The Basics
The Land
The property is a ten acre mixed hard and soft wood forest situated one mile west of Laytonville. About 3 hours north of San Francisco, Laytonville is a small, rural town on highway 101 in Northern Mendocino County. The property is zoned for subdividing and I'm at the tail end of the process of subdividing it into three two-acre parcels and one four-acre parcel.
On Parcel One, there is an existing two-story, two-unit farmhouse that’s about 65 years old, a barn with loft, carport, and storage buildings. Parcel one is two acres, and has road frontage on Branscomb Road. The farmhouse has a new standing seam metal roof, county approved septic system, new electrical service, rebuilt rear staircase, new toilet, fridge, and stove. Laundry room has new energy efficient front loading washing machine.
Parcels Two and Three are two acres each, and have beautiful hard and softwood trees on them. Work has been done to secure the right to install four bedroom septic systems on each parcel, which opens the door to two homes being built on each parcel.
Parcel Four is four acres and is situated at the back of the property. Parcel Four has forests, sunny meadows, and many possibilities as a community resource.
The Vision
Our vision is to develop the land and homes with community and sustainability as core values. Models of ecological design, permaculture, and green building will be applied as much as possible. Parcels will be sold to people who agree to a basic common vision, to a community lifestyle, and to working together to create shared guidelines for the development of the EcoVillage.
The design is along the lines of an intentional neighborhood; people will have privacy but will be close to neighbors in both physical space and in the designs that facilitate community.
There are many opportunities to create common uses that allow members to have more, while spending less. Some of the sustainable lifestyle features we envision could include: community house built with locally harvested materials, sauna/hot tub bath house, solar microgrid, biodiesel filling station, an electric car co-op, rainwater catchment, graywater, permaculture landscaping and shared gardens, etc. A wonderful resource to support us in reaching a common vision is Diana Leafe Christian’s book Creating a Life Together: Practical Tools to Grow Ecovillages and Intentional Communities. This book outlines some of the ways we’ll get to common agreements and a common vision.
Next Steps
Now that the subdivision is almost complete, this group will create the core team and proceed with building our homes and community facilities!
There is a total possibility for eight homes at Laytonville EcoVillage. Either way, you will be on the path to an affordable, sustainable lifestyle.
Once the core team is formed, together, we will create our own common vision and get down to the good work of creating a life together.
“An idyllic dwelling place to participate in cooperative living, food self-reliance, energy self-sufficiency and honor for the land. We will be stewards, friends, teachers and students and we’ll come from all walks of life to share a lifestyle that we all agree is in alignment with principles of ecology, economics, democracy and all that good stuff that draws people together to improve their lives and those of their neighbors and friends.”
— Dan Antonioli, founder
Redwood-sided farmhouse
Soil testing for septic systems.