Tierra - Nueva: Our Vision

We are a community of people who want to foster tight social bonds we feel are lacking in many neighborhoods. We are always excited to meet new friends and hope that you will investigate living in community. Building of our last house was completed in February of 1999.

Quest Process Questions Getting Involved

Cohousing owes a great deal of credit to architects Charles Durrett and Kathryn McCamant. They visited Denmark in 1984 and lived in some of the many cohousing communities there. It was at a slide show they presented in Denmark that Frank and Stephanie first heard of cohousing. When Chuck and Katie returned to the U.S. to begin work on their CoHousing book, Frank and Stephanie, as well as Rich and Cecelia, attended their first U.S. cohousing slide show in Palo Alto. It there that the spark for cohousing in San Luis Obispo County was ignited. Chuck and Katie were invited to San Luis Obispo to present their slide show, and the San Luis Obispo CoHousing Group swelled to over 50 members. The group simultaneously prepared a common vision of the community they wanted to live in and began their search for a site on which to build. This was in 1988. It took nine years of meetings, retreats and community-building fun to bring us to completion of our project.

Tierra Nueva CoHousing is a 27-unit complex, consisting of single and multi-story duplexes, single-family homes, a common house, and gardens on 5 acres in Oceano, California, immediately adjacent to the community of Halcyon. The land is the site of an organic avocado orchard. Polly Cooper and Ken Haggard of the San Luis Obispo Solar Group, leaders in solar design in the area designed the site plan and structures. Wonderland Development Corporation, who have helped many successful cohousing projects in the United States, was our developer. J.W. Design & Construction, Inc. was our contractor.

Homes in Tierra Nueva CoHousing are passively solar and clustered around a common house. We began construction during 1997 and the last house was completed in February of 1999. The land and buildings other than the individual units are held in common by the Tierra Nueva Homeowner's Association. An association fee, separate and in addition to individual mortgages, covers the costs of maintaining the common holdings.

We exist because each of us desires a greater sense of community, as well as strong interaction with and support from our neighbors. We meet for business every Thursday, we socialize frequently, and we work on our land when possible. We have spent many hours laying the ground work for the mores, customs, and rhythms of our future community.

Getting The Work Done

Business Meetings

We meet twice a month to make necessary decisions. We use a consensus style of decision making which we have developed over time. Meetings are highly structured yet observers have often commented on the relaxed nature of the meetings. We manage to accomplish much in a short amount of time and often have fun doing it.

Meetings are run by a facilitator who also keeps the group focused and on task, and directs the discussion so that we make the most effective use of our time. A secretary takes minutes which are then prepared and distributed prior to the next meeting.

A meeting typically begins and ends with a circle check, in which everyone, including observers may participate. Opening circle allows us to events in our lives. We then review and consense the past meeting's minutes, and generate a list of the current meeting's agenda items.

When a member makes a proposal, there is a show of member thumbs to indicate approval, concerns/questions or (rarely) disapproval. The goal is to reach consensus. Though it is sometimes a long process arriving at an agreement we can all live with, group ownership of consensed decisions is the life-blood of our community. After guest questions, meetings end with a closing circle check to wrap things up, air any unresolved feelings, and generally give closure to our collective efforts.

Committees

The bulk of the work is accomplished through committees. Committees meet on an as-needed basis and so wax and wane depending on the type of tasks facing the group.

All members are welcome to attend committee meetings. They are generally less structured than business meetings and focus on specific tasks.

Questions Often Asked About Cohousing

The following are frequently asked questions and answers about Cohousing. Until people have experienced life in a cohousing community, they often have questions and concerns about the details of daily living. But once they have moved in, they find their concerns mitigated by the trust, respect and commitment neighbors feel for one another. In this atmosphere, long discussions of policy give way to human interaction.

Was there a screening process? Who decides who lives there?

Most cohousing communities, including this one, did not screen new residents. Potential residents understand the nature of the community and expectations for participation. We let them decide whether or not the community mets their needs.

Are cohousing homes more affordable than other types of housing?

At this point, no. Land, construction, consultants, and financing costs are similar in any new development. Our cohousing homes are comparably priced with other single family homes in the area.

How is the community managed?

Residents manage the community through a homeowner's association. Committees carry out the work.

What has been the response of planners and city officials?

In May, 1996 we received a unanimous recommendation from the San Luis Obispo County Planning Commission. On Sept. 23, 1997, we received final approval from the county. We broke ground in October, 1997.

What about pets? We have decided to accept pets as long as they are a positive influence on our community. A committee created a pet policy that defines pet owner responsibilities.

How much participation is required?

We trust the rhythms of the group. Through the years it has taken to bring this project to completion, we have seen the ebb and flow of participation from each member. We expect that people contribute the time and energy that is available in their lives. A minimum level of participation includes cleaning in the common house and/or working on the land once a month. For those that participate with the meals, it is expected that people will assist with a cooking team and a cleaning team at least once a month.

What about rentals?

There are rental units, owned by people who intend to move in later or who are away for a period of time. Most residents agree that rental units are a positive addition to a community. We have a list of interested renters.

