Small Ecovillage - Affordable Co-Housing
Purpose and Function:
The land is situated in an ideal position for a green ecovillage, nestled amongst 5 acre parcels,
it is designed to provide affordable co-housing within an ecovillage--first for its 15 residents
and then to expand the concepts to the 100 residents living in the San Tan Foothills outside of
Queen Creek, AZ.
What is an Ecovillage?
As Tony Sirna stated in his article "What is An Ecovillage?", it is a place for "work and play,
birth and death, trading of goods and services, celebrations." A place where "it's still possible
for people to know each other as people and not as anonymous masses".
For Crystal Mountain Green, it is a way of understanding how we can function to support each
other creating a loving, supportive family to reduce barriers in troubled economic times.
What is a Cohousing Model?
Crystal Mountain Green is a collaborative style of residential living with an affordable co-housing
model that is characterized by private dwellings centered around indoor common facilities
--including:
1.) a shared kitchen and dining room for shared meals,
2.) a living area and library and
3.) shared office space;
Outdoor common facilities including: 1.) a meditation garden, 2.) edible landscape and gardens,
and 3.) a hot tub.
As a green ecovillage, CMG encourages social interaction, with an environmental
ethic embodied through sustainable green construction practices, water and energy efficiency and
open space preservation.
Crystal Mountain Green (CMG) is a small ecovillage community with a co-housing structure
accomodating up to 15 residents, It is designed to create mutual ownership at very low cost
(especially compared to existing, much less affordable co-housing developments in the
southwestern U.S.).
Residents live in detached small green casitas which they own.
What is Development Supported Agriculture (DSA)?
As farmland is lost due to the challenging conditions of farming and climate change, DSA
preserves and invests in agricultural land use preserving small-scale organic farms that provide
benefits to farmers, residents and the local community. CMG is a DSA opportunity which proposes
to reserve 1 of the 5 acres for green agricultural use (more detail under gardening).
What is Eco-Tourism?
According to the "CMIGreen 1st Annual Green Traveler Survey Report," the travel industry is
entering a transition as profound as any since the dawn of the jet age". With the birth of green
travel, "Ecotravelers are interested in responsible travel to nature areas that conserves the
environment and improves the well-being of local people...they are increasingly interested
in sustainability".
At CMG, The primary land use would be for sustainable agriculture, integrated and overlapping
with areas for wildlife and for passive recreation. The San Tan Mountains are home to coyotes,
cotton-tail rabbits and quail to name a few. As an ecotourism site, CMG welcomes urbanites
to experience a deep connection to the earth while working in partnership with residents of the
green eco-village learning sustainable gardening and building through its Farm Stay program.
Hiking up our San Tan Mountain to relax in the gazebo near the top while enjoying the awesome
starscape will be a rare treat, not available in cities like Phoenix where pollution and competing
light sources dim the stars. We are convinced that this will become a favorite pastime for the
locals.
Crystal Mountain Green is designed for an enlightened age to create freedoms for its residents
and guests (see mission for details). The concept of affordable co-housing serves to make this
more attainable.
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