Project Manager’s Report

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

Ecovillages Worldwide

We’re part of a worldwide movement!

Did you know that there are more than 10,000 ecovillage communities all around the world? [https://www.iberdrola.com/sustainability/ecovillages-alternative-ecological-communities]

In almost every country, on every continent, ecovillage projects have come to fruition or are in the planning stage. Wikipedia [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecovillage] says “ecovillages represent an international phenomenon.” Yet each community is distinctive! Ecovillages vary in size and they encompass wide-ranging cultural diversity.

The Benefits of EcoVillages

* La Montaña (Chile) has been operating since 1992. It offers voluntary jobs of from one to twelve months to integrate new members into community life.

* Yarrow EcoVillage (Canada) was founded in 2001, occupying an old, ten-hectare dairy farm. It is divided into residential and farming areas.

* The Ecovillage at Ithaca (NY) has been in existence for thirty years. It consists of three cohousing neighborhoods, each with its own Common House, and a variety of working farms.

* Las Gaviotas (Colombia) was founded in 1971 by a group of engineers and scientists aspiring to forge a sustainable lifestyle. From 1980 to 1990, they ran a hospital to care for the local indigenous population.

* Konohana Family (Japan) is a farming community of almost 100 inhabitants located at the foot of Mount Fuji!

* Crystal Waters (Australia) dates back to 1986. A decade later it received the World Habitat Award. It provides income from trade, tourism, and educational activities.

After move-in, Altair residents could consider joining the Global Ecovillage Network, “GEN,” [https://ecovillage.org], which has been in existence since 1995. That year the first international conference of ecovillage members, “Ecovillages and Sustainable Communities for the 21st Century,” was held at Findhorn, Scotland. The movement and the organization grew rapidly following that conference.

This year GEN is celebrating its 30th anniversary. [https://ecovillage.org/gens-30th-anniversary]  It’s grown into a thriving ecosystem of initiatives, projects, and communities dedicated to ecological and social regeneration. GEN professes and promotes the message that ecovillage living is surely the wave of the future!

Showcasing Altair EcoVillage Through Video

As my Penn State Abington internship with Altair EcoVillage comes to an end, I want to take a moment to reflect on my experience and on the final project I created: an infomercial that highlights the mission, values, and future of this cohousing community. This project was not only a culmination of everything I’ve learned, but also a way for me to contribute something meaningful to Altair’s outreach efforts. 

Sustainable features … Timeless Connections

My primary goal in creating this infomercial was to effectively communicate what makes Altair EcoVillage unique. The video introduces viewers to the concept of cohousing, explaining how Altair is designed to foster trust, respect, support, and social connection among its residents. It also emphasizes the sustainable design principles behind the community, particularly the use of passive house construction, an energy-efficient building standard that significantly reduces environmental impact while enhancing comfort and affordability.

Through narration by visuals, the infomercial walks viewers through the layout of the community, from pedestrian-friendly pathways and clustered homes to the shared spaces that encourage social interaction. It also highlights the surrounding area of Kimberton PA, a charming, walkable historic village that blends rural beauty with modern conveniences.

One of the biggest challenges in producing this project was ensuring that all the key aspects of cohousing principles – sustainable design, community governance, and location – were covered in a way that was engaging and easy to understand. I wanted to make sure the video would resonate with both potential residents and those simply interested in learning more about ecovillage living.

While the infomercial was my final project, all of my time participating with Altair has been full of valuable lessons. I have gained a deep understanding of the cohousing model and how it creates a balance between private homeownership and shared community living. Additionally, this experience has strengthened my skills in media production, challenging me to translate complex ideas into an accessible and appealing format that required research, planning, and creativity. It was rewarding to see all these elements come together in a way that can help spread awareness about Altair and its mission.

I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked with Altair EcoVillage and to have played a role in sharing their vision with a wider audience. The knowledge and experience I’ve gained will stay with me as I move forward.

I encourage anyone interested in sustainable living or cohousing to explore what Altair has to offer.

AltairEcovillage@gmail.com

To learn more and to watch the infomercial I created, visit AltairEcoVillage.org and click on “Take a virtual tour” on the homepage. Thank you to everyone at Altair for this incredible experience!

Anthony Moleski