What if I don't like someone in the group?

It is not essential for everyone in a cohousing community to like each other. In fact, a variety of personalities adds interest to community life. Cohousing residents need only share a similar goal of making their lives more enjoyable through cooperating with their neighbors.

What about privacy?

Many of our members have been very clear about an intrinsic personal need for indoor and outdoor private space. We are working to achieve a balance between personal privacy and community interaction. The homes have small yards which can be privatized, and the social mores of the group promise to respect individual needs for time (and space) alone.

How Can I Get Involved?

Waiting Lists

A Buyer's List for those who wish to own a unit when one becomes available is maintained.

Site Information

Location

The project site is located in the town of Oceano in San Luis Obispo County, California. US Highway 1 passes one block to the southwest which links US Highway 101 to San Luis Obispo, 15 miles north. Oceano and Pismo Beach State Parks are less than 3 miles away. Tierra Nueva is approximately halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Santa Barbara is about 90 miles to the south.

The property is located on the north side of Christmas Tree Place, on the west side of Tierra Nueva Lane, one block north of Cienega Street, in the eastern portion of the Town of Oceano.

Topography, Soils and Vegetation

The property slopes from a low point at the southern side of the parcel to the highest point at the northern side of the property. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Soil Conservation Service, the site has Oceano Sand soil which is very deep and excessively drained. This is a non-expansive soil, well suited for structural improvements and residential type development. The site contains an organic avocado orchard. Many of the avocado trees have been preserved as part of the landscape for the proposed community.

Diablo Canyon Zone

The property is within the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Evacuation Zone. This is common to all of the surrounding areas and has had no past negative effect on property values or marketability.

Our group membership includes both an employee of Diablo Canyon (PG & E) and members of Mothers for Peace, a local environmental action group which has been monitoring the plant for safety and environmental issues.

Transportation

Two airports are closeby in San Luis Obispo and Santa Maria. A small airstrip for private planes is located in nearby Oceano. Amtrak train service is available from the Grover Beach Station, about 5 minutes from the site.

Central Coast Bioregion

Tierra Nueva is located in one of the most scenic areas of California. The central coast offers a wondrous spectrum of beaches, national forests, mountain lakes and rich agricultural land. Kayaking, surfing, boating, fishing, biking and hiking are but a few of the recreational opportunities.

The city of San Luis Obispo, only 20 minutes north on 101, offers a wide array of shops, restaurants, music festivals and is the home of the new Performing Arts Center. Antique-hunting is a favored pastime in the historic village of Arroyo Grande, located just a few miles from our property. Santa Maria, 20 minutes south on 101, is the home to the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts where professional theatre is offered year round. For live theatre close to home we enjoy the Oceano Melodrama.

To the northwest on Highway 1 is Morro Bay with its Embarcadero housing a collection of art galleries, restaurants and shops facing the 578 ft. high Morro Rock. Morro Bay State Park and Estuary are wonderful areas for exploration, kayaking and bird watching. Montana De Oro State Park is an 8,000 acre park offering visitors a wide variety of outdoor recreation in a spectacular ocean setting. Further north lies the charming yet sophisticated town of Cambria. World renowned Hearst Castle is located just north of San Simeon.

Wine lovers will enjoy discovering some of the finest wines in the country. World famous vineyards and wineries are scattered throughout the county and offer wine tasting tours.

The Nature Conservancy and local environmental groups have been active in preserving wide expanses of dune habitats which are visible from our land. Big Sur is about an hour and a half north and offers beach and redwood forest camping and hiking spots.

Our climate is mild, with moderate summers/winters and spectacularly brilliant spring and autumn days. Red tail hawks, great horned owls and monarch butterflies can be seen from the land.

Schools

The site is located within the Lucia Mar Unified School District. The elementary schools which are closest are North Oceano (within walking distance) and Margaret Harloe Elementary. Both participate in the district Gifted and Talented Students (GATE) program; both have active teams competing in the annual Odyssey of the Mind events; and both sponsor "Reflections", a humanities and fine arts program which encourages young writers and artists.

Mesa Middle School and Paulding Junior High are both within 2-3 miles of the site. Mesa is a new facility for grades 6-8 on the Nipomo Mesa and its standardized state testing results (CLAS) are among the highest in the area. Paulding Junior High in the Village of Arroyo Grande is a California Distinguished School and a National Blue Ribbon School. Both are serviced by the district school buses, with a bus stop within 2 blocks of the site.

Arroyo Grande High School is also a California Distinguished School and offers innovative science, technology and fine arts programs. We have two excellent community colleges, Cuesta and Allan Hancock College, each within twenty miles of our land. California Polytechnic University (Cal Poly) is located in San Luis Obispo (fifteen miles north) and offers a four year state college curriculum.

In addition to the public schools there are quality Montessori schools, a Waldorf school in planning stages and home schooling options. Many of our member families with small children are intending to home school. Shared resources and skills will offer a viable alternative to traditional education.

for more information call 805-474-8060 or email: Common House