Cohousing-L Mailing List: Capital District Cohousing Update

[Heather Sullivan-Catlin (HS9981]

Hello, all.  Here's an update on the Capital District Cohousing Group
in Albany, NY.

After 4 and a half years of meetings and land search we have a site!!
We also have a new name to reflect the site.  We are now Creek's Bend
Cohousing.

We have just secured an option agreement on a wonderful parcel.  It's eleven
acres at the edge of the city of Troy, NY.  The site is surrounded on three
sides by the Poestenkill Creek.  The creek is a large one which runs
year-round, curves around the parcel in a U shape and is supposed to
have a great swimming hole at the bend.

The fourth side of the parcel is the road but the parcel sits below the road
creating a sense of privacy.  Across the road is a cemetery and the land
on the other side of the creek is probably undevelopable.  So it's a
secluded, wooded rural-feeling site but it is also in a city!

The site is just minutes away from the public schools, two colleges
(Russell Sage and RPI), a downtown with many excellent restaurants and
a famous concert hall (Troy Savings Bank Music Hall), a Hudson riverfront
park, and more.

The community itself will have 24 units in attached groupings, a large
common house, a community garden and more.  We foresee few problems
with the approval process as one of our members used to be on the Troy
Planning Board and she and her husband (an architect) have already had
some conversations with Troy officials who they say are excited
about the idea.

We are in the process of setting up a voice-mail system and when I have the
number I will post it.  As you can imagine the outreach committee is jumping
into action.  We are currently at 4 households and have a long way to go.

As I have mentioned on this list before, I am a doctoral student writing
my dissertation on cohousing.  Knowing that I will most likely have to
move next year for a job, and having a lot of work ahead in writing this
dissertation, I have reluctantly pulled out of the group. However, I have
agreed to stay on as the Internet connection.  SO I will post new info
as it becomes available and act as an electronic contact person, passing
info requests onto the Outreach committee.

So, wish us(them) luck.  It will be a long haul but we're very excited about
this site and hopefully we will soon have some new members to help build
the dream.

Heather Sullivan-Catlin
Creek's Bend Cohousing (formerly Capital District Cohousing)
hs9981 [at] cnsibm.albany.edu