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Forming Formed: 2006
New Earth Song Cohousing LLC
Bothell, Washington, WA,
United States
(adjoins Songaia Cohousing Community)
Patrick shares some site plan ideas in the community's temporary common house.
 VISION: We're forming sustainable community with Songaia Cohousing, creating a new kind of welcoming neighborhood committed to lifelong care for the Earth and each other.
You are invited to learn about our progress in building community on land adjoining Songaia Cohousing. Our vision is to encircle Songaia with neighbors who value community life and our lovely land, and who want to create new possibilities.
ABOUT SONGAIA: Songaia Cohousing is a strong, established community of 38 people in 13 homes on 10.6 acres. Songaia completed its 10-year, self-developed project in 2000 – we live in modest homes with abundant land and common facilities near Seattle. Songaia is multi-generational, ages 3 to 72 with only two resales since 2000, one to a New Earth Song member.
PROJECT: Our vision, values, mission, and scope is coming into focus due to our work and that of our consultants. We are self-funding early phases. One adjoining property has been purchased, and offers made on two others. What is built, and in what time span, will depend on the energy that arrives with new members, and on availability of adjacent land. We are gathering the social and financial capital to take advantage of opportunities as they arise. Development is expected to occur in small clusters or nodes, over time. Each node will have its own flavor. The first node plans that many or most of our new homes will allow us to age in place - and include green building practices.
MILESTONES ACHIEVED
1: Membership process defined - to help new families understand our vision/plan
2: Development legal structure (LLC) registered with WA state
3: Startup funds raised, more is committed
4: Half acre w/3BD house bought by subgroup as probable site of initial development
5: Experienced Project Manager hired
6: Feasibility study prepared for initial offer made on 4.8 acre parcel
7: Offers made on that and another 1.3 acre parcel
8: 10-week Aging in Place study group completed with 6 Songaia families
9: Resale of Songaia unit to New Earth Song family
10: Site plan for surrounding 28.7 acres being developed
COSTS: LLC members have committed several thousand dollars during the formation. Future costs depend on which specific properties can be puchased and development options.
NEXT STEPS
1. Join Songaia Announcements mailing list on the Songaia website to be notified of public events, open houses, tours, etc.
2. Contact us, take a tour, come to a meeting and consider membership.
  Status: Achieved several milestones, have committed land
Website: http://www.songaia.com/
Contact:
Craig Ragland
4032 224th St SE #2
Bothell, Washington 98021 United States
Phone: 425-487-3550
Email This Community!
Links:
Songaia Cohousing: the community next door - sign up on Songaia's homepage for Songaia Announcements to hear about our project's open houses, tours, etc. Check out Songaia.com to understand more about the context from which New Earth Song is forming.
Diana Leafe Christian Radio Interview: This "Finding Community" interview of Diana and New Earth Song's Craig Ragland also discusses Songaia and New Earth Song Cohousing, including Adult-Focus and what that means to us. Scroll down the page to find the interview next to the picture of the "Finding Community" book. Note: this fine book is available through the FIC Store.
Last Updated:2/9/2008
 
Visitors Accepted
 (Visiting Songaia and our land is the first step toward joining our project.)
Visitor Process: Contact info@newearthsong.com (or call Craig at 425-487-3550) to pre-arrange a visit (email is preferred). Advance notice is required. We schedule periodic public open houses/tours and sometimes arrange individual visits for long-distance travelers. Tours are also sometimes combined with shared meals in the Songaia common house. We may be able to arrange use of one or both of Songaia's guest rooms if you are visiting from afar. Some of Songaia's current members moved to the Northwest to join our community and we expect this to also be true for New Earth Song Cohousing. See the Songaia website for information on Songaia's Location.
Affiliations: Songaia Cohousing Community

