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Greetings! Move-ins
start at Stone Curves in late August! A few of the available units have
August and September move-in dates, so you could be part of community
life right away. Several families have taken advantage of our 14-day hold
policy to reserve a unit while they explore financing, learn more about
cohousing, and meet future neighbors.
Visit our sales office on Saturdays
and Sundays from noon to 4:00 p.m. to meet community members and see our
project (entrance is on Limberlost and signs will direct you to the sales
office). On Saturdays, site tours are given at 2:30 p.m.
On CoHousing by Diane DeSimone
There's much to say about CoHousing
after years of being in it, around it, and in the process of envisioning
a new neighborhood, the one that's become Stone Curves. Some of what I'd
like to say is that CoHousing is not a "movement", but a concept, a reality.
It's a reality that actually brings people together who might like to
practice walking their talk, who may be involved in other "movements":
the voluntary simplicity movement, for example, the environmental movement,
the sustainability movement. It's also the only type of development that
applies positive human psychological principles to housing.
Stone Curves and other CoHousing
neighborhoods are too about our future reality as much as it is about
the present. For these neighborhoods are teaching people values and ways
of being that will be essential to human lives as we move deeper into
the 21st century. Sooner or later, we will have to cooperate, be in dialogue
with one another, accept differences, compromise, share resources, be
in the spirit of camaraderie, if we're to survive and thrive as a species.
The skills CoHousers are learning now are the ones that will have to be
absorbed or taught at some point in our evolution, and CoHousers are holding
the space for that certain kind of human capacity to grow.
The kind of life one leads in CoHousing,
where you're there as part of something larger than yourself, happens
to be not foreign to human beings, according to some research I recently
read. As a matter of fact, it may be hard-wired into us, part of our evolutionary
history, and it may even bolster our immune systems. No wonder it seems
to feel good, and fill a need, a longing, that some of us find hard to
articulate. To live in CoHousing is also plain common sense. A no-brainer
as I find myself saying. Why not live in a safe and supportive neighborhood
where you know your neighbors? Why not bring up your children to run out
the door and play? Why not have your children see adults discussing problems,
coming up with creative solutions?
I was outside the Stone Curves
Common House the other day, observing a group of our children at play.
And I heard one child say: "Well, I want to do it this way." Then another
child said: "No. It's how we want to do it that counts!" At Stone Curves
we are dreaming our future world into being.
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The 4th of July by Gina
Kruse |
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 Helen Keller
said "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen
or even touched. They must be felt with the heart". July 4th, 2004
was one of those heartfelt times for me. It was a Sunday and since
we had closed the Stone Curves sales office for the holiday and had
no general meeting that afternoon, I had decided to host a potluck
for Stone Curves, at our home.
I figured most people would
have other plans and wasn't even sure whether there would be enough
interest to hold the dinner. So I was so surprised to find 27 adults
and 10 children chose to spend the time together. The amount of
food that showed up was unbelievable. It's the first time I ever
saw us have so much that we couldn't devour most of it. And the
food was great. As Ma'ikwe Ludwig said in her article in Community
Magazine, "Where there are cooks, there's good morale" "When we
contribute to a good meal, we're essentially saying to our companions,
"I care about you." And that array of wonderful delights said to
me, there is definitely a lot of caring going on here. July 4th
happened to be Benjy Gilby's 2nd birthday so we had cakes and candles
and I wish I had a picture of his delight. His eyes were wide and
having that many people sing "Happy Birthday" to you at that age
has got to be a real thrill.
I had told the children to
bring bathing suits and you'll find a picture here of a group of
them swimming in the Jacuzzi in our bathroom. They had such a great
time. Robin brought child size umbrellas she had picked up at Walmart,
I believe and glitter and all kinds of decorations and they spread
out in the front yard and decorated for quite a long time. When
everyone was full and it became dark, off went most of them to local
fireworks. A few stayed behind to help clean up and we were done
in no time. I walked down to the corner and watched the A Mountain
fireworks through the trees and marveled at what a great community
we have and how much I look forward to more of these spontaneous
gatherings. Next year at this time, we'll all be physical neighbors
and able to stay right on the site to see the fireworks just up
the street at Rillito Park. I can't wait!!! |
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Stone Curves Collaboration
by Carlos Nagle |
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 Very often I am asked
about how we "select" members of the Stone Curves Cohousing community.
