Three Groves Ecovillage

NYC's First Cohousing Community

Do you like your neighbors? Do you wish you knew their names? Would you want to make dinners with them, live with your door open, and vote on every group decision using a system of color-coded cards? These friendly people are building New York’s first co-housing community. Care to join them?

Read about NYC's first Cohousing Community in "New York Magazine".

RELEASE: Three Groves Ecovillage Grows in West Grove, PA

Growing group of residents and local elder take more steps towards a dream.

London Grove, PA – September 18, 2009 – Local residents seeking to build the first net-zero energy Ecovillage have made major strides in past months in realizing their goal. In July, two more households joined the growing group, and just this month, the group purchased their dream property from Edna Lamborn, longtime resident of West Grove. The 7.5 acre property is located on the corner of Prospect Avenue and West State Street, across the street from the proposed 125 acre community park, and is within walking distance of many restaurants, the library, and other businesses of downtown West Grove.  The group proposes building 34 modestly-sized attached homes clustered around a pedestrian walkway, with organic gardens, native plantings, and architecture designed to complement the surrounding architecture.

New members Peter Kjellerup and Mandy Cabot, the owners of Dansko, are clear. “There are so many wonderful communities like this in Europe, that it is time that we demonstrate that an environmentally and socially sustainable community can be built here, as well. How wonderful it will be to have a community where people know and care about their neighbors, and at the same time, can live lightly on the planet.”

Sandy Wiggins, former Chairman of the US Green Building Council and a principal of Aye Partners, explains “Choosing pedestrian-oriented smart locations in close proximity to community assets is a key factor for long-term sustainability.  One of our country’s greatest challenges is changing our past patterns of development that make inefficient use of land and infrastructure and that are entirely dependent on the automobile.”

Steve and Joyce Ford, owners of The Perfect Cup Café in Hockessin, Delaware are enthusiastic about making Three Groves Ecovillage their new home. “We live right down the road from where the community is proposed to be built. We look forward to downsizing our house and pulling a few weeds in the community gardens right here in West Grove."

Edna Lamborn, who owned the property for many decades and donated 42 acres for the northern portion of the community park, was equally pleased.  “West Grove has been a major part of our family’s life for many years and we all love the town and the people” said Mrs. Lamborn.  “I would be pleased to be part of the first LEED Platinum community in Pennsylvania.  Three Groves Ecovillage sounds like an exciting concept.  I look forward to seeing the successful completion of the project and more new families enjoying life in West Grove.”

Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED provides a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.  Three Groves Ecovillage will be seeking the highest rating of LEED Platinum.

Land stewardship is a core value for future residents and partners of Three Groves Ecovillage. “Two-thirds of this site was degraded by previous use” says Jackie O’Neil, the other principal of Aye Partners.  “We are looking to preserve the site’s assets, such as large trees and south-facing slopes, and restore the site’s soils, vegetation and hydrology, in order to demonstrate that smart neighborhoods of the future can actually enhance the health of the land and the greater community.”  Another future resident, Janet Pelletier adds “I would like to become an active steward of the tiny stream that runs along the property to the pond in the park.  We hope to work with neighbors and the park to plant native vegetation and trees to clean it up and provide habitat for wildlife.”

Public Events:

To get involved or just learn more, interested potential residents and public are encouraged to attend a variety of events:

• The next monthly Three Groves Ecovillage Potluck is at 4:30 Sunday, September 27, at the West Grove Friends Meeting, 153 E. Harmony Rd, West Grove PA. The potluck will be followed by a land walk on the property (weather permitting), and a Q&A session.
• Moore College is holding a free Graduate Symposium entitled “Cohousing: Building Sustainable and Intentional Communities” from 9:00AM to 5:00PM on October 10 at Moore College in Philadelphia. The concepts and practicalities of cohousing in the United States will be discussed. Charles Durrett, architect and author of the seminal text on cohousing, will deliver the keynote presentation. Several shorter presentations by leaders in the field will follow, each of which will briefly discuss specific components and aspects of cohousing communities. The afternoon will consist of two sessions of workshops expanding upon the morning presentations.
• Janet Pelletier will be presenting at 6:30 Wednesday October 14, at the Downingtown Library, 330 E. Lancaster Ave. Downingtown, PA 19335-2946. She will give an overview of cohousing and ecovillages, and the Three Groves Ecovillage project. The presentation is free.

