe
Phone: 360-692-2310
Email This Community!
Former/Other Names: Rental Units Available
Last Updated:4/12/2008
 
Visitors Accepted
 (Members will begin being able to host at full residence by 9/1/06)
Visitor Process: Please contact us by e-mail, and expect humorous, welcoming responses. While we are mainly from one faith perspective, we are not exclusively so, and welcome visitors and guests. We have a well-structured environment of "family values," on behalf of our children, yet welcome candid adult dialogue under appropriate circumstances. After receiving your request to visit, we will work together to accomodate those requests. We've hosted a Seattle conference day-trip venue, and are anticipating an active slate of common house events and community outreach activities.

Network Affiliations:
Fellowship for Intentional Community
:: Northwest Intentional Communities Association
:: Coho/US
Population
Adult Members:
32
(Full residence by 9/1/06; room for 4 more households)
Child Members:
12
(one remaining household is a 4 BR)
Non-member Residents:
0
(currently none; guest house outreach not yet active)
Open to new adults:
Yes
(2&4 BR floor plans available; see website)
Open to new children:
Yes
(certainly; currently have a good spread of ages)
Gender Balance:
43% M 57% F
(among current equity member population)
(among currrent equity member population)
Open to which gender(s):
All genders welcome
(only two genders that we know of!)
Ethnic Diversity:
0% identify as 'people of color'
(Actively seeking more diverse population)
Age Focus:
No Focus
(Actually, focus is on diversity of ages)
Age Restrictions:
No
Government
Decision Making:
By consensus
(with super-majority contingency as backup [have not used yet])
Identified Leader:
No
(Our stated value is in diversity of leadership and rotating responsibilities.)
Leadership Core Group:
No
(During development, the entire membership are consensus decision-making equity members in the L.L.C. building project. The L.L.C. does have a designated legal agent acting as Project Manager, under consensus direction. Upon completion, the Decs and Bylaws stipulate HOA officers acting under consensus direction, with comittee heads and other forms of leadership taking active, and revolving roles.)
Labor and Money
Financial Style:
Members have independent finances
(we anticipate more sharing of "stuff" as we downsize cooperatively)
Open to Members with Pre-existing Debt:
Yes
(debt remediation training and some forms of assistance will be a ministry of the community)
Labor Contribution:
Expected
(meeting leadership responsibilities are shared; task responsibilities are accepted voluntarily after discussion and group input. More detailed norms to follow as we occupy the buildings. About 12-15 hrs./month currently anticipated, including meeting time.)
Join Fee:
Yes
(this is a cohousing development; equity membership is designed to secure interest in purchasing a finished, selected unit. After construction, we anticipate rental participants, or other equity share arrangements. Building improvement/maintenance issues will be matters for equity interested members with group input; activities and community policies will be a matter of resident consensus.)
Regular Fees:
Yes
(we anticipate "condo" -type fees, concordant with the norms of the cohousing movement, from the equity members for common capital budgets.)
Land and Buildings
Suburban
(Four acres will remain undeveloped out of seven total, keeping the)
Area:
7 acres (2.8 hectares)
(Three will be developed; the rest is natural, including tree-rich creekside access along two property lines, blacberry patches, community gardens, etc.)
Land Owned By:
The community
(Bartimaeus Cohousing L.L.C. holds current equity interest with assignment of rights being determined by consensus under a condominium legal structure.)
Number of Residences:
25
(25 residences and 1 common house upon project completion, along with other commonly-owned outbuildings.)
Cohousing:
Yes
(Linking intentional community with cohousing and social/spiritual outreach.)
Food, etc.
Percentage of Food Grown:
1-5%
(will work to increase; anticipate community gardens, perhaps orchard. Some current families are sponsors of community-supported agriculture.)
Share Community Meals:
1-3 times/month
(anticipate 2-3 times weekly upon full residency by 9/1/06.)
Dietary Choice or Restrictions:
Diet is up to each individual
(there are food sensitivities among our current residents)
Dietary Practice:
Omnivorous
(no current distinctives)
Alcohol Use:
Used occasionally
(no policies short of public intoxication)
Tobacco Use:
Seldom used
(No current policies; would probably regulate in common areas only)
Social Factors
Restrictions on Romantic Relationships (between consenting adults):
No Answer
(Our statement of faith and lifestyle affirms celibate singleness and faithful heterosexual marriage as God's ideals, while not making)
Shared Spiritual Path:
Yes
(predominantly, but not exclusively, active Christian. We welcome members who share our values commitments, and look forward to positive interfaith dialogue. The ethos of the group is respectfully inclusive).)
Which Spiritual Path(s):
Other
(The God of all creation has revealed wonderful things to people of all cultures!)
Educational Style(s):
Home schooling
:: Public schooled
(both styles in use; possible future voluntary homeschool coop on the property, if arranged.)
Cohousing Details
Cohousing Status:
Completed
(Four units left for sale!)
Year Completed:
2006
(anticipated Sept. '06)
Number of Units:
25 plus additional common house and other outbuildings
Square Feet in Common House:
2700
(Single story)
Architect:
Paul Eberharter, Eberharter Architects (Kingston, WA; Paul@eb-arch.com; www.eb-arch.com)
Developer:
Bartimaeus Cohousing, L.L.C. in conjunction with consultation by Cohousing Resources, L.L.C., Kraus-Fitch Architects, and Bill Parnell of TyCeCo (Kitsap County, WA)with Mark Kuhlman of Team 4 Engineering.
Commercial Lender:
Frontier Bank, WA
 
 
Nearing completion of construction (this photo from 3/06).  More at www.bartcommunity.org!
Common House is focus upon entering the site
Come and join in the fun of celebrating life together!
Click an image to see it full size.


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