New twists to an old concept

MONTROSE  — The concept of creating a neighborhood, or community, that is economically friendly from its storm water system to a shared common house has been around for several decades.

These intentional communities, or cohousing, residencies have flared up across the world. Now, with energy costs and "green" popularity on the rise, people are re-imagining the development of a community where neighbors share costs and dinners.

"(Intentional communities) are so full of solutions," said Marilynn Huseby, a Montrose resident who has helped create the Western Slope Connected Living Resource Center. "It's not just energy solutions we are being forced to look at, but it also has that social solution."

The center's mission is to get information out into the community about cohousing. Huseby wants to spark discussions with those interested in forming a small-scale neighborhood where residents know each other and participate in the creation of an energy and environmentally sustainable neighborhood built with energy saving applications.

"It's easier to go green and zero energy use when you're not trying to do it alone," she said.

The center has been holding workshops since the first of the year. The next session is Wednesday, Aug. 20 at 6 p.m. the Montrose Regional Library. The discussion is about creating a personal and community vision.

"It can happen a few different ways," said Zev Paiss about the creation of an intentional community. Quite often, he said, a group of interested people will pull in developers. Other times, a developer will have a piece of land and invest in developing it as an intentional community, finding residents to participate in the process.

Paiss has lived in cohousing since 1992 in Boulder. His background in environmental planning and biology sparked interest in the concept. Since, he has helped about 25 other groups with the process through his business, Abraham Paiss & Associates.

Paiss' cohousing is one of the smallest in Boulder with only 11 households. The units run from 600-square-foot studios to 2,500-square-foot, four-bedroom homes.

"I like having a closer set of neighbors that I can rely on," he said. "It's the old-fashioned neighborhood type."

Because the group is in charge of the homeowners association, the residents have more control, Paiss said. Because they all know each other, there is a higher since of security.

The shared resources, such as gardens, dinners and vehicles, also contribute to less expenses, which Paiss said has made a difference as prices boom. His energy bills are also significantly lower, sometimes half of what a regular home's bills would be.

The concept of an intentional community has taken hold of Bill and Barbara Ungerer of Montrose. They currently live in a home with seven acres off of 67.00 Road. They have been working with Huseby to develop their land into a cohousing neighborhood.

"These kinds of communities are really good because the neighbors really get to know each other," Barbara said. She imagines the present homesite becoming the common room where neighbors get together for coffee or a meal. She envisions them walking their dogs together and working in the shared organic garden. She thinks the concept is going to take off.

"People are forward thinking," Huseby said. "We are reorganizing our thinking."

The center's goal is to continue developing workshops about intentional communities. Huseby said she recently applied for a rural development grant to assist in the process.

For more information, contact Marilynn Huseby at (970) 252-1040 or (970) 901-9914

Contact Kati O'Hare via e-mail at katio@montrosepress.com