 

Media Coverage:

Media are welcome to attend the public events but asked to pre-register by contacting Three Groves Ecovillage (email using the link in the margin, or call 610-643-4411).  Photos of the site and residents are available on request.

Three Groves Ecovillage is an organization of local people seeking to build and reside in an environmentally and socially sustainable neighborhood. They are actively growing and seeking new members.

Aye Partners, LLC, are leaders in sustainable development and green building, and have commissioned Re:Vision Architecture, a leading green design firm, to create the plans.

Margot Mohr Teetor, Realtor with Re/Max Town and Country, has worked as the Buyer’s Agent for Three Groves Ecovillage and will act as Seller’s Agent for Ecovillage homes listed online with the Multiple Listing Service (MLS).

About Dansko.  Established in 1990, Dansko has been a leader in providing innovative comfort footwear while standing at the forefront of sustainable and ethical business practices. Dansko is an employee owned company based in Pennsylvania, still operated by its founders, husband and wife team Mandy Cabot and Peter Kjellerup. Dansko shoes and boots are distributed to over 2,500 premium U.S. and international retail locations.  For more information on Dansko’s footwear collections as well as their global responsibility initiatives, please visit: www.dansko.com

 
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Daily Local News Describes Our Innovative Development Plans

On Friday Anne Pickering interviewed Janet, and posted a nice article in Saturday's paper.  Read it online here:

Ecovillage to open in London Grove
    By Anne Pickering, Daily Local News, Serving Chester County
    Published Saturday, June 6

RELEASE: Residents Acquire Perfect Site for "Ecovillage" Neighborhood near West Grove

Local elder sells site across from new London Grove Community Park

London Grove, PA – May 19, 2009 – Local residents seeking to build the first net-zero energy “Ecovillage” neighborhood ended their search for the “perfect property” last week when they signed an agreement of sale with Edna Lamborn, longtime resident of West Grove, for her property on the corner of Prospect Avenue and West State Street.  The proposed neighborhood will be called Three Groves Ecovillage, in honor of the location in London Grove Township, bordering West Grove Borough, and within Avon-Grove School District.  The future residents and development partner, Aye Partners LLC, will present site plans to the London Grove Township Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors at their May 27 and June 3 meetings at the Township Building and to the public on June 7 at 5:30 at West Grove Friends Meeting House.

“This property is perfectly situated within walking distance of many restaurants, the library and other businesses of downtown West Grove, a short stroll from the excellent public middle school and high school, and across the street from an incredible 125 acre community park

 ” states Anthony Aufdenkampe, future resident of Three Groves Ecovillage.  Sandy Wiggins, former Chairman of the US Green Building Council and a principal of Aye Partners, explains “Choosing pedestrian-oriented smart locations in close proximity to community assets is a key factor for long-term sustainability.  One of our country’s greatest challenges is changing our past patterns of development that make inefficient use of land and infrastructure and that are entirely dependent on the automobile.”  Janet Pelletier, another future resident continues “I have this vision of walking with my kids down to the library or to school, of strolling to a restaurant with friends, and of early-morning bird-watching in the park.  I can't wait to move our family there.  All the hard work to find a perfect spot for our ecovillage has really paid off."

Edna Lamborn, who has owned the property for many decades and donated 42 acres for the northern portion of the community park, was equally pleased.  “West Grove has been a major part of our family’s life for many years and we all love the town and the people” said Mrs. Lamborn.  “I would be pleased to be part of the first LEED Platinum

 community in Pennsylvania.  Three Groves Ecovillage sounds like an exciting concept.  I look forward to seeing the successful completion of the project and more new families enjoying life in West Grove.”

Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (www.USGBC.org), LEED

  provides a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.  Three Groves Ecovillage will be seeking the highest rating of LEED Platinum.

