Co-housing planned for Olympia

‘Community living’ project aims to foster neighborly interaction

By Jim Szymanski | The Olympian • Published February 03, 2008

Investors in the project contribute as much as $20,000 for full membership. The money is used to plan the project and as down payment on a house, Russo said. The corporation so far has accepted a minimum $5,000 contribution to join, but Russo said all members must be able to afford a house.

Though some members might pay less than others to join the corporation, “you have to demonstrate the financial ability to buy a house,” Russo said.

The Woodard Lane property is a little less than 3 acres. Developers term such projects “in-fill,” meaning they are built on whatever land is available in urban, developed neighborhoods. The goal often is to build smaller, more affordable and environmentally sensitive developments.

Woodard Lane designs call for homes ranging from 900 square feet to 1,700 square feet.

Thurston County’s median home-sale price in December was $254,571, according to the Northwest Multiple Listing Service.

Costs

“Our best guess at this point, for the smaller units, the cost would be below $250,000,” Russo said. “As the units increase in size, the cost would increase. We’re definitely trying to keep it at $400,000 or less.”

Bergdorf described Woodard Lane as a low-impact development.

“We’ve left a large chunk of the trees up without taking them down,” he said. “We’re trying to be Earth-sensitive.”

Bergdorf said pavement would be kept to a minimum by designing parking on one side of the property, without driveways leading to attached garages. This not only improves site drainage but encourages residents to walk over common ground to their homes, a design feature that encourages neighbors to meet and talk, Bergdorf said.

Stages

If city officials grant construction permits this year, most initial construction work would be limited to site preparation, such as building sidewalks and extending utilities to the site, Russo said.

Construction of the first building could start as soon as a month after site preparation begins, he said.

Cohousing units are not necessarily the least expensive housing available, said Kraig Chalem, a city planner who has been working with the Woodard Lane owners. But the smaller units including common walls allow owners to obtain new housing for less than a larger new home might cost on the same land, he said.

“In light of today’s housing prices and the price of land, cohousing is becoming more and more attractive,” Chalem said.