East Bay Sierra Club Dinner

“Building Califia - a Model Arcology in Northern California”

Thursday, Jan 24, no-host cocktails/social hour—6 pm, dinner—7:00, program—8:00, intermission—9:00, after hours group discussion—9:15-11:00. Berkeley Yacht Club on the Berkeley Marina, one block north of the west end of University Avenue (ample free park­ing is available in the Marina parking lots; bus #81 service to Marina from Ashby BART).

Urban designer Paolo Soleri developed a methodology of ecological city design in the late 1960s he called “arcology” (architecture+ecology) and sought to test his ideas with Arcosanti, a pioneering model town in the Arizona desert 60 miles north of Phoenix. Although the full build out of Arcosanti has never been realized, it has served as an inspiring “urban laboratory” and experiential learning center, hosting workshops and events and providing tours to hundreds of thousands of visitors. (EBCOHO co-organizers Raines and Betsy have been several times, including recently for the Global Ecovillage Network North American Alliance CoLab)

In the early 2000s the San Francisco-based Green Century Institute on sustainable communities explored the development of Califia, a model arcology in Northern California. The idea was (and still is) to learn from Arcosanti and related projects, and tap into the substantial cultural and business resources of the Bay Area to create something truly extraordinary: a model community that the rest of the world can participate in, learn from and build upon. Might now be the time to initiate such a visionary enterprise? With the specter of sea-level rise at our doorstep and the prospect of millions of climate change refugees, arcology may well be a vital piece of the puzzle when it comes to planning required new urban centers, and refashioning existing cities.

Come join us as sustainable community expert Michael Gosney provides an in-depth exploration of ecocity concepts and the vital import of city design and the built environment in the overall sustainability and human needs equations. An overarching theme is the position of cities in today’s world as the true network of civilization and the evolutionary potential they contain. This potential has been severely limited by the dystopian web of nation-states and profit-driven enterprises that usurp the authority of real “place” with artificial boundaries, external financial and political controls, and constraining regulations. Gosney will share a range of resources and projects that are contributing to the emerging new paradigm of ecologically sound urban planning, and review some of the potential scenarios for seeing Califia – and other large scale ecocities - actually come to life!

Michael Gosney served on the Board of Arcosanti in the 90s where he co-produced the Paradox Conference series with Paolo Soleri, and co-founded the Green Century Institute on sustainable communities in San Francisco. Michael is a longtime technology pioneer, environmental thought leader and online and on-the-ground community builder. He has authored 17 books, and has worked with both festival culture (Burning Man, Earthdance International) and intentional communities (Arcosanti, Auroville, Damanhur). He is currently co-developing the Communitas.Zone collaboration network to facilitate greater synergies among these groups through TechneVerde.org/BFI.org, and supporting the development of the Radish.org collective intelligence platform.

***

Cost of dinner and program is $30, including tax and tip. $10 for program only, starting at 8 p.m.

RSVP here, but get your tickets directly via EventBrite:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sierra-club-dinner-building-califia-a-model-arcology-in-northern-cal-tickets-53776511995

***

Directions: Go ALL the way to the west end of University Avenue, Berkeley, until you get to the water. Then turn right, and at the very end of the road (Seawall Drive), you will find ample parking for the Berkeley Yacht Club. See you there!

Orientations vary from Saturdays, Sundays, and very occasional weekday evenings, but we hold them every 4-6 weeks.  

Come when you are ready!

Cohousing, housing cooperatives, cohouseholding, communes and ecovillages - Intentional communities, transition towns, nonprofit affordable housing, senior "villages" -- What's the difference and why does it matter?

What's living one of these communities really like?  Should I join an existing community or start my own? Where do I find openings?  How do cooperative communities really work?  Who's in charge?  You'll get answers and links to a world of resources at our EBCOHO orientation.

Comments on recent orientations:

Very informative and well-presented. Nice group of people, too (of course!).  
Leslie Hassberg

... I left inspired. Jeff French

...Very thorough, lots of good advice. Raines is a wonderful host. Walter Feigenson

Presentation so knowledgeable, yet relaxed. ... very lovely people i met - ginny

 Doors open at 9:45 for a little social time and set up; Program runs from 10:00 to 11:30, including a little more time for networking, wrapping up by 12. Light refreshments available, but lunch is not included.

Agenda usually includes: 

• Member introductions, goals and connections. 
• Definitions and overview of different types of intentional communities in the Bay Area;  
• How to use EBCOHO and other online resources.  
• Questions & Answers 
• Community-building game or exercise, and time for open sharing on your experience and interests. 

