Cohousing Directory - Community View
Fresno Cohousing (a.k.a. La Querencia)
Fresno
, California
, United States
(On Alluvial Avenue between Chestnut and Willow)
Website:
Contact:
Lynette and Larry Bassman
Fresno, California United States
Address Status:
Good as of 9/7/2007
Phone:
866-246-7717
Email:
info [at] fresnocohousing [dot] org
Links:
Fresno Cohousing: Please visit our site for photos, architectural drawings, information about Fresno, etc.
We have almost completed construction on our 28-home community on 2.8 acres in Northeast Fresno. We have been working with Cohousing Partners (The Cohousing Company & Wonderland Hill Development)and will start moving in in the summer of 2008. The homes of our intergenerational community are being built by Byldan Construction, known for their commitment to sustainable design, and builders of the Sunset Magazine Idea Home. There are currently homes still available and going fast! Visit www.fresnocohousing.org for details.
Status: ALMOST COMPLETE
Community Affiliations:
Network Affiliations:
Coho/US
Last Updated:
7/31/2008
Visitors Accepted
(We have almost completed construction, but it is stll necessary to contact us in advance if you'd like a tour of the community. Open houses are held every Sunday afternoon from 1-4 p.m. in the Common House, with pot luck dinners to follow (Don't feel obliged to bring anything - you are our guests). Bring your swimsuit for a dip in the pool or spa. Check out our "Upcoming Events" listings on our website for scheduled meetings and social events.)
Visitor Process:
Contact us at info@fresnocohousing.org or 866-246-7717, or just drop in to an open house any Sunday from 1-4 p.m. in the Common House.
Cohousing Details
Cohousing Status:
Building
(Just about done.)
Year Completed:
2008
(We are currently in the very final stages of construction.)
Area:
2.8 acres (1.1 hectares)
Number of Units:
The community will have 28 units
Square Feet in Common House:
4000
(We have a very elegant gourmet kitchen (although each individual home has its own kitchen), dining/multipurpose room (with bamboo flooring), sitting/TV room, guest apartment, shared laundry (although every home has connections for its own laudry facilities), kids room, mailroom, and dining patio - all a part of the Common House.)
Architect:
Katie McCamant and Chuck Durrett.
Developer:
Cohousing Partners
Commercial Lender:
VanDyke Mortgage
Population
Adult Members:
Child Members:
Non-Member Residents:
Gender Ratio:
Open to new adults:
Yes (We are open to people of all ages and family configurations.)
Open to new children:
Yes (We are especially encouraging families with children to join.)
Government
Decision Making:
By consensus (We use formal consensus for most important decisions, and supermajority for others.)
Identified Leader:
No (We are non-hierarchically structured.)
Leadership Core Group:
Yes (We have a coordinating committee that is made up of liaisons from all other committees.)
Labor and Money
Financial Style:
Members have independent finances
Labor Contribution:
Expected (Members are expected to be on at least one committee, and come to meetings regularly. After move-in, we will all share the work of maintaining our community. We have recently developing an official participation policy, which will be in place once we move in.)
Join Fee:
Yes (Members have to qualify for a mortgage, which generally requires a downpayment, the percentage of which depends on your lending institution. There are no fees other than that.)
Regular Fees:
Yes (There could be capital calls at some point if we as a group decide to make upgrades or improvements, but nothing like that is anticipated for the near future.)
Land and Buildings
Community:
Urban (People from a big city would be more likely to see our location as suburban, but here, it is considered an urban location here.)
Land Owners:
The community
No. of Residences:
28 (There are no commercial buildings. In addition to the homes, we have a 4000 square foot common house designed for fulltime community use, plus a completely outfitted worshop, optional garages, and a pool building that houses an exercise room and a teen room.)
Food, Etc.
% Food Grown:
1-5% (The percentage is just a guess but we plan to have a community garden and edible landscaping with fruit and nut trees, berries and herbs, plus we expect that some residents will have their own gardens in their backyards.)
Shared Meals:
2-5 times/week (We are planning on four or five common dinners per week, with more spontaneous gatherings likely.)
Dietary Choice or Restrictions:
Diet is up to each individual (Our community is not bound to any particular dietary philosophy, but we will respect the food needs of all members when creating common meal menus.)
Dietary Practice:
Omnivorous (We have a mixture of dietary practices in our group.)
Alcohol Use:
Used occasionally (Some members use no alcohol, but others use alcohol occasionally.)
Tobacco Use:
Seldom used (Currently there are no smokers among the membership, but we have not formulated a specific policy about smoking yet.. There is currently a suggestion that smoking be prohibited througout the community, but this has not been approved.)
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Current Editor(s): lbassman
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