Project Manager’s Report

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ALTAIR ECOVILLAGE UPDATE
By Joel Bartlett

  1. East Pikeland Planning Commission

    After working all last year on our site plan, submitting it around Feb 1st, then waiting for the Township Engineer to respond to our Site Plan application, we finally met the Planning Commission on May 13th.  Their response was lukewarm, mainly because not only the Township Engineer, but also the Fire Chief, the Landscape Architect, and the Traffic Engineer comments were extensive.  Our EcoVillage is a good model of a highly-functional neighborhood with many measurable sustainable features and is the first example of a project to suit the Kimberton Low Impact Development Ordinance.  As such, it is under tough scrutiny.  The Chester County Planning Commission sent a very favorable letter with positive suggestions.

      We now have more meetings scheduled with the Township consultants to discuss stormwater management, the parking ordinance, open space requirements, access to Kimberton Village, emergency vehicle access, and several other issues.  We had a good meeting with the Fire Chief Monday, May 19th, and feel we can comply with his requests. Per our Land Planner Nave Newell, we should be able to comply with at least 60% of the other consultants’ comments without difficulty.  We will produce a Lot Consolidation Plan showing all the separate lots combined as one property, and we will resurvey as part of our resubmission.

       One of the issues we’re exploring is the Township’s request that we build a sidewalk along Kimberton Road down to the Prizer Road intersection.  We’re looking at alternative easements to allow us to connect with the Village a different way.

       Look for us to resubmit in a couple months.

  2. Architectural Work

    Keeping pace with our site planning work, we are continuing to develop the Common House and the Home Designs.  There are still many details to coordinate, but the basic layouts are set and the building team of our Architect Carnevale-Eustis, our MEPS Engineer MaGrann, and our panel builder Blueprint Robotics are all refining the designs we last generated in 2022.  Members of both the Common House Circle and the Land & Buildings Circle should be proud of their contributions.  We should have drawings for CR Davis to reprice within a month or so.

  3. Member Development

    With the addition of the last few Trailblazers, we now have up to #16 of 29 homes spoken for.  Let’s hope the recent Trailblazers become Full Members and/or Investors! The Membership Circle gets the prize for being the most active Circle, meeting once a week to discuss public relations, display tables, event promotions, new Trailblazer orientations, and many other member and outreach topics.  

    Here are some highlights so far this year:
    -Social at the Cidery in Kimberton with our Brokers providing the music!
    -Phoenixville Earth Day Festival table
    -Phoenixville Library ten-week Aging in Community course
    -Mid-Atlantic Cohousing bus tour
    -Chester Co Sustainability Expo (see below)
    -monthly online Info Sessions
    -Planning to be at the PXV Y Health Fair and give another Successful Aging course there in July
    -PXV Farmers Market table two Saturdays a month and going through October

  4. Chester Co Sustainability Expo

    We had a very successful turnout at West Chester University on Sat, 5/17.  Along with several prospective buyers, we met environmental professionals, Kimberton neighbors, and Environmental Advisory Committee members from other Chester Co townships.  Two of the folks we talked with can help us with SITES interns.  Four of us came out, showing off the model and our new posters. 

  5. In Other News

    -We are resuming work on our tax-exempt status with the IRS as a 501c4 Association.  This will allow us to apply for various grants to help with horticulture and energy-saving strategies.

    -We have a new intern who goes to the Waldorf School and is going to help with our recycling and trash systems. Another intern, now a graduate of Temple in Landscape Architecture, is returning to work on the gardens and areas surrounding the Common House.

    -We had a wonderful article written about us that made the Montgomery Co newspapers.  This, through our connection at the Kimberton Waldorf School.

All for now,
Joel