Land stewardship is a core value for future residents and partners of Three Groves Ecovillage. “Two-thirds of this site was degraded by previous use” says Jackie O’Neil, the other principal of Aye Partners.  “We are looking to preserve the site’s assets, such as large trees and south-facing slopes, and restore the site’s soils, vegetation and hydrology, in order to demonstrate that smart neighborhoods of the future can actually enhance the health of the land and the greater community.”  Pelletier continues “I would like to become an active steward of the tiny stream that runs along the property to the pond in the park.  We hope to work with neighbors and the park to plant native vegetation and trees to clean it up and provide habitat for wildlife.”

“We’re looking forward to seeing more details on the Three Groves Ecovillage plan for this site” said Bob Vanella, member of the Board of Supervisors for London Grove Township, at the Township’s Green Fair this last Saturday. 

Public Events:

To get involved or just learn more, interested potential residents and public are encouraged to attend a presentation and discussion of design and development plans starting at 5:30 pm on Sunday, June 7 at the West Grove Friends Meeting, 153 E. Harmony Rd, West Grove PA (http://www.westgrovefriends.org.) The public is also welcome to Three Groves Ecovillage’s monthly potluck, starting at 4:30 pm just before the meeting. 

Media Coverage:

Media are welcome to attend the public events but asked to pre-register by contacting Janet Pelletier (janet.h.pelletier@gmail.com).  Photos of the site and residents are available on request.

Three Groves Ecovillage (www.ThreeGrovesEcovillage.org) is an organization of local people seeking to build and reside in an environmentally and socially sustainable neighborhood. They are actively growing and seeking new members. It is a sister organization to Concord Ecovillage, which seeks to build an ecovillage near Kennett Square PA or Newark, DE.  In the fall of 2008, the groups optioned a 6.2 acre property on Willow Street in West Grove, but decided to continue the search for a more appropriate site.

Aye Partners, LLC (www.ThreeGrovesEcovillage.org/project-team.html), are leaders in sustainable development and green building, and have commissioned Re:Vision Architecture (www.revisionarch.com), a leading green design firm, to head up the plans.

Margot Mohr Teetor, Realtor with Re/Max Town and Country (http://www.margot.your-move.com), has worked as the Buyer’s Agent for Three Groves Ecovillage and will act as Seller’s Agent for Ecovillage homes listed online with the Multiple Listing Service (MLS).

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Community News Notes We Have Secured Land

Our exciting news about securing an excellent property was described in this week's Community News.  Read the article:

West Grove Ecovillage acquires land for ‘green’ housing
    By Adam Zewe, Community News
    Posted May 12, 2009 @ 5:54 PM

Lancaster Online Picks up our Story

Staff writer Jon Rutter has done a really nice job capturing the essence of who we are. I can't believe he interviewed so many people for the article. Although you can't tell from the online copy, we made the center of the front page of the Sunday issue. Read all about it here.

Public presention leads to more good press

One of the 50+ people in attendance at our Dec. 7th presentation and meeting was the Editor of the Avon Grove Sun newspaper.  She wrote up a nice article on our project, which I think was also printed in a number of local sister papers such as the Kennett Paper and the Oxford Tribune.

Future residents present ecovillage plans to public
    By Keri Labuski; Editor, Avon Grove Sun
    Posted on Wed, Dec 10, 2008

I also heard that there's an article about us in the Dec. 2008 issue of Living Well Magazine, which is a monthly that comes out of Newark, DE.

We're also starting to get picked up by a number of blogs:

What's an Ecovillage?
    Sustainable Delaware
    Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Ecovillage in West Grove a Possibility
    The Real Estate Investment Blog
    Fri. Dec. 5, 2008

Ecovillage in West Grove a Possibility

The Avon Grove Sun picked up our story. Read about it here.

Avon Grove Sun and partners at PA8 News Group
Posted on Wed, Nov 26, 2008
In addition, this posting was picked up by other sites, such as:

http://www.constructionjournal.com/comments.aspx?aid=193423&articles=yes&tab=3

Chester County Press

Yes Folks, we're in the news again! Chester County Press gave us a great spot on the Front Page, with three pictures on page 4. Read all about it here.

