Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Save Land, Trees, the Planet: Let's Retrofit and Re-use

[JoycePlath (JoycePlath]

Marsh Commons in Arcata California is just finishing rehabing a very ugly,
smelly diesel truck shop into a beautiful common house that includes 3000
square feet of office space for those of us who want to work close to home,
and a roof garden with a hot tub for those who want to get away.  The cost is
coming out just slightly less than tearing the old building down and starting
over.  We are recycling plumbing and light fixtures fixtures, doors, siding,
studs, and condiut  as well as redwood wainscoting from an old barn that we
dismanteled last summer.  We are also using recycled paint, carpet from pop
bottles, cork, linoleum fron linseed oil and cork,  insulation and sound
board from recycled newspaper,  and siding from concrete and saw dust,  
In our homes which we will begin this summer we will be using lumber from
certified sustainable forests and wood floors that are remilled Doug Fir from
mill buildings that are being  torn down. We considered using steel studs but
decided to support local timber people who are trying to do the right thing.
 Our  homes will be built on what was the gravel parking lot of the truck
shop, facing a wonderful new marsh and wild life sanctuary.  We are currently
busy digging up blackberries and replanting with native raparian vegetation, 
Our site is within the existing infastructure of Arcata, walking distance to
downtown.  We have lost potential members because our site is urban and
requires an active imagination.  Those of us who have hung in there with our
vision of an enviornmentally appropriate community for over four years are
totally jazzed as we watch it come together. We still have three houses
available if anyone out there is interested.

Joyce Plath