Raines Cohen, Cohousing Coach and community organizer, will present and facilitate.

The orientation fee of $20 per household helps cover ongoing EBCOHO expenses. Bring a friend and save up to $5 each; supporting members (and members of supporting groups) pay just $10. 

Your contribution is refunded if you become a supporting member on the spot. (Supporting members get our thanks, a free Cohousing book or Communities Magazine subscription, plus discounts on many of our events). 

If you RSVP for multiple people, MeetUp will tell you the price is per person, but relax... it's really just per household. Bring your visiting relatives or housemates. You can pay at the door by cash, check, or credit card. Get your better half or thirds(!) to join you.

If you can't come out with us on a Sunday morning -- fear not! Keep eye on the EBCOHO calendar for what's coming up, weekend and weeknight orientations, (un)common meals, socials, movies, and other ways to connect. We hope to see you soon.

http://www.EBCOHO.org/

Orientations vary from Saturdays, Sundays, and very occasional weekday evenings, but we hold them every 4-6 weeks.  

Come when you are ready!

Cohousing, housing cooperatives, cohouseholding, communes and ecovillages - Intentional communities, transition towns, nonprofit affordable housing, senior "villages" -- What's the difference and why does it matter?

What's living one of these communities really like?  Should I join an existing community or start my own? Where do I find openings?  How do cooperative communities really work?  Who's in charge?  You'll get answers and links to a world of resources at our EBCOHO orientation.

Comments on recent orientations:

Very informative and well-presented. Nice group of people, too (of course!).  
Leslie Hassberg

... I left inspired. Jeff French

...Very thorough, lots of good advice. Raines is a wonderful host. Walter Feigenson

Presentation so knowledgeable, yet relaxed. ... very lovely people i met - ginny

 Doors open at 9:45 for a little social time and set up; Program runs from 10:00 to 11:30, including a little more time for networking, wrapping up by 12. Light refreshments available, but lunch is not included.

Agenda usually includes: 

• Member introductions, goals and connections. 
• Definitions and overview of different types of intentional communities in the Bay Area;  
• How to use EBCOHO and other online resources.  
• Questions & Answers 
• Community-building game or exercise, and time for open sharing on your experience and interests. 

Raines Cohen, Cohousing Coach and community organizer, will present and facilitate.

The orientation fee of $20 per household helps cover ongoing EBCOHO expenses. Bring a friend and save up to $5 each; supporting members (and members of supporting groups) pay just $10. 

Your contribution is refunded if you become a supporting member on the spot. (Supporting members get our thanks, a free Cohousing book or Communities Magazine subscription, plus discounts on many of our events). 

If you RSVP for multiple people, MeetUp will tell you the price is per person, but relax... it's really just per household. Bring your visiting relatives or housemates. You can pay at the door by cash, check, or credit card. Get your better half or thirds(!) to join you.

If you can't come out with us on a Sunday morning -- fear not! Keep eye on the EBCOHO calendar for what's coming up, weekend and weeknight orientations, (un)common meals, socials, movies, and other ways to connect. We hope to see you soon.

http://www.EBCOHO.org/

[Note:placeholder location which is near, NOT at the actual site. RSVP required for directions. Not a current residential opportunity. Read below for details. RSVPs open to all, but EBCOHO Supporting Members get first notice.]

Some folks we know who are leading the local food justice movement have initiated the development of the first sustainable, urban farm cohousing community using Slow Money investment in the East Bay. We have helped folks get connected and become supporters of the project, including tapping self-directed IRA accounts for both social and financial return.

They have completed the purchase and have invited potential development-phase investors/collaborators to participate in a Sunday brunch, followed by a land tour. Note: the community does not have any buildings yet and they are not accepting applications to live there at this time.

They write: We have some exciting updates to share, including two upcoming construction projects: the renovation of a 3-bedroom house, and a new 1,000 square foot straw-bale house, both of which will be setting precedent on natural building techniques to serve as a model for non-toxic, sustainable, and fire-proof building, all to code!

We'd love to show you in person the potential of this project, and we are seeking new lenders to join us in continuing to bring this vision into fruition.

Original Wild & Radish vision:
This 10 acre community in El Sobrante, California (in the hills East of Richmond) will serve as a local foodshed by providing organic fruits and vegetables to the region, raise healthy families, and help others replicate this work through educational programs and strategic support.

