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69 °F Forecast | Road Cams Monday, August 30, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Prime Times Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend July 26, 2004 Residents commit to Fordyce cohousing By JACI SCHNEIDER Mail Tribune ASHLAND — Although many people lament the lack of community in today’s society, some Rogue Valley residents are taking matters into their own hands. Seven households have committed to buy homes in a new "cohousing community" on Fordyce Street. A 1.3-acre lot will hold 12 townhouses and one common house. Cohousing is a new-fashioned attempt to create an old-fashioned neighborhood and overcome the alienation of modern subdivisions. Residents of cohousing communities own their own homes but stay active in the neighborhood by sharing yards and a common house with a community kitchen and living space. "People feel a need to have a deeper connection and not be so isolated from the world around them," said Melanie Mindlin, manager of the project. In the Fordyce Street neighborhood, cars will only be allowed to park on the perimeter of the community, so children can play safely in the park and gardens between the homes. Advertisement Residents will take turns preparing community dinners several times a week in the common house, so neighbors can keep in touch with one another. "It’s a way to share chores so that mom and dad can sit with their kids, it takes off some of the pressure," said Gaia Carney, a member of the developing neighborhood. Unlike communes and cults, residents of cohousing communities own their own homes, lead their own lives and control their amount of participation. If residents don’t want to attend a community activity, they don’t have to. "It’s a natural way to live in a community without being a commune or cult," Carney said. However, uninvolvement and detachment can eventually turn a cohousing community into just another neighborhood, Mindlin said. "People need to be involved and interested," she said. "Communication is very important." Cohousing began in Denmark in the 1970s, but it didn’t catch on in the United States until the late 1980s. Today, more than 100 cohousing communities have been completed or are being developed, according to the Cohousing Association of the United States. Mindlin said the Fordyce Street project should be completed by next spring. The seven households committed to the community include young families with children, couples, empty-nesters and single people, said Mindlin, who began trying to start cohousing in Ashland 12 years ago. One unique aspect of cohousing is the development of the neighborhood. The residents design their homes and the neighborhood. "You’re not just building your dream house," Carney said. "You’re building your dream community." Richard Seidman, an Ashland resident who lived in cohousing for six years in Portland, said he enjoyed living in such a close community. "It wasn’t like we were best friends, but we were more than close neighbors," he said. "I liked the sense of connection. There were always people you could turn to if you needed anything." Seidman considered joining the Fordyce Street Cohousing, but he loves his present home too much to move. However, he understands the desire for community. "People are longing for more of a sense of connection and less of a sense of alienation," he said. Carney agreed. "It’s a great way for people to have autonomy, still live in community and make a lighter impact on the environment," she said. "It’s just a bunch of people being good neighbors." Reach reporter Jaci Schneider at 776-4471. Find out more Anyone interested in joining Fordyce Street Cohousing is invited to attend an orientation Aug. 14 in Ashland. Call Melanie Mindlin at 482-7909 or e-mail [email protected] for time, location and more information. For more information about the cohousing concept, visit www.cohousing.org . Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. 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