Belfast Cohousing & Ecovillage :: Communities Directory

Forming Formed: 2007

Belfast Cohousing & Ecovillage

Belfast, Maine,

United States

(Midcoast Maine)

Belfast Cohousing & Ecovillage is a group of individuals and families who came together in early 2007 to discuss the idea of creating a cohousing community. Belfast is a city of 7,000 people located in midcoast Maine between Camden and Bar Harbor. The city features an active waterfront and lively arts community, and is the center of business, services, and government for the surrounding county. Traditional housing in the Belfast area falls into two main categories: in-town residential neighborhoods and rural, large-lot homesteads.

Members of Belfast Cohousing & Ecovillage envision a community that combines the best elements of both types: located in a rural area with tightly clustered housing and shared infrastructure, but working to preserve neighboring open land for its beauty, recreation, and farming, all while fostering a close-knit, cooperative, and intentionally ecological way of life.

Who are we? We are 14 Equity Member households and 12 Exploring Member households, and growing fast. We are business owners, educators, naturalists, gardeners, an architect, a fine homebuilder, farmers, doctors, nonprofit directors, a Suzuki violin teacher, an IT professional, and children ages two to 20. Most of us live and work in the area (though a few of us are from other states or Europe). In July 2008, we purchased 30 acres for our community, part of a larger 180-acre farm we plan to help preserve, all located just two miles from Belfast's downtown and harbor. We are within 1.5 miles of elementary and middle schools, Cornerspring Montessori Elementary School, the University of Maine Hutchinson Center, a YMCA, grocery and other retail stores, and Belfast's Municipal Airport.

Belfast Cohousing & Ecovillage is creating an environmentally sustainable, affordable cohousing community that includes land reserved for agriculture and open space and is an innovative housing development model for rural Maine. If all goes as planned, we hope to be full (30 households) by November 2009, and to move in by late December 2010 or early 2011.

We are currently open to Exploring and Equity Members, and are also forming a Farm Advisory Committee to explore coop models for multiple independent farmers on the larger farm parcel. Our vision is that within a few short years we will have a sustainable, harmonious, functional cohousing community where residents love to live and others are waiting in line to join.

Website: http://mainecohousing.org

Contact:

Sanna McKim
PO Box 100
Belfast, Maine 04915 United States

Former/Other Names: Belfast Cohousing & Ecovillage

Last Updated:4/8/2009

Visitors Accepted

(homes not built, but land purchased)

Visitor Process: Call Sanna at 207-338-9200, or email her at the address listed above.

Statement of Housing Non-discrimination:

No Answer Provided

Population Members(adults and children): 30 Non-member Residents: 0 Open to new members: Yes	Government Decision Making: By consensus (modified consensus) Identified Leader: No Leadership Core Group: Yes	Labor and Money Financial Style: Members have independent finances Labor Contribution: Expected (TBD, but likely a couple hours/month) Join Fee: Yes (see web site for more info) Regular Fees: Yes (For building the homes, and then maintaining community property)
Land and Buildings Rural Area: 30 acres (12.1 hectares) (30 acres within a total 180 agricultural property) Land Owned By: The community Number of Residences: 30 (At this writing, 13, but 30 in the next year.) Cohousing: Yes	Food, etc. Percentage of Food Grown: (We anticipate growing/raising much of our own food.) Share Community Meals: 2-5 times/week (Our goal) Dietary Choice or Restrictions: Diet is up to each individual Dietary Practice: Omnivorous (A focus on eating locally raised/grown) Alcohol Use: Used occasionally Tobacco Use: (No one smokes among present membership)	Social Factors Common Spiritual Practices: No Educational Style(s): Home schooling :: Private school off the property :: Public schooled

Cohousing Details

Cohousing Status:

Own Site

(Building in 2009)

Year Completed:

2011

(anticipated completion date)

Number of Units:

Projected 30-32 units

Square Feet in Common House:

4200

(in sketched plans; not finalized)

Architect:

G+0 Logic are the architect builder team of homes

Developer:

self-developing

Click an image to see it full size.

Become an Editor Current editor(s): Belfast, SannaMcKim, pendlelight

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