PARCELS FOR SALE!
The Laytonville Ecovillage has parcels for sale! We’re partnering with Green Key Real Estate and Re/Max out of Ukiah to offer affordable parcels in our emerging green neighborhood. Each parcel comes with approved septic system designs, sites designated for well water, clearings for camping and tiny homes, and use of parcel #1 where you’ll have access to clean water, electricity, an outdoor kitchen, solar showers, rocket stove showers, WiFi, rustic picnic tables, cob pizza oven, and a large vegetable garden. We’re selling with the intention of offering the amenities of the first parcel while you develop your eco-homestead.
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED about becoming part of Laytonville Ecovillage:
WHAT IS COHOUSING?
The widely-quoted Six Defining Characteristics of Cohousing is published in full on the Coho/USwebsite. While cohousing communities may appear similar to some mainstream housing developments, the people forming cohousing communities organize to practice ideals of participation, cooperation, sharing, and knowing one’s neighbors. Cohousing communities, typically, use private, home ownership as part of the community’s economic model, making it relatively easy for forming groups to obtain construction and mortgage financing from conventional banks.
The vast majority of existing cohousing communities cluster housing with enhanced pedestrian and play areas to promote frequent, spontaneous human contact—cars (roads and parking) are usually de-emphasized and set apart from the homes and primary common spaces. Cohousing can also take other forms, including large, shared buildings, and groups of existing dwellings that are retrofitted into Cohousing communities. While many, and probably most, cohousing communities have been self-developed, there are an increasing number of cohousing projects which start with leadership from commercial developers.
Most cohousing communities have a “common house,” a building (or space within a larger building) that most often includes a large kitchen and dining room, with a wide range of other possible facilities. This shared space is intended to act as an extension of the individual private homes, and many cohousing homes are smaller than their non-community counterparts.
WHAT DOES HOMESTEADING MEAN?
Developing land is not for the light-hearted, but it’s a deeply rewarding experience and can be done on your own time, over time. If you’re loaded with cash and can afford to hire a professional developer to do it for you, fine, it’s how many people develop land. But if you’re on limited financial means and/or want to do it yourself or in collaboration with your neighbors then the Laytonville Ecovillage offers an opportunity that doesn’t come around every day.
While some eco-homesteaders “just do it,” by building outside of the codes and requirements of the local jurisdiction, I’ve made sure that we are on the radar with the County and can develop without the worry of getting red-tagged.
CAN I LIVE IN MY TINY HOME?
Yes and no. Sorry to be ambiguous but moving a tiny home on wheels onto the land and calling it a day isn’t yet legal in the state of California, unless you’re in specific jurisdictions under strict guidelines. You can however “camp” in your tiny home a limited number of days throughout the year. You can also set up seasonal camping facilities and go a step further to create a “glamping site” that would allow you to be comfortable while manifesting your vision.
WHAT DOES LEV’s PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SOLAR LIVING INSTITUTE INVOLVE?
Aside from offering opportunities for education in sustainability, our workshops bring in highly skilled professionals that will allow you to learn how to build with alternative methods, install solar and greywater systems, make a cob pizza oven, etc.
WHAT ARE CLASS K PERMITS?
Navigating class K or Rural Residential permits, allows one to build using recycled, upcycled building materials and alternative methods of construction. It’s a law based on safety, so handrails, fire and CO2 detectors, legal electrical circuits in the kitchen and bathroom still need to be to code. One has to live in an unincorporated area of Mendocino county. It’s meant to be for an owner builder’s primary residence, so it can not be built to sell, or to rent for the first few years anyway. Class K can also be used for additional structures on the property as well, within zoning restrictions.
ARE THERE SHARED RESOURCES?
Building in community offers opportunities to share resources. Labor, tools, gardens, etc., can all be shared in collaborative building if you’re interested. We are not requiring collaboration but rather are setting the stage for such opportunities. If you’re going to build a tiny home on wheels, why not do so along with other community members who are building theirs? On top of that, you could organize a tiny home workshop, host tiny home work parties, and share the workload.
CAN I SHARE OWNERSHIP OF A PARCEL?
Yes. Each parcel is zone “Rural Residential” and can legally support two single-family homes and a range of outbuildings. If you choose to split the cost of a parcel you could also share a well, a septic system, and power, which will substantially decrease the cost of development.