In their original long-term plans (which have evolved over the past several years): One acre will serve as the site for four rental homes and corresponding "granny units". This housing will accommodate approximately 30 people as tenants (rentals) as well as a community education center. These beautiful "green homes" will demonstrate the most energy efficient, non-toxic, natural building practices, while generating the revenue needed to pay off construction and development loans.

Two acres will be restored with native species and preserved as a wilderness refuge to honor and nourish the freshwater spring and creek that runs through this special piece of land.

Seven acres will support an extraordinarily diverse permaculture farm, with over 2,500 fruit trees and an abundant understory of edible plants, berries, flowers, and herbs.

If you are interested in supporting or investing in this innovative and ambitious model for true sustainability, join for this site visit.

Notes:

This is not an EBCOHO-sponsored event. We do share opportunities like this and give first notice and first dibs to our supporting members.

The founders are not seeking new residential members at this point, as best we understand. Consider it a Slow Money investment. Oh yeah, this is not a solicitation, and EBCOHO is not an investment consultant or broker or anything like that; our purpose is solely educational.

Wear good shoes and be prepared for walking on hilly, muddy terrain through brush.

The site is raw, without any bathroom facilities or structures. Enter at your own risk.

RSVP required; we'll pass on your info to the organizers.

Some of the founders include:

May Nguyen began her food justice work during her years as a student activist at UC Berkeley, working with a pro-agrarian, community-oriented campus organization and practicing sustainable food production while WWOOF'ing in Thailand and France. She completed a B.A. in Architecture, and has since been interested in building sustainable communities by transforming the asphalt deserts of urban & suburban landscapes into greener, healthier, more vibrant, multi-generational and multi-colored neighborhoods.

Haleh Zandi is a co-founder and the Educational Director of an Oakland-based non-profit organization called Planting Justice. She believes the modern colonial food system is in a paradigm of war, and she is dedicated to the ways in which diverse communities may build alliances and practice strategies that collectively resist the violence of the industrial food system and structurally shift the United States towards more ecologically sustainable and socially just methods for growing and sharing our food.

Andrew Chahrour grew up in Ohio and got his BA in Environmental Studies from Bucknell University in Pennsylvania. In Ohio and Pennsylvania, he was exposed to a variety of Midwestern agricultural systems, both conventional and organic. Andrew's degree in Environmental Studies led him to a job with the Bureau of Land Management in Wyoming where he worked to produce digital maps of aspen stands, whose recession across the Western US has been poorly understood.

EBCOHO member Gavin Raders is a co-founder and executive director of Planting Justice, a social justice activist, and a permacuture demonstrator/teacher. He dedicates his time to practicing permaculture wherever he can, having gone through extensive training with some of the most inspiring and effective permaculture teachers in the world: Geoff Lawton, Penny Livingston-Stark, Brock Dolman, Darren Dougherty, and Nik Bertulis. He comes to permaculture and ecological design through a social justice framework which recognizes the right of all people to peace, security, housing, healthy food, clean water, jobs and healthcare, and the rights of future generations to a just and livable world.

Leah Atwood grew up on a ranch in the redwoods of Arcata, CA and moved to the Bay Area to pursue degrees in Environmental Policy and Spanish at UC Berkeley. She has lived in South and Central America as well as in Bangladesh working on behalf of social, environmental and food justice initiatives. Thanks to her work experience abroad she gained further insight into international agriculture systems and the value of socio-ecologically mindful practices and unconventional multi-stakeholder collaboration. Leah currently serves as Program Director for the Multinational Exchange for Sustainable Agriculture (MESA). She deeply enjoys: teaching and practicing yoga; being outside on rocks, waves and trails; growing food and befriending bees.

Wild and Radish LLC is honored to be working with four amazing green architects: Cate Leger, Karl Wanaselja, Darrel DeBoer, and Bob Thyce.

Details:

http://www.WildAndRadish.com/

Many of the East Bay's cohousing neighborhoods will be participating in the fourth annual National Cohousing Open House Day, on Saturday, April 27.

We'll include a directory here, tour opportunities, related events, virtual tours, and more. Sign up for updates.

Co-sponsored by the NorCal Community Resilience Network and the East Bay Permaculture Guild. 

Over a delicious potluck dinner, we'll share briefly about the NorCal Network's exciting work to cross-pollinate with the movers and shakers of Bay Area social and environmental justice movements for its upcoming February launch. With good people, good food, and good work, this is a celebration you won't want to miss!

