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Greetings!
As Spring 2004 approaches, Stone
Curves Cohousing looks forward to common house events, move-in days and
other great times ahead!
Construction/Move-in
Update
Construction on the Stone Curves
site is progressing smoothly, with homes, village plazas and the common
house all shaping up beautifully. As of this newsletter's publication,
we're looking forward to enjoying the use of our 3800-s.f. common house
by as early as May of this year, so keep an eye out for an announcement
of its grand opening! Some kitchen equipment is being installed and specified,
and the final plans for kitchen cabinetry, sinks and countertops are nearing
approval.
Homes in villages #1 and #2 are
also coming together. Some of these homes will be available for move-in
by July of this year. And, there's an excellent chance that the concrete
pad for village #5 will be poured sometime in March. If you haven't been
by the site lately, make a trip to Stone and Limberlost soon and see the
progress for yourself. And, remember to attend one of our weekly site
tours, hosted by project manager James Hamilton - they're held each Saturday
at 2:30 p.m.
Incidentally, ever wonder about
the many beautiful photos included in this newsletter? Our members and
friends generously provide them. For example, the shot of the curve-billed
thrasher seen above (taken on the Stone Curves site) was provided by Betsey
Woodbury, a friend of Stone Curves. Other photos in this month's edition,
and on our website, are provided by Jim and Shawn Gardner, Suzanne and
Garth Macksum, and Mike Neckerman. Thanks to all of you for making your
photographic talents available to us!
Click
here to see a map and get directions to Stone Curves.
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Exterior
Common Area Plans Receive Approval from Stone Curvers; Color Decisions
on the Horizon! |
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At the February 15 Stone
Curves General meeting, with some 22 households in attendance, members
gave their approval to the extensive plans for exterior common areas
on the Stone Curves site. The plans, developed by our landscape
architect Greg Shinn, include placement of things such as the swimming
pool, a sizable community garden, children's play areas and the
common green, as well as landscaping features such as tree clusters,
walkways and a colorful butterfly/hummingbird garden.
And, in the near future,
more decisions will be made regarding the look and feel of the community.
At 2:00 p.m. on March 7, prior to our general meeting, color consultant
Arlene Peterson will present options and recommendations for the
use of colors on Stone Curves buildings. This will be followed by
a Color Process Team meeting from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. It promises
to be a lively discussion!
Visit
our website to view our full calendar of meetings, workshops and
special events. » |
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Options
Available to Make Your Home Even More "Your Own" |
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In recent months, Stone
Curver and Construction Interface Team member Mike Neckerman has
devoted countless hours to developing an Extensive Options list
which allows future Stone Curves residents to make modifications
to several aspects of their home.
Options on this list include
things such as placement of electrical outlets and phone jacks,
wiring for stereo speakers throughout the home, added lighting fixtures,
sliding glass doors, solar hot water systems, staining of concrete
floors and more. Such modifications and options are usually not
made available in cohousing structures; through Mike's efforts,
all community members can have added flexibility in creating a home
that meets their needs more specifically.
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Want
to learn more about Stone Curves unit floor plans? Visit our website,
then go to the "floor plans" page. » |
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Spring
Festival to be Held on Stone Curves Site |
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Our marketing team has
come up with a great celebration on the Stone Curves site - a Spring
Festival, scheduled for 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. on the afternoon of Saturday,
March 27. This uplifting day will include live music, lots of fun
for adults and families, site tours (including a special glimpse
of our landscape and permaculture plans), nutritious snacks to enjoy,
and special opportunities to get to know Stone Curves members and
professionals.
Whether you're currently
involved with Stone Curves or not, plan to attend and get to know
us. And, if you have special questions or curiosities about Stone
Curves or cohousing in general, this is the perfect occasion to
have them answered! For more information, call Robin Fox at (520)
797-3544.
There's
lots going on at Stone Curves. Click here to connect with our website;
then go to "Calendar of Events". » |
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Members'
Story: Dan and Gina Kruse on Consensus Decision-Making |
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(Editor's note: This
article is excerpted from the fall/winter newsletter of Wonderland
Hill Development Company, our lead developer in Boulder, CO.)
If it's true what they say
about "the journey, not the destination", then Gina and Dan Kruse
are two cohousers you'd definitely want along for the ride. Stone
Curves invested members since September, 2002, Gina and Dan believe
that healthy group process prior to move-in is essential for creating
a thriving, long- term sense of community. They also believe that
process work deepens connections between members.
For example, last year
Gina took the lead in developing a community pet policy. Not surprisingly,
the pet issue was a difficult one, with several emotional discussions
taking place. After the community reached consensus, a member who
had expressed several concerns during the process sought out Gina.
She told her that creating the pet policy had been a blessing in
disguise for her family, as the discussion had helped them to recognize
that their "excessively vocal" canine would not only be a problem
in the community, but was also irritating to their own family. Motivated
to create a neighbor-friendly dog, the family worked out a solution
to the overactive barking. "The policy", Gina says, "helped them
even before they moved into Stone Curves."
Dan observes that group process
has matured over time. "If anything, it seems looser and more spontaneou,
less mechanical than when we first joined the community." For a
while, the group stopped using multicolored discussion and decision
cards during meetings, but these have been reinstated and are proving
valuable to the process. As the group welcomes new members, Dan
feels its important to explain and demonstrate consensus, so that
newcomers don't expect the typical "parliamentary procedure" way
of addressing issues before the community. Dan and Gina believe
that meetings have become, if anything, even more pleasant, because
of the group's ability to work together. As Gina reports, "A trust
has grown. We have the common desire to live in community and each
of us approaches the tasks at hand with that in mind. Usually, we
manage to stay unattached to minutia and keep the big picture in
mind."
Making decisions by consensus
has also influenced the Kruses' lives outside of cohousing. As Dan
says, "I've discovered that I have some issues with the typical
'majority rule" thinking that says, in effect, 'If you're part of
the 51 percent or more that won the vote, hooray for you! And, if
you're part of the defeated 49 percent, too bad! Consensus decision-
making allows us an opportunity to create a new level of caring
and concern to issues of every imaginable type." And, Gina's confident
about the days to come. "There have been times in my life when I
felt I might not ever find people who communicated truthfully about
themselves. Now it has begun to happen for me and others within
Stone Curv - and it's a joy!" Meet
our other members! » |
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Curves and cohousing communities across America. |
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