My reply is that we have not "selected" a single person or family.
Those who understand the way in which we administer our community
"elect" to be part of the community. Folks really do elect to be part
of the Stone Curves community and, since the individual seems to recognize
something of value, those who choose to participate become very committed
and assume responsibility. Another very interesting aspect of our
community is that no one is expected to fill a specific role. Individuals
choose what and where they wish to contribute. No one is held to an
odious comparison. It is not a matter of "I was there, where were
you?" This freedom to participate as decided by the individual motivates
a much greater long-range participation than an obligated duty.
This does not mean that it
is all a laissez faire, "do what you want" situation. Early on the
organizers established an operation manual with clearly defined
functions for members of the community. As well, the articles of
incorporation and the bylaws of the Cohousing Association provided
the guidelines for an orderly management of the project in its early
stages. More recently, we are busy developing the next level of
an administrative structure in the form of Neighborhood Council
that will replace the bi-monthly meetings that have characterized
our operation since 2001.
Our community is characterized
by collaboration. Collaboration is a survival mechanism. It may
seem a "heresy" to say that it is not competition that assures survival,
but my experience is that it is competence that fosters survival.
And competence can only be achieved when diverse abilities and points
of view of members of a group can be incorporated to improve the
quality of the outcome. For collaboration to be successful it is
necessary for several factors to be active. There must be transparency
in the relations of the collaborators. There must also be trust,
good faith, integrity, honesty and affection, not to say, love.
In a society that values individual accomplishments, collaboration
is often seen as a softening or a weakening of that individualism.
And this view blinds us to the great value of collaboration. In
a collaborative approach we foster the importance of the synergy
that results when several individuals add to the outcome of a given
opportunity. Thus obstacles are seen as opportunities; differences
of opinion as stimulants to creating alternatives and providing
options. In an environment that promotes transparency no information
or opinions are withheld. Each is allowed to come forth. There are
no bad ideas, it is just that some are better then others, and in
an open, accepting environment the good ideas will emerge and be
recognized as better without having to negate any. It is a process
of acceptance rather than rejection.
As well, very often, an idea
that may not be seen as having merit, will catalyze thinking and
motivate the creation of additional alternatives. As the collaborative
process is applied and the transparency of individual expression
is encouraged and, as participants realize that they will not be
criticized or embarrassed by the expression of their ideas, the
trust among them will increase. This will encourage actions that
are done in good faith and will create recognition of the importance
of integrity. Over a period of time, honesty will emerge as an important
value and by then the participants in a collaborative endeavor will
have increased the bonds of affection and begin to appreciate each
individual as valuable. This process requires an attitude of acceptance
and putting aside simplistic assumptions of "either/or". It allows
for the appreciation and importance of diversity and reduces the
absolute "rights" or "wrongs" of any situation and places decisions
into a context of taking the best from divergent views and combining
them into something that is more than the sum of the parts. |
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Construction Update |
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It is with pleasure we inform you that the first group of units are
almost 100% complete and awaiting their new owners! Congratulations
to the great crew of contractors who have done an awesome job of craftsmanship
to complete these units.
The balance of the buildings
have seen significant progress through the hot summer. The Common
House is almost complete. The Common House courtyard concrete has
been poured. And exterior painting should be completed by mid-August.
Of significant note is the beginning construction of the North and
South parking lots.
The Green team is coordinating
with village residents to finalize designs of village plazas. Soon
we will begin the concrete work for the sidewalks, gathering features
and landscaping that will put the finishing touches on each completed
village. 
Do you have an interest in
landscape design and permaculture, how we'll build community in
our great environment, construction issues, decorating the Common
house or other aspects of our project? Contact one of our teams
(Green Team, Construction Interface Team, Marketing and Membership,
Facilitation, Common House Interiors Committee, or Finance) and
learn more.
Visit
our calendar of events for team contact information
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