In the News this Week

Concord Ecovillage is in the news this week!  See the article at:

Concord Ecovillage hopes to LEED the way to green neighborhoods

By Adam Zewe, Community News

Posted Nov 18, 2008 @ 10:21 PM

Press Release: Local Residents on Path to Building a Net-Zero Energy “Ecovillage” Neighborhood in West Grove

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Anthony Aufdenkampe, Equity Member of Concord Ecovillage
Phone: 610-268-2153 ext. 263 (day)
610-268-2330 (evening/weekend)
Email: aufdenkampe@stroudcenter.org
Website: http://www.concordecovillage.org/

Local Residents on Path to Building a Net-Zero Energy “Ecovillage” Neighborhood in West Grove

West Grove Borough Council supports innovative site design

West Grove, PA - November 17, 2008 – The future residents of Concord Ecovillage and their development partners, Aye Partners LLC, presented plans to build a solar-powered, LEED Platinum certified neighborhood in West Grove Borough at the Nov. 5th Council meeting.  The homes will be energy independent and carbon neutral.  Residents will have no energy utility bills.  The partnership will unveil their plans to potential residents and the public at 5:30 p.m. on December 7th at Kennett Friends Meeting.

The project is expected to generate national interest, as very few net-zero energy homes have been built to date at market rates.  “A primary goal is to bring state-of-the-art ‘green building’ design within the reach of typical home buyers” states Anthony Aufdenkampe, Equity Member of the Concord Ecovillage group and future resident of the neighborhood.  Sandy Wiggins, a nationally recognized leader in green building and a principal of Aye Partners, elaborates, “There has been a Green Tsunami sweeping the commercial and institutional building sector, but residential development lags far behind.  We want to help lead the way to a residential green building revolution by demonstrating that affordable, net zero, quality housing is achievable today.”  Aufdenkampe continues, “A great many Americans would like to live in homes that match their environmental ideals, but they have nearly no viable options.  And who wouldn’t love saying goodbye to heating and electricity bills, especially after electric utilities are deregulated in 2010.”

“In addition to environmental sustainability, our other primary goal is to create a socially sustainable neighborhood” explains Janet Pelletier, another Equity Member and future resident.  Homes will be clustered around pedestrian green-ways and courtyards.  The site plan includes substantial open-space as natural meadows, wetlands, and community gardens, and also encourages social interaction among neighbors.  A large clubhouse with a commercial kitchen, large meeting/dining hall, media room, workshop and other shared facilities will further promote connections between residents.  “I want my children to be connected to other children and adults in their daily lives,” cites Bonnie Dickson, as one of the many reasons she is interested in living in the neighborhood.

Concord Ecovillage is actively seeking additional future residents to participate in the design and development process.  “One of the many exciting things that sets this project apart is that it is resident-driven development. The needs and interests of future residents are front and center.  We have learned that participatory design leads to extraordinary results that just can’t be achieved any other way,” explains Jackie O’Neil, another principal of Aye Partners.

Denny Howell of West Grove Partners, LLC, owner of the land under agreement quotes, "I am proud to be supporting an environmentally and socially sustainable community.  This is a very exciting  project."

To get involved or just learn more, interested potential residents and public are encouraged to attend a presentation and discussion of design and development plans starting at 5:30 pm on Sunday, December 7 at the Kennett Friends Meeting, N Union & Sickles St, Kennett Square, PA.  The public is also welcome to Concord Ecovillage’s monthly potluck, starting at 4:30 pm just before the meeting.  State Representative-elect Tom Houghton, who supports the project, and will be in attendance.

Concord Ecovillage is also organizing a day-long tour of two ecovillages in the Washington DC area on December 6.  Further details are listed on the Concord Ecovillage web-calendar.

Ecovillages and cohousing are two similar movements that combine the advantages of private homes with the benefits of more sustainable living, including shared common facilities and ongoing connections with neighbors.  They have a demonstrated track record with over 200 successfully completed neighborhoods in the USA.  Units typically sell and resell quickly at higher than market rates, and most completed neighborhoods have waiting lists of would-be buyers.

Concord Ecovillage  is an organization of local people seeking to build and reside in an environmentally and socially sustainable neighborhood.

Aye Partners, LLC, are leaders in sustainable development and consulting.