Woodard Lane Cohousing

Olympia, Washington, United States

  • Updated on: Dec 16, 2024 (about 5 months ago)
  • Created on: Jul 31, 2005 (almost 20 years ago)
Woodard Lane Cohousing

Mission Statement

Living Our Values in Community

Community Description

*As of December, '24, we have no units available for sale or for rent. When we do have any availabilities, we'll put them on our web site, www.woodardlanecoho.org and facebook page.

Our loving and vibrant community has been living together for 11 years. We share meals, conversations, helping hands, babysitting, song circles and the joy of connection. We are tucked into the edge of a ravine, within walking distance of downtown Olympia, but in a lovely older neighborhood.

In 2016, we completed the 2nd and final phase of our construction project, which expanded us from 11 to 18 units. The approximately 50 members range in age from 1 to 88.

Our site is on Olympia's West Side, just 1.6 miles from downtown, and 6 blocks from the beloved Westside Olympia food coop. Part of our land is a green belt provided by a deep ravine sculpted by a year-round stream that enters Puget Sound several blocks away. We currently have a large vegetable garden and play areas for the kids. All of our homes surround a Center Green where we gather to talk, walk our dogs, ride bikes and scooters, and enjoy the sunshine.

Our legal structure is a condominium with a Steering Board made up of two members from each of the working committees – Building Maintenance, Grounds, Administration, and Community Life.

About

  • Type(s): Cohousing (individual homes within group property)
  • Location: Urban

Housing

  • Status: We have land we have developed on
  • Area: 2.9 acres
  • Current Residence Types: Multi-family homes
  • Current Number of Residences: 18
  • Housing Provided:
    • Purchase
    • Rental
  • Land Owned By: The entire community membership
  • Additional Comments: Phase I completed 2010 - 11 units Phase II completed in 2016 - 7 additional units We have four 4-plexes, and one large Common House with two units on top. The Common House includes: - Large commercial-style kitchen - Great Room for Community Meals and meetings - Intimate Fireplace Room for cozy gatherings or small committee meetings - Deck with a beautiful view of the Ravine - Landscaped gathering space with a water feature - Space for House Concerts or dances - Toddler play room - Community Office - ADA Compliant bathroom - Two Guest Rooms - Large play space - TV Room - Covered outside play space for rainy Northwest days

Membership

  • Adult Members: 35
  • Child Members: 13
  • Non-Member Residents: 0
  • Visitors Accepted: Yes, rarely
  • Visitor Process: Call Liv at (360) 357-4503, email David at dl32@icloud.com, or fill out the Contact Us form on our web page.  We're not currently offering tours of the community, but we will when a unit becomes available.
  • Open to New Members: Not currently, but there is a list or possibly in the future
  • Membership Process: When we have openings, It's best to start the process by coming to a community meal to get a sense of our community and we can get to know you. From there, we ask prospective members to fill out a membership application and come to at least one community meeting as well as more social gatherings to get to know folks.
  • Additional Comments: We welcome all members who share our common vision. We honor and celebrates the diversity, oneness, and inter-relatedness of all creation. We support each other as evolving compassionate, spiritual beings who recognize our connection to the world community. We benefit from the sharing of ideas, time, skills, tools and responsibilities. We enjoy communal time while respecting individual and family needs. We value nature, beauty and ecologically sustainable living. To create a positive, healthy, and fun community we agree to: - Speak our truth and listen to others - Commit to active participation - Share resources - Use Dynamic Governance including the consent process - Build and maintain our homes with sustainable practices - Live in community while respecting privacy of others - Participate actively in community activities (meetings, some meals, celebrations, etc.) - Take responsibility for own actions, assumptions and expenses - Act and speak with integrity - Practice Nonviolent Communication - Respect self, each other and honor our differences - Live lightly on the land

Government

  • Decision Making: Sociocracy
  • Identified Leader: No
  • Leadership Core Group: Yes
  • Additional Comments: We value effective and inclusive decision making. Although traditionally we have governed using Consensus, we are moving towards Sociocracy, also known as Dynamic Governance. We use the tools of Nonviolent Communication (NVC), and are blessed with having many skilled mediators in our community.

Economics

  • Dues, Fees, or Shared Expenses: Yes
  • Shared Income: None
  • Suggested Weekly Labor Contribution: 3
  • Open to Members with Existing Debt: Yes
  • Additional Comments: All members must be able to afford to buy or rent, although we often use creative financing and rental options. All members are expected to share in the work of the community, including Community meals, meetings, work parties and other communities chores and commitees. Each unit pays a monthly condo fee, based on square footage and the number of adults in the household. The Community pays all utilities, reserves, insurance and maintenance, plus a portion of community activities such are garden supplies and Common House furnishings. The new buildings each host a solar power arrays. Currently, the income generated by selling the power to the public utility repays the loan for installing the arrays, but evetually there will be small income for our community. We are proud of our small but signifigant commitment to lower our carbon usage.

Sustainability Practices

  • Energy Infrastructure: We are connected to the grid.
  • Current Renewable Energy Generation: Up to 25%
  • Energy Sources: Solar
  • Current Food Produced: Up to 25%
  • Food Produced Locally: From 50-75%

Lifestyle

  • Common Facilities:
    • Common House
    • Garden(s)
    • Workshop
    • Outdoor Kitchen
    • Large Scale Kitchen
    • Fire pit
    • Swingsets & play areas
  • Internet Available: Yes, individuals provide it
  • Internet Fast?: Yes, it's fine.
  • Cellphone Service: Good for most people.
  • Shared Meals: About once a week
  • Dietary Practices:
    • Omnivorous (plants and animals)
    • Paleo (no grains, dairy, processed foods, or legumes)
    • Local
    • Organic (no pesticides or synthetic fertilizers)
    • Dairy-Free
    • Gluten-Free
  • Dietary Choice or Restrictions: No - people may eat however they wish.
  • Special Diets OK: Yes
  • Alcohol Use: Yes, used occasionally.
  • Tobacco Use: Yes, used seldomly, or ceremoniously.
  • Additional Diet Comments: We share a Community Meal about once a week, plus occasional potluck celebrations. Most members eat consciously, many are gluten-free, and the Paleo diet is common. Community meals usually include organic, sustainable, or local food. We have a large community garden that is used by both individuals and the community. We support a small flock of chickens and share the eggs among the members of the Chicken Club. Currently no members smoke, and consuming alcohol is a limited part of our community life.
  • Common Spiritual Practice(s):
    • Eclectic (integrates multiple religious or spiritual beliefs)
    • Christian
    • Buddhist
    • Jewish
    • Protestant
    • Catholic
    • Quaker
    • Sufi
    • Unitarian Universalist
    • Atheist
    • Agnostic
    • Humanist
  • Education Style(s): Up to each family or individual
  • Healthcare Options: Up to each family, household, or individual

Cohousing

  • Building Site Status: Completed
  • Year Construction Completed: 2016
  • Number of Housing Units: 18
  • Has a Shared Common Building: Yes
  • Developer: Scott Homes - http://www.scotthomes.com/

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Community Network or Organization Affiliations

Coho/US

Fair Housing Laws

This community acknowledges that their listing does not include any potential violations of the Fair Housing Law, or that they do not provide housing. For any questions about this topic please see our Content Policies and contact FIC with any questions or concerns: directory@ic.org.

Keywords

built green, new homes, for sale, cohousing, Olympia, Wa, co-housing