IS THERE A HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION?
We’re in the developing stages of creating a “green” homeowners association that will have covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&Rs). If you’re serious about buying in then your input would be welcome.
WHAT AMENITIES ARE AVAILABLE TO ME ON PARCEL #1?
Parcel #1 has everything you need to be comfortable while developing your land: two kitchens (one indoors, one out), a beautiful outdoor solar shower, rocket-stove water heater shower, a solar electric charging station, cob pizza oven, abundant high quality water, WiFi, laundry, and access to basic tools to help you get your projects done.
We’re working on a negotiated legal contract for use of these facilities and amenities, some of which are not guaranteed. For example, if you require a steady, reliable Internet connection (as many people do) and the Internet goes down, we are not offering that service as a guarantee; rather, it will be available for your use but if you need your own service then you would need to establish that.
Tools are not “free” to use as such, and would come with a maintenance fee and requirement that you fix/repair any damage you might incur.
WHY LAYTONVILLE? WHY MENDOCINO COUNTY?
Laytonville, a rural, unincorporated community of northern Mendocino County, is a federally designated Frontier Community with an unofficial population count of about 3,000. Still one of the more affordable communities within reach of San Francisco, Laytonville is 160 miles north in the heart of Redwood country. Highway 101 runs through the center of Laytonville, and is considered the “highest” town on Highway 101 due to its elevation of 1,670 feet. Laytonville is part of the “Long Valley” and with a town of about 5.4 square miles, but outlying areas which include mountain communities are located 30–60 minutes from the town center.
ARE YOU AN “ECOVILLAGE?”
Yes and no. We are a small, green-permaculture development and intend to share community as people settle into their homesteads. The word “ecovillage” means many things and on many scales. Calling this development an “ecovillage” has been useful for many reasons; it put us on the map, we have name recognition, and it’s good for the overall “cause” of the ecovillage and sustainable development movement. At the end of the day we’re aspiring to have a friendly green neighborhood where people own their own private parcels protected by an HOA and don’t have to engage in lengthy meetings. We’re aiming for a balance of privacy and community.
Laytonville Ecovillage is a Community Partner of the 2016 North American Permaculture and Building Resilient Communities Convergence, September 14–18, at the beautiful Solar Living Institute in Hopland, CA tw0 hours north of San Francisco).
This Convergence is a combined effort of the 2nd Annual North American Permaculture Convergence and the 11th Northern California Permaculture Convergence. It will bring together an estimated 1000 permaculture designers, social and environmental justice activists, community organizers, educators, speakers, individuals and organizations from not only Northern California, but the greater United States, Canada, Mexico, countries from the Caribbean, Central America and beyond. We’ll gather together for an inspirational five days of intensive focus with a common goal: to design, build, and strengthen regenerative communities and habitats, in accordance with nature, for humans, plants, animals, the greater bioregion, and the Earth at large.
More Information Below, or visit: www.permacultureconvergence.com or www.northamericanpermaculture.org
• SKILL SHARES: Homesteading, Natural Building, Seed Saving, Food Production, Fermenting, Herbal Medicine-Making, and Many More!
- BIOREGIONAL NETWORKING: Connect with old friends, cross-pollinate, and make new connections with other allies in your local region and beyond
- CHILDCARE AVAILABLE: The Convergence is Family friendly event! Bring your kids to the Youth Convergence offering childcare + a creative, fun, educational experience.
- DELICIOUS FOOD: Community kitchen, affordable local cuisine!
- VILLAGE COMMONS: A model resilience community including a marketplace to buy local artisan products, and interactive craftsmen and women.
- MUSIC & AFTER-HOURS ENTERTAINMENT: : Tons of live music and performances TBA, and of course the Ultimate Permaculture Passion Show and other after-hours magic!
- ON-SITE CAMPING: Experience the after-hours magic at the beautiful Solar Living Institute Grounds.
VENUE: SOLAR LIVING INSTITUTE
The Convergence will be hosted at the Solar Living Institute in Hopland CA (approximately two hours north of San Francisco), a beautiful 12-acre renewable energy and sustainable living demonstration site that is visited by 200,000 people annually. The site includes organic gardens, ponds, natural buildings, biodiesel fueling station, Real Goods Store, and the Solar 2000 – one of northern California’s largest solar arrays providing 160,000 kWh of clean renewable energy annually.