We live on 40 forested acres in south Snohomish County, about 25 miles northeast from Seattle. Sharingwood is a lot-development cohousing model, where members buy lots and build their own homes to meet individual budgets and tastes. There is a mixture of owners and rental spaces and while most homes are pretty middle-class standard we have a small number of alternative dwellings including a cob/straw bale home. We share meals on a regular and ongoing basis and have a bulk food purchasing program that is available to residents.
We use a variety of decision-making approaches, although consensus is the goal on most issues. We empower small groups to make specific decisions that do not really require the input of the entire membership.
In addition to a monthly meeting, we have found that sharing circles can play an important role in nurturing a deeper sense of trust within the community. Here members find an opportunity to come together and share honestly and openly in a safe space.
Initiated by individuals, people do things together like yoga, meditation, sharing resources, organic gardening, work parties, campfires, playfield, concerts, and children’s activities.
The enchanting nature of the native forests and the many trails that surround the community define a village-like setting. Wilderness to some, sanctuary to others, for most it offers a comforting contrast to our workaday world.
Community owned assets : a 23-acre forested greenbelt which wraps around the community on three sides with trails, a campground, a stream, and an active beaver dam; playgrounds and a playfield; productive community gardens and fruit trees.
We have joined on this land to work together to form a community for all ages, to create and maintain healthy relationships among ourselves and the wider community, and to wisely steward the native forest that surrounds us. We strive to provide a living example to ourselves and to the world of a healthy, viable, community-centered neighborhood that exists in harmony with the land we live on.
Where each person feels accepted and valued as they are.
Where decisions are reached through consensus.
Where responsible environmental choices are encouraged.
Where children and adults can play, grow and learn in a nurturing atmosphere.
I will do my best to:
Become conversant with the declarations and other policies decided upon by the Sharingwood community
Be attentive to the needs of the Sharingwood environment and community.
Contribute my skills and talents to the Sharingwood community.
Be an active participant in the committees and governance of Sharingwood.
Help resolve troublesome differences in the Sharingwood community.
Visit our website for information on how to contact us for tours.
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.
All residents participate in decision-making.
Members maintain separate personal finances with minimal sharing.
Regular fees: $125
Labor: Yes (1 hrs/week)
Monthly assessment and member involvement.
Common House, Garden(s), Greenhouse(s), Large Scale Kitchen, Fire pit, Swingsets & play areas, Internet
Countryside locations with significant distance from urban centers.
Private homes with shared common facilities, designed for neighborly
interaction while maintaining independence.
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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