March 2019 | Washington Commons
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YES, WASHINGTON COMMONS NOW OWNS
THE 4th & G STREET PROPERTY
Come celebrate with us at a site tour
Saturday, March 16 at 2:00 p.m.
Meeting at our Site: 4th and G Streets, West Sacramento
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Come join with us to celebrate our purchase of the 4th & G property
Join us this Saturday for
an afternoon
site tour to see our special location and envision the kind of structure and community that we will be creating together. We want to meet you and have you meet us – and through questions, answers and discussion have you get a better idea of what it is like to be “in community.”
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We will give you the latest update on our progress.
We now own the property and have several new members!
We are on schedule to begin the architectural design process. We’ll go over the estimated costs and how to become a member and get involved. It’s a very exciting time be a part of Washington Commons.
Our neighborhood walk will be along the Sacramento River to the Crocker Museum or to a nearby coffee house where we will continue the discussion of what’s involved to make this happen.
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Washington Commons Member Stu Wilson signing the papers with Jenny Vega of Placer Title Company
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On March 8th we signed closing papers and on March 11th Mark Friedman of Fulcrum Properties signed papers and we closed on March 12th - thus the deal is complete. It was a long process. We did due diligence, learned about soils, cultural resources, etcetera. We talked to the City about their development requirements. Our due diligence led by Stu Wilson gave us the confidence to move forward and purchase the land.
We want to thank Mark Friedman and Nick Carter of Fulcrum Properties for working with us through this process.
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Washington Commons Kick Off Workshop with Katie McCamant a Great Success!
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Over two days, we heard from our consultant and national cohousing expert Katie McCamant all the ins and outs of the development process – including the roles of each of the players – architect, developer, city planning officials, contractors, bankers. Katie talked about what other cohousing communities have done and how they have succeeded. She laid out a tentative budget that details the many parts of the Washington Commons development process. It’s complex but Katie made sense of it all for us. She really outlined how we will be getting it done!
We got to know each other, asked lots of great questions and learned a great deal. Several decided to join and several others are giving it careful consideration.
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Katie presenting at the workshop
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Notes from a brainstorming activity about our vision for this community
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Missed the workshop? Don't worry - now's a great time to get involved and find out if Washington Commons is a good fit. Joining soon means priority in home selection and significant discounts on the price of your home.
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What's Happening in & around West Sac?
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Come get to know us and enjoy the Davis Farmers Market
Picnic in the park March 27th 4:30 – Dusk
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Come join us at the Davis Farmers Market for their seasonal “Picnic in the Park”. We’ll meet at 4:30 at the picnic tables. Come early to shop at the Farmers market and buy dinner at the food faire – a conglomeration of various food vendors that come together this time of year. This will be an opportunity to talk informally with Washington Commons members about our community – what we are planning, the costs, the timeframe – in other words a chance to get your questions answered. Hope to see you there!
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West Sacramento’s Chamber of Commerce
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We are new members of West Sacramento’s Chamber of Commerce. It is helping us learn what is going on in West Sacramento as well as sharing our good news with the community. We are now on their events listings and will be attending and participating in their monthly events. We are particularly excited to be part of their upcoming “
State of the City Banquet
” on May 2nd and we invite all who may be interested to join us there. We’ll have more information in future newsletters. More info at
www.westsacramentochamber.com
.
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I Street Lantern Festival
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Very near our site at 4th & G, is the old “I Street Bridge” (built in 1911). A new multi-modal bridge is planned to go from the current base of the bridge at 3rd & C Street in West Sacramento to connect with Railyard Boulevard on the Sacramento side. It is planned that the current I Street Bridge will remain for both for trains and for pedestrians and bicyclists.
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The
I Street Lantern Festival
is the first community engagement event for the
I Street Bridge Deck Conversion Feasibility Study
. The Study is looking at how to transform the bridge to serve only pedestrians and bicyclists. The festival will begin with a brief welcome and introduction, and then lead into a 0.8 mile lantern walk with live music and entertainment.
Registration is encouraged, but not required.
Along the walk route, community members will have an opportunity to learn about the study, provide input on interactive boards, and celebrate the region's cultural heritage. The I Street Bridge will be temporarily lit with lanterns and lights along the rails.
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The New ‘Dream Home’ Should Be a Condo
By Allison Arieff
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We are building what Allison Arieff of the New York Times and also of SPUR (San Francisco Bay Area Planning & Urban Research Association) says should be the new
Dream Home
. We are creating private condo flats in a cohousing community.
Arieff argues the condo should be America’s Dream Home because it is efficient, uses less energy to build and to maintain, and is most often located in urban locations with efficient transportation systems. We agree!! This is certainly true in the case of Washington Commons.
She asks: “What if the next New American Home was a condo? And what if there was a new American dream, not of auto-dependent suburbia, but walkable urbanism?” And yes, that is what WE are creating in
Washington Commons
!
She also notes that if the Green New Deal “recognized the link between building more infill housing and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, it would be even greener.”
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Let's Create Cohousing in West Sacramento:
What do you need to know to take your next steps?
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Come to a site tour. Ask questions. Get answers.
Become an Explorer member
and dig deeper. Take this opportunity to become involved, participate in our business meetings and our committees (as a non-voting member), get to know the group and see how we work together. You’ll be given an orientation on our budget and legal documents creating a sound foundation for our work ahead. Additionally, you will receive a copy of “
Creating Cohousing”
written by our expert consultant Katie McCamant in partnership with Chuck Durrett. Explorer membership is $250. If you become a full member within 3 months the $250 will be deducted from your initial membership investment of $2,000.
If you have been thinking like we have about the importance of community and about the potential of being part of the first cohousing community in West Sacramento – Now is the time to get involved.
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Site Tour and Neighborhood Walk
Saturday March 16, 2 p.m.
at 4th & G
(First time since we officially purchased the site - come celebrate with us!)
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Presentation on Cohousing to Dale Smith’s Homeowners Workshop
Thursday March 21, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
by Anne Geraghty, Washington Commons and Marty Maskall, Fair Oaks EcoHousing
Location: Chili Smith Family Foods, 5907 Fair Oaks Blvd., Carmichael
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I Street Lantern Festival
Saturday March 23, 7-9 p.m.
201 B Street, West Sacramento
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Picnic in the Park
Wednesday March 27th, 4:30 p.m - Dusk
Central Park, Downtown Davis
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National Cohousing Conference
Early Bird Deadline to Register – March 19, 2019
May 31-June 2
Portland, OR
In addition to many interesting conference workshops, this is also a great opportunity to visit
PDX Commons Cohousing --
as part of a pre-conference tour on May 31 or at a post conference open house on June 2. We are learning much from PDX Commons. Their community, like ours, is an urban infill project on ½ acre (we have .55 acres). It is 4 stories tall with 27 “stacked flats” including 1-3 bedrooms with beautiful community spaces including library, guest rooms, media room, and community dining room.
We’ll have a table and reception at the Conference!
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Hope to see you at an event soon!
Anne, Maggie, Loretta, Stu & Janet, Stu & Willa,
Mary Ann & Herb, Polly & Steve, Jae
Welcome to our New Members!
Durriyah & Badru, Lisa & Scott, Christopher, Fran, Karen & Ed, Heather
Welcome to our new Explorers!
Kathleen, Patricia, Nicki, Eydie & Curt, Joan & Edwin, Valery & Tim
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