Network Affiliations:
Fellowship for Intentional Community
:: Coho/US
:: Northwest Intentional Communities Association
Population
Adult Members:
9
(LLC members with 3 Associate members)
Child Members:
0
(None of the Core Group LLC members have children at home, although one Associate family who is planning LLC membership has two children. Our community next door, Songaia Cohousing, has 10 children - and our expectation is that Songaia and New Earth Song kids will form their own unique culture over the years ahead.)
Open to new adults:
Yes
(We are adult-focused. We're not sure exactly what that means, but are in the process of self-discovery.)
Open to new children:
Yes
(We welcome children, although we are an adult-focused community, as explained below.)
Gender Balance:
50% M 50% F
Open to which gender(s):
All genders welcome
(We are a welcoming community with gay, lesbian, and heterosexual members.)
Ethnic Diversity:
0% identify as 'people of color'
(All ethnicities are welcome)
Age Focus:
Seniors
:: Middle Age
:: Young Adults
(All family configurations of any age/gender are welcome, although we consider ourselves an adult-focused community. We expect that parents or responsible adults will actively care for their children with an intention to nurture their maturation. We anticipate a rich adult culture that honors elders, enjoys adult conversations and activities, and provides some space for uninterrupted reflection. We plan to help each other age in place over many years.)
Age Restrictions:
No
Government
Decision Making:
By consensus
(We have a defined process, are researching alternative governance structures which would incorporate consensus decision-making.)
Identified Leader:
No
(We have an experienced project manager, who lives at Songaia, that is providing some early leadership, but he is primarily focused on the land development project and is enjoying the process as others step up to shared leadership responsibilities.)
Leadership Core Group:
No
(Not yet - core group leadership is ad hoc - we expect to investigate alternatives for a sustainable leadership group - we have the experience/wisdom of Songaia to draw on.)
Labor and Money
Financial Style:
Members have independent finances
Open to Members with Pre-existing Debt:
Yes
Labor Contribution:
Expected
(Expected, although details will evolve over time. We have organized several work parties to care for the initial land purchase.)
Join Fee:
No
(To join the New Earth Song LLC will require significant capital investment, although specifics will vary depending on phase of development.)
Regular Fees:
Yes
((The eventual cohousing community will be structured as a condominium association and there will be monthly assessments and misc. other usage fees.))
Land and Buildings
Suburban
Area:
0.5 acres (0.2 hectares)
(Yet to be determined, we hope to acquire more. Will be located on acreage adjacent to Songaia Cohousing Community.)
Land Owned By:
A subgroup of community members
(has purchased 0.51 acres. Offers have been made on two other parcels by New Earth Song LLC.)
Number of Residences:
1
(Existing 3 BD/3 BA house on property - expected to be remodeled as part of project.)
Cohousing:
Yes
Food, etc.
Percentage of Food Grown:
(Songaia has been gradually expanding its organic gardens, orchards, and now has chickens. We expect to contribute and share in this growing bounty.)
Share Community Meals:
(To be determined, Songaia shares 5 meals per week - we may add shared meals on other days, expanding shared meals available to members of both communities.)
Dietary Choice or Restrictions:
Diet is up to each individual
Dietary Practice:
(To be determined)
Alcohol Use:
(To be determined - Songaia uses it rarely, but its an individual choice.)
Tobacco Use:
(To be determined - few at Songaia have ever smoked and there are restrictions about tobacco use in common areas, but its an individual choice.)
Social Factors
Open to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and/or Transgender members:
Yes
(We are a welcoming community with lesbian, gay, and hetero relationships within current members.)
Restrictions on Romantic Relationships (between consenting adults):
No
Shared Spiritual Path:
No
(While spritual concerns are central to most members, our group has not chosen a common spiritual pathway. We are open to individual choice)
Which Spiritual Path(s):
Buddhist
:: Paganism/Earth Religions
:: Sufi
:: Unitarian Universalist
:: Ecumenical (includes "all religions")
:: Eclectic (integrates pieces from many religions)
:: Other
(There will undoubtedly be more as more join in the fun.)
Educational Style(s):
(To be determined)
Cohousing Details
Cohousing Status:
Forming
(We control property, but have more deal-making work in that realm.)
Number of Units:
Unknown - depends on property being developed. Pricing is also unknown.
Architect:
Unknown - one of our members is an architect with whom we may be working.
Developer:
if an acreage of sufficient size becomes available, we may partner with a Cohousing Developer for a FOR PROFIT land development project, which would ultimately be owned by our NON PROFIT community. We have worked with GreenWorks Development, a private land developer for an initial feasibility study.
Commercial Lender:
Unknown - while commercial loans may not actually be required, this is the most common successful model for cohousing, so we will probably take out construction loans.
 
 
Patrick shares some site plan ideas in the community's temporary common house.
Aerial Photograph of Songaia Cohousing, with two adjoining properties we will use for the New Earth Song Cohousing community development project.
Click an image to see it full size.


Become an Editor Current editor(s): craigragland
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