You’ll be Interested in Joining Altair If…
You Like the Concept …
At Altair EcoVillage, the model is Cohousing, where members get to know each other before moving in. We will each purchase, rent, or share home ownership. Homes are down-sized, as guest rooms and rooms for gatherings can be located in the large Common House, where we also will have weekly community meals and celebrations. We will save money in utility bills because of our high-quality, well-insulated construction. We will be ecologically sustainable in as many ways as we can be, sharing resources, and supporting each other. We will manage the neighborhood through a consensus process – no hierarchy, no income-sharing.
You Like the Site …
Altair is located in Kimberton PA, next door to Phoenixville (in the top five Pennsylvania “hot spots,” per realtors). Chester County has been designated as one of the most livable counties in the country, featuring open space as well as top health facilities, infrastructure, and job opportunities. Kimberton has a tradition going back to the 1800s of being progressive. We can walk to the whole food market, restaurants, and shops. Our site is a mile or two from community-supported agriculture farms, trails, a Waldorf School, a Camphill Village, and other businesses. Our 9-acre site is secluded, with walks through the woods, a community garden, play areas, a neighborhood park, and no adjoining developments planned.
You Like the People …
About a third of our 29 households are committed so far to seeing Altair EcoVillage to completion. We are a 55+ community with 20% of the homes for under-55 heads of households. We range from retired couples and individuals to young families. We like to work and play together and use our many skills. Our professional team respects our opinions, and we teach each other how to develop a sustainable housing model for others to emulate. We have socials (online and in-person), as well as working circle meetings and member business meetings, and we also “buddy” prospective members so connections can be fostered.
You Like the Price …
Working hard to build a quality and energy-efficient community that people can afford is not easy, and there are many variables. Our two-story townhouses will range from two to three bedrooms, estimated in the $575K to $625K range. The over-under duplexes may cost $350-400K per floor depending on size. These prices include shared ownership of the common facilities. Utility bills will be extremely low. The Home Owners Association fee is estimated to be around $300/month. Shared resources – including cars (voluntary), purchasing in bulk, having common walls, growing some of our food, activities right in the community, and built-in caregivers – no question that living in Altair will cost less.
You Like the Timeline …
If all goes well, we hope to move in late fall of 2024. Prospective members can take up to four months to explore living in Altair by attending socials, participating in member meetings through the Trailblazer program, after which they can become full members and help with decisions. Members make a refundable reservation deposit of $8K, which will increase to $10K (total) at the last workshop where members participate in finalizing the design of the community. Seeking a mortgage and choosing which home is yours is estimated to take place as early as the spring of 2024. We have a long approval process ahead of us – so join in the planning!
Are
We a Match?
Start finding out by taking this questionnaire! If you can answer "yes" to 15 or so questions, you would likely be a match:
Do you like the idea of getting to know your neighbors as friends, and having the opportunity to age in community?
Would you be willing to contribute to the governance of your neighborhood?
Do you enjoy participating in social and work-oriented community activities?
Do you like the idea of having your own private home while sharing common spaces and resources?
Do you enjoy potlucks and like the idea of helping with regular neighborhood dinners?
Would you be willing to serve on at least one governance group (Membership, Common House, Outreach/PR, Healthy Living/Sustainability, Land and Buildings, Sociocracy (governance), Ride Sharing, Care & Counsel, Hospitality)?
Would you enjoy participating in community workdays several times a year to help common areas and facilities look their best?
Would you enjoy caring for your neighbors' pets and appreciate help caring for yours?
Do you like the idea of helping senior neighbors grow old gracefully by lending a hand?
Do you regard yourself a problem solver and enjoy contributing to group solutions of issues?
Does the idea of sharing and maintaining common areas with neighbors appeal to you?
Do you want to be part of a community dedicated to reducing its environmental impact?
Are you comfortable lending and borrowing tools, cars/rides, outdoor equipment, etc, with your neighbors?
Do you like the idea of going hiking, camping, biking, rafting, etc, with your neighbors?
Do you like the idea of sharing community dinners several times a week?
Do you like gardening side by side with your neighbors and sharing the bounty at a community or home cooked meal?
Do you like nourishing body and soul with good food, good health, and good company, and good conversation?
Do you like living mindfully in community, encouraging wisdom, compassion, and interpersonal growth?
Do these ideas appeal to you: living within a village that supports an organic food store, concerts, community-supported agriculture (nearby CSAs), located near culturally-oriented institutions (Waldorf School, Camphill Village) and the city of Philadelphia?
Do you consider yourself an optimist, a person with a positive outlook?
Would you enjoy being part of projects to better the larger community of our neighborhood or villages?
HOW MANY WAYS CAN YOU SAVE MONEY LIVING IN AN ECOVILLAGE?
At one of our holiday events a few years back, we asked this question, and had over fifty different answers! Here are some of them…
shared walls, clustered homes
downsized homes
shared utilities
shared equipment
energy-efficient building techniques
work parties and maintenance committees
carpooling
community vans
alternative energy that we generate
electric vehicles and equipment
storage facilities
parking
common meals several times a week
discount buying
central server for internet and media
THE LIST GOES ON AND ON! What did we leave out?
Childcare pool
sharing skills
reduced doctor and prescription bills (from healthy living, both physically and psychologically)
community gardens, shared vegetables, herbs, flowers, possibly fruit
exercise equipment
workshops for community use
tool exchange
clothing and home furnishing swaps
walkable shopping and services
event spaces available
activity groups within the community
possible community-supported nursing and related services