Habitat Re•Imagined

Sustainable Community

What’s New at Echo Hills Cottages.

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There’s been great progress here at Echo Hills Cottages since our last update in January of this year. Connie and Bob moved into their new home in May. The octagonal shaped, green built house features an open floor plan, custom cabinets, a porch with a beautiful view, and oak flooring milled from trees around the property.

the-model-house-2The model home, built in 2014, is now occupied by – me, Kathleen! My housemate Shealy and I share the kitchen and I have transformed the lower level into a cozy suite with everything I need. Shealy has the rest of the top floor including a porch overlooking a wooded area of the property.

ron-lauriesThe next house under construction in our West Asheville community is Ron and Laurie’s. It’s more than halfway done and looks different every day. Once the stucco is finished it will blend in quite nicely with the trees. I think it already does. A great example of thoughtful and professional land-use planning.

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My favorite part of the process so far was the delivery of the insulated concrete forms. Sitting there waiting to be installed, they reminded me of Lego bricks. Well they’re much more than that of course. They are light, easy to work with, and provide an insulating factor of R 25. The houses being built at Echo Hills Cottages are super energy efficient as well as beautiful.

johns-framing-going-upThe fourth house is well underway with the foundation complete and the framing just begun. This awesome team of framers will have this phase done in no time!

It’s been inspiring to watch Echo Hills Cottages grow. As a community we are all engaged and committed to a level of relational connection that gives us a sense of belonging, and safety. For me, living here is providing opportunities for personal growth and development that I have desired for a long time.

An Echo Hills Story

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Bob & ConnieSeveral years before my retirement, I found myself investigating intentional communities in North Carolina. When my partner, Bob, read about Echo Hills and then visited in October of 2013, we began to consider what it would mean to move into a developing community. Despite obvious challenges that we would face, what we were drawn to was the group of people that we met when we visited for a weekend retreat in 2014. By spending time with this group of people over the course of 2 days, we were even more drawn to this community because of the comfort level that was established by sharing our stories and our dreams for the future. Essentially, the relationship building that was initiated would be the foundation of the community, which we came to realize was just as important as the physical construction process.

As we inched closer to the decision to build at Echo Hills, we were still full of questions, but with each wave of hesitation, we skyped with the developers, Ron and Laurie, and our fears were allayed. The big move to Asheville happened in the summer of 2015, when we pulled our 1985 RV into the driveway and began to watch the foundation and walls appear. As I sit here in January amid paint chips and countertop options, I am amazed at how far we have come and how smoothly the building has progressed. Our involvement on a daily basis has been facilitated by living at the site, first in the RV and then later in a room in the shared house on the property. Communication with the developer, the carpenter, and with each of the contractors has enhanced my understanding and appreciation of how complex the building of a home within a new development can be.

There are still many more details to be ironed out both for the house and for the overall development and at each juncture, questions arise and possibilities are discussed. We meet with community members on a weekly basis at Qi Gong and meditation practice and also meet periodically to discuss overall community concerns and plans for group projects.

Admittedly, moving to Echo Hills to build was a leap of faith, but my experience has taught me that what has been just as important as the house arising is the relationship building that has evolved over the course of these 2 years. I have learned a great deal about myself and have come to depend on the ease of communication with all of the community members, but in particular with Ron and Laurie with whom we have shared common space and meals and game playing and occasional colds. Without this connection I would not be as comfortable and positive about what lies ahead as I am right now, even amid the snowy blizzard that is blanketing our region at this moment. I am anxious to see the community grow as new members join our adventure, even if it is just to meet people who might or might not decide to build here.

I realize that I was fortunate to have been able to start building because I had already sold my house in Philadelphia, and I do hope that others will have the same opportunity, whether it is here or in another setting. I have learned that any development, large or small, with tiny homes or medium size homes or large homes will take patience and dedication and that not all of my questions could be answered in advance. Without Ron and Laurie’s experience and expertise as they managed the process of utility development and road construction and permitting and endless bureaucratic and legal barriers, Echo Hills would not be the haven I will enjoy for many years to come. I feel confident that what I have been offered is a good value as well as a very efficient and sustainable place to play and work and laugh among friends.

