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  • From: "Harold Waldock" <haroldw@alternatives.com>
  • To: "Permaculture@Lists. Ibiblio. Org" <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [permaculture] Ecovillage and Organic farm to start in Fraser Valley: Come for a site tour on Sunday July 7, 4:30 pm.
  • Date: Fri, 28 Jun 2002 21:41:56 -0700

Ecovillage and Organic farm to start in Fraser Valley: Come for a site tour
on Sunday July 7, 4:30 pm.

Learners:
Come find out about our project. Perhaps it offers what you are looking for.
There are many opportunities to learn and benefits available now.
Personally, I am going to benefit from what I learn more anything else.

Educators:
We intend to develop a small Learning centre as part of our project.
Several of us give workshops or are educators. The land and buildings will
give us a good location for our programs in Environmental Science,
Permaculture, Green Design, Solar Aquatic Sewage Treatment etc.

Business people welcome and wanted too! Note the opportunities.

Come Visit and Tour our site on Sunday July 7, 4:30 pm..

See the Y.E.S. COOP Site:
Learn about the opportunities and combined value this project offers
Look in the barns
Wander in the fields
Peer into the creek
Meet Alan Carpenter, the facilitator of several similar successful
projects
Talk with the other shareholders
Visit the local shopping area

Then, after the tour, you are welcome at Alan and Amanda's home
Just 4 blocks from the project site
Join us for refreshments in the garden.

Yes, make this your afternoon in the countryside.

Y.E.S. COOP PROJECT OUTLINE:
A large non-refundable deposit has been placed on a good piece of land on
the main street of the village (small town area) in Fraser Valley. 5 acres
of it is zoned for residential and 19 ac is agricultural zoning. It fronts
onto the commercial district main street. Near it is a park and a retail
store. Across the street are some residences and retail stores. The 5 acres
will likely be rezoned to have about 25 units and some businesses. The 19
acres that once was part of a dairy farm will be brought into certified
organic production in a variety of crops. There are two houses and 2 large
barns on the property as well as a silage shed and equipment shed.

ECOVILLAGE IS DEFINED AS:
1) Where people are able to know each other (500 people, maximum).
2) Each member is able to participate in governance and influence the
community's direction.
3) Supports the healthy human development of its members. Plans for and
provides, in balanced proportions, food provision, manufacturing,
commercial, recreational, social, cultural and religious dimensions.
4) Operates with an ecological restoration ethic, preserving and enhancing
ecosystems and minimizing environmental impacts
5) Can be successfully continued into the future and is economically,
ecologically and socially sustainable.
(More info at: www.alternatives.com/vpn/bcecovillage and
www.ecovillage.org)

OWNERSHIP FORM AND WHAT IS DIFFERENT:
The likely final ownership structure is to be strata title of independent
household units with a coop as strata management. What is different is:
1) Common areas include a community centre (for potlucks and other
functions etc),
2) Common ownership of some business properties and organic farm lands
which could provide income through leases
3) Provision of income to the community (from leases) which will offset
maintenance costs
4) Provision of affordable business and work opportunities

BENEFITS FOR SHAREHOLDERS ON COMPLETION OF PHASE 1:
* Good potential returns on your investment: 100% in 3 years.
* Loss potential low as real estate is a relatively safe investment.
* Achievable: similar in size to other successful projects by Alan
Carpenter.
* Small project: know all the people (at last count 8) and facts
involved.
* Good learning opportunity and stepping stone: if this is like the
project
you always wanted then do this with us, learn what you need then do your
project. This learning is easily worth the cost of a share alone.
* Employment opportunities: If you have skills and time to share you
may be
asked to assist us and be paid back with sweat equity or some cash.
* Some flexibility: not all shareholders have to become unit owners
and
residents.

BENEFITS FOR RESIDENTS MOVE IN ON COMPLETION OF PHASE 2:
* Have a say on how your neighbourhood and unit is designed and built.
* Very affordable housing with many shared facilities not usually
associated with standard developments result in enormous savings and high
quality of life.
* Private self-contained units individually owned, with renting a
likely
option.
* Good for retirees: quiet, safe and low cost neighbourhood where you
know
the names of everybody even the kids.
* Good for children: park close by and rural environment.
* Good for starting a business: for live/work studio, small home
office,
small businesses, retail opportunities and self-employment.
* Many local social opportunities: 1) with on site facilities:
hall for
potlucks, shared community gardens, and others 2) by design: common
pedestrian access, etc. 3) Local community centre about 2 blocks away.
* Good place for organic farming, rural or retail business on site
nice
frontage to a busy road in a business district
* Work opportunities in Chilliwack (15 min) pop. 75,000 and
Abbottsford (20
min) pop. 120,000
* Access to Vancouver: get to your occasional business meetings or
social
events (85 min. - less off peak) with no ferries!

GOOD FOR SOCIETY AND ENVIRONMENT:
* Creates a cohesive supportive neighbourhood that has units for both
low
income and higher income people.
* Saves farmland for certified organic production.
* Potentially creates a revolving community development fund for
business
start-up, affordability and for the organic farm.
* A Leadership Project: Demonstrates what is good economic, green and
social design by doing it.
FINANCIAL PLAN:
Shares are $5,000 each but only 1 per household. If you can risk more then
Class B nonvoting shares are also available in smaller units. While more
than $110,000 has been raised, we have to raise a total of $40,000 in a
short timeframe by July 10. There is some flexibility in investment amounts
and may be paid in instalments. Once the rezoning from 5 houses on 5 acres
to 20 houses on 5 acres is successful then the value of the land rises by 3
times.

INITIATORS:
Alan Carpenter (facilitator of several successful Cohousing community
neighbourhood projects like Windsong and Glen Valley Organic Farm see
http://www.cohousing.ca/bc_projects.html)Alan Dobbs (area resident &
developer) and Kim Rink (Green designer and solar aquatic water treatment
specialist http://www.ecotek.bc.ca/) have put together the initial proposal.
John Vance, (coop/nonprofit/social housing developer and financier for over
20 years with Access Building Association http://www.accessbc.net and Acre
Fund,) is committed to provide financing.

YOUR PARTICIPATION IS KEY:
Invest with us or become an associate. The 3 reasons to invest your money 1)
you want to live there 2) you feel that this is a good way to invest money
3) you want to learn about this kind of project. Please call soon as this
opportunity may not last long.

HOW TO RECEIVE MORE INFORMATION:
Receive our Principles and project information.
Contact Harold Waldock. pager: (604)645-9529 home (604) 792 0330
haroldw@alternatives.com

MEETINGS: Tuesdays or Wednesdays, 7:30, Windsong Cohousing, in Langley. Call
for details.




  • [permaculture] Ecovillage and Organic farm to start in Fraser Valley: Come for a site tour on Sunday July 7, 4:30 pm., Harold Waldock, 06/29/2002

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