Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: N St Co-Housing - Example for "retrofitting"

[Peter Starr (startrak]

On Tue, 23 May 1995 Mmariner [at] aol.com wrote:
>
>I and some other folks on the list server have been urging coho groups to
>retrofit their dreams into existing neighborhoods/structures rather than
>going out and building on farmland or forest or whatever.

On Tue, 23 May 1995 <sjohnsto [at] wln.com> wrote:

(I am one of those "other folks."  I feel *very* strongly that there 
are *enough* buildings on our planet, enough bulldozed acres, and 
precious few resources left with which to build.  Just last weekend 
I was once again moved to tears and almost uncontrollable rage at the 
sight of the clearcuts all along Vancouver Island's west coast.  Every 
2x4 stud, every shingle kills the living forest.)

I am also one of those other folks.  While my wife Sara and I considered 
living in a rural setting, we found ourselves joining an urban cohousing 
group because we believe that land should be recycled, and reused.  Our site 
contained an old lumber building that we have completely rehabilitated into 
our common house.  You might like to learn more about our cohousing project, 
Marsh Commons, located in downtown Arcata, CA.  Oh, by the way, we still 
have three residences available.

The following is from our new WWW page.  It's still under construction and 
the blueprint GIFs don't seem to work. Any ideas :-?

You can reach the Marsh Commons page at 
http://redwood.northcoast.com/~startrak/welcome.html.

<CENTER><H2>Building For the Environment</H2></CENTER>
An important goal at Marsh Commons is to tread lightly on the earth and so 
we have made every effort to reduce the impact of our project on the local 
community and environment.<P>
For instance, rather than convert another piece of Northcoast forest or farm 
into real estate, we choose to reuse a piece of city property.  We looked 
for a smaller town parcel rather than a larger, more rural one.  Although 
many of of us would have liked to be in woods and meadows, we choose to 
beautify a piece of city land and give it back that pastoral spirit.  We are 
fortunate that the founding members of our project had the vision to see 
beauty in the old, tired industrial site that is now our future home.  We 
are located on 2 acres of land, walking distance from the center of town.  
Our land adjoins the Arcata Marsh, which is owned and protected by the city. 
 It too was once distressed industrial land.  In fact, the old lumber pond 
levees and retaining walls are still evident among the rushes, cattails, and 
watercress. The Marsh has now become a bird-watcher paradise, where 
peregrine falcons, ospreys, migrating ducks, and minks and river otter live. 
 A recently built nature center in the Marsh, just a short walk from the 
site, brings in visitors from all over the country and offers unique 
educational experiences to the community.  As part of our renovation of the 
land, we will be planting appropriate native riparian plants along the 
slough that passes by our land and the sanctuary.  Elsewhere, the three "f"s 
-- fragrance, flowers, and fruit -- will guide us in bringing back a piece 
of paradise.  <P>

Rather than tear down the old lumber building on our site, we chose to 
recycle it.  Several in our group joined the professional construction crew 
demolishing poorly constructed rooms and additions.  We were able to save 
the essential frame -- the main structure and the sturdy old timbers that 
hold it up.  We feel good that new logs from endangered forests were not 
sacrificed for our project.  Many of our Saturday "work parties" consisted 
of nail-pulling and lumber sorting.  It will be good knowing the old plywood 
and lumber has been given a new life in our new floors, walls and ceilings.<P>

We were also able to salvage an old barn in the neighborhood.  It contained 
old-growth redwood lumber, a commodity that would be otherwise impossible 
for us to use.  Almost all of the ancient redwood forests that used to run 
along a narrow strip of the California coast are now gone, leveled at the 
turn of the century.  (Several of the remaining old groves have become the 
focus of a battle between local citizens and a giant lumber company in the 
hands of a 1980s take-over king.)  From our demolition work, we were able to 
extract 88 ten-foot 2" by 6" boards from the barn.  They will be sliced and 
milled into wainscoting that will line our common house dining room.  We 
also hope to get some giant old vineyard wine-barrel staves for decks and 
interior trim.  The flooring in many of the individual homes will also come 
from other old structures in the area.<P>

We are also seeking sustainable new materials for the project.  For example, 
the rugs in the common house and in many of the private homes will be made 
from recycled pop bottles.  The paint is recycled.  All of the buildings are 
to be sided with Hardyplank, which is made from sawdust and cement.  We are 
using linoleum, which is fabricated from flax or linseed, rather than 
petrochemical-based floor coverings.  The state of California has showed 
interest in workng with us to make the project a demonstration for 
sustainable and recycled materials, and we hope to use other recycled 
finishes, plastic wood, and other sustainable materials in the construction.<P>

We also wanted to be near to town to be part of the local economy.  We hope 
our commercial rental space will be a bridge to the economics of our larger 
community.  Some of us will work in that space and won't need to drive long 
distances to work.  The money that we all save in travel and car expenses 
will go toward supporting local stores and our community.  By keeping our 
money near to home, we keep jobs in the neigborhood.  A wealthy neighborhood 
is a safe and happy one.
           Starr Track
We Track the Natural Products industry
  Peter Starr___________Sara Starr