Consume less, share more!
Shared resources will be a defining characteristic of Rocky Corner. There are many ways we can share resources, from buildings to work to appliances to vehicles. We don’t all need to own a truck or a blender
or a table saw. We can own these items together and share them.
From our vision statement:The community consists of privately owned, self-sufficient homes and a common house, which includes facilities for shared meals and a variety of other community resources.
(Nevada City Cohousing)
A large common house is a key feature of cohousing communities. The common house serves as natural community center where we can socialize and share meals if we want to, and we can take advantage of common recreational facilities such as a library, an arts/crafts room, a woodworking shop, an exercise room, office space, a kids’ play room, a teen lounge, or a game room, among other ideas.
With shared facilities available in the common house and elsewhere on the property, the privately owned homes don’t need a lot of seldom-used spaces (like guest rooms), and can therefore be smaller and more affordable than stand-alone suburban homes. We don’t want everyone to have their own lawn mower and snowblower, plus a guest room, an office or two, and space to entertain twenty people at a dinner party.
Moving from a typical single-family suburban home to a cohousing community typically reduces energy costs by about forty percent. Because the Rocky Corner community is designed specifically for energy efficiency, the savings should be even greater for most households.
We work cooperatively for mutual benefit.
Rocky Corner is planning for shared work. Working together on the farm or on maintenance of the grounds helps the work go faster and you make friends at the same time. If we can mow and weed and shovel snow together, then we don’t have to pay an outsider to do it.
We are committed to learning about and adopting practices that minimize consumption of energy, water, and other natural resources.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to share cars or vans for commuting to work or to shopping or to events? Wouldn’t it be terrific to know your neighbors so well you can walk over and borrow a blender or cake mixer for that one time a month you need one? Wouldn’t it be great to host your dinner party at the common house where all the dishes and cooking utensils you need are there for you to use?
Shared resources will save everyone money and save the environment, too.