Common Place Land Cooperative (Or Common Place Land Trust) is a 432-acre, rural land trust community located in the rolling hills of Central New York. It was founded in 1980. Our community is made up of adults and children at varying ages and stages. We are continuously evolving into a small-scale community aimed at greater cooperation and food and energy self-sufficiency. Fourteen homesteads have been created on the land, seven of which are off the grid, and most are using alternative energy of varying types and designs. From time to time there may be a home for sale, but anyone interested in joining our community would benefit from exploring options to build. Over the years, we have come to agreement on 11 core ideals, which define and guide our community, including land stewardship and trusterity, economic self-reliance, diversity, consensus decision making, community participation, and voluntary simplicity. As a community we are not affiliated with any political or religious organization. Members have diverse views and interests including organic gardening, homesteading, organic farming, perennial garden design and maintenance, permaculture, alternative energy and house design, attachment parenting, homeschooling, the arts and music, teaching, natural and herbal healing, yoga and activism. We use consensus decision making at our bi-monthly meetings. We are working to create a cohesive community that inhabits the land, preserving its integrity and resources. We are lucky to have the Truxton Academy Charter School in our town, grades K-6, which “cultivates an enthusiasm for learning through project based curriculum that celebrates our rural life, environmental stewardship, and our agricultural heritage.” https://www.truxtonacademy.org/ To learn more about our community, please visit our website: https://commonplacelandtrust.wordpress.com/
We are ecologically inhabiting and stewarding the land as a Community Land Trust, using consensus decision making.
Our “Clearness” process is 6 mo. min. with 3 members meeting ~3 times, covering core ideals, consensus, leases, financial & building plans, leasehold, etc. When “Clear” & there is consensus, a lease can be signed for 1.5 acres & building can begin.
Our Core Ideals. See our web site
Governance: Decision making-All community members together
Full Consensus
Collaborative/Horizontal
The whole membership decides collectively.
Generally seek agreement, but have backup methods when consensus isn’t reached.
Power and responsibility are shared relatively equally among members.
Conflict in a community is inevitable. We do not seek to suppress conflict, but to approach it rationally, so that it is not an enduring threat to any member in the community. If opinion becomes polarized when considering an item and antagonism develops, we usually move to submit the item to committee, so that more time can be given to the consideration of its problems, and to finding areas of possible consensus. Occasionally, an individual member may become alienated from the community for some reason, or two individuals may become caught up in a continuing animosity. In such cases, the community can form a conflict resolution committee that can offer counseling to a disaffected member and/or also refer members in conflict with each other to mediation services either within the community or outside of it.
Members maintain separate personal finances with minimal sharing.
Join fee: $3000 Regular fees: $130 Labor: Encouraged or suggested Once membership is completed, a one time fee of $3000 called Land Liberation is to be paid, or $4000 can be paid over 10 years at 100 per quarter. Once a house is built, the member is responsible for their house’s and leasehold’s portion of the land taxes. This is billed twice a year. (At present, NY State has a “Star Exemption” program for full time residents which can greatly reduce one of the two tax bills)
Common Land including fields and forests with ravines, Ability to lease extra land with consensus, Woodlot for firewood gathering, Two ponds, Fire pits, Maintained and plowed main road, Driveway plowing, Recreational field, Gathering field, Building called the “Honey House” with electricity for freezers and communal mail area, Electric car hook-up area, a pavilion being planned for 2027.
Cats are fine with no restrictions. Dogs owned by residents must be on a leash, on voice control, or kept on one’s leasehold. Visitor’s dogs must be on a leash. No dogs at Common Place sponsored festivals.
Moderate climate with distinct seasonal changes
Includes deciduous and mixed forest types
Examples: Eastern North American Forests, European Broadleaf Forests
Countryside locations with significant distance from urban centers.
Geographically close groups of independently-owned homes whose residents actively cultivate community relationships and shared values.
Connecting people and communities through an intentional online marketplace
A residential project: people live here as their primary home.
An institution, business, network, or project that isn’t a residence (e.g. a learning center, farm, or network with no one living there full-time).
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