My gratitude for all of the players in this scenario is monumental – from the sellers of property to the idea creators to the investors to the craftsmen to the professionals and especially to each

and every individual I have encountered. Echo Hills is a work in progress and I feel blessed to have landed in this little corner of the world as new life and relationships and adventures unfold.

Connie Falcone

CoHousing in Asheville

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pocket-neighborhoodThe cohousing movement, a form of intentional community which began in Denmark, was brought to the United States in the 1980’s. It has grown significantly over the years, and there is intention for exponential growth in the coming years. Cohousing in Asheville, a city with a variety of intentional community experiments, consists of only one official cohousing projects – Westwood Cohousing in West Asheville.

The original movement involves building community among potential members starting with predevelopment concerns. Potential members gather to envision what their community will look like, to scope out potential land, and to work together to bring the project to fruition.

Although this can be a successful approach to community development, it is fraught with potential problems. Failure is common due to differing values and expectations, the lack of relational skills and tools, and the need for difficult decision making. Last I heard, only about 1 in 7 project attempts get built.

Influenced by the cohousing movement, “pocket neighborhoods” have become an alternative for developer driven projects. These cohousing style of communities are often designed, developed, and built by professionals and then sold to seekers of intentional community. Although this eliminates some of the problems, it creates others. Often, with idealistic vision, new owners spend years in frustration establishing common ground and an effective decision making process.

Along with these two established models, there are many hybrid methods for developing cohousing style projects. Echo Hills Cottages is an attempt to develop a hybrid approach to cohousing in Asheville. Our approach combines the best practices of traditional cohousing and pocket neighborhoods. Our approach includes foundational parameters for design and building, along with the incorporation of skills and tools for co-creating a collaborative culture. At the same time, we are focused on establishing a cohesive core group of people that work together for the common good, intent on cultivating the culture of the neighborhood we want to live in.

For more information, check out the websites for Pocket Neighborhoods and the Cohousing Association. Also, feel free to contact me about cohousing in Asheville or specifically about the hybrid model of Echo Hills Cottages.

Rental Opportunities at Echo Hills Cottages

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A component of our intention in developing Echo Hills Cottages is to provide rental opportunities for those that want to live in community but can’t or are not interested in purchasing real estate.

We currently have a two story 1365 sq. ft. home that we lease, and will offer a lease to purchase opportunity if interested.

ModelHouse_frontBesides the spec_kitchen2_edited-1open living / kitchen / dining area and master bedroom, the house is designed with the option for additional bedroom areas or studio / workshop space. The house is also designed to accommodate shared living with an option for a self contained suite on the lower level.

Let us know if you have been dreaming of community living and would like to explore joining a great core group of people. We use the Blueprint of We to align our needs and expectations, compassionate communication in our relationships, and consent based participation in decision making.

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Contact us for more information on this and other opportunities in Echo Hills. We will have another 570 sq. ft. apartment available for rent in late late summer or fall of 2016.

 

An update on Echo Hills Cottages… after another long hiatus

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My energy has been focused on our development project since we broke ground at Echo Hills Cottages, leaving little left for blogging and other interests. I mentioned in my last post that we were switching gears from building our model home to working on the development issues. What I thought would be a couple months turned into the better part of a year dealing with city permitting, legal issues, and completing most of the infrastructure. I think we are almost there.

The development permitting is finished, our HOA agreements are in place, and the water and sewer extensions are ready to be connected to. We have our model home under contract, and the next house is permitted and we are just about ready to break ground. We also have a great core group of people involved in creating community, and are ready to add more people.

Now, after having the bulk of development issues dealt with, it’s time to get on to other things. Hopefully, you will hear more from me as we move along.

 

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