Note: While this is not a cohousing-specific gathering, we know lots of EBCOHO members are interested in co-creating natural environments for living that include sustainable food production, and you can find many allies for building community at gatherings like this. And while permaculture is stereotypically about plants and animals, don't forget that it ultimately includes energy and social layers, and cohousing can be a key building block in sustainable community living.

Join area permies at our regional community-organizing center, EBCOHO partner a PLACE for Sustainable Living in North Oakland on the second Monday of the month for an East Bay Permaculture Guild monthly meeting. Please bring your questions, announcements, ideas, stories, and visions of how permaculture can help us bridge through the transition as we co-create a more permanent culture based on Earth Care, People Care and Fair Share. 

If possible please bring a dish for the potluck, produce or seeds to share. 
Please forward this invitation to anyone who might be interested in attending. 

Donations to help support PLACE are always appreciated.

About PLACE (People Linking Art, Community and Ecology): We foster sustainable living practices through art, community and ecology. We do this by way of educational workshops and exhibits, outreach programs, partnerships, events and public placemaking.

Raines says: This regular monthly community tour and open house of the East Bay's biggest and most "suburban" cohousing neighborhood, Pleasant Hill cohousing, the only "new-build" classic cohousing community in the region, the largest in the East Bay, and a lovely community.

Note that this is not an official MeetUp run by East Bay Cohousing, but we will pass along RSVPs that come in here, and you can use this event listing to coordinate carpooling, bike riding, and the like.

Every first Sunday of the month.

Visit Pleasant Hill Cohousing's page on the EBCOHO MeetUp for more info, links, and current openings.

If you need to cancel your reservation, or decide not to go, please let Pleasant Hill's volunteer tour guide know as soon as possible!

Individual Homes

There are 32 units, grouped in various configurations ranging from 2-6 homes per building. The buildings were constructed with wood framing, stucco outer walls, and corrogated metal roofing. The smallest units are 640 sq ft one-bedrooms; the largest are 1579 sq ft four-bedrooms.

Each home has its own kitchen. The homes are owned individually as condominiums, with some rentals.

Common Areas

Our 3,835 sq ft Common House contains a kitchen, dining room ("great room"), sitting room, laundry, kids room, teens/older kids room, crafts room, guest rooms, and bathrooms.

The Common House is the only building in the project that has air conditioning. However to minimize the use of air conditioning, the building also has a cooling tower with large fans that can be used in the evening to pull cooler air into the building and push hot air out.

Other common facilities include swimming pool, hot tub, play area, workshop, bike shed, organic garden, and granite boulders from original site - both decorative and used by children for climbing.

Location

We're conveniently located near Highway 680 and public transportation, with easy access to Walnut Creek, shopping, and recreation.

Pleasant Hill, population 32,000, is located 30 miles east of San Francisco, 4 miles north of the I-680/Hwy 24 interchange. Mostly a residential community with scattered retail/commercial areas, it is bounded by the cities of Walnut Creek, Lafayette, Concord, and Martinez. Pleasant Hill has recently (2000) redeveloped its downtown to create a contemporary shopping district just blocks from the site. In addition, an abundance of good restaurants and shops are within easy driving distance. The city has good recreation programs for all ages and regional walking/biking trails traverse it.

Iron Horse Trail

A walking and biking trail - the Iron Horse Trail (so named because it's on the old Southern Pacific Railroad right-of-way) - runs alongside the site and connects to the Pleasant Hill BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) station (~1 mile) and downtown Walnut Creek (~4 miles). The 24-mile trail goes north-south from Concord to Dublin and connects to several other trails that traverse the county making for great biking opportunities.

A neighborhood park is located just the other side of Fair Oaks Elementary School adjacent to the site. Briones Regional Park and Mt. Diablo State Park are located nearby providing numerous opportunities for hiking and recreation. There are several health clubs in Pleasant Hill including the YMCA.

Diablo Valley Community College and JFK University are located in Pleasant Hill, and there are several city and county adult education programs in the area.

There are multiple venues nearby for movies, theater, music and other performing arts including the Dean Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, the Willows Theater Company in Concord, and the Concord Pavillion.

There are farmers markets in Pleasant Hill (May-Nov) and Walnut Creek (year-round). Several community members participate in a CSA farm, Terra Firma Farms, with a weekly delivery of locally grown organic fruits and vegies made even more convenient because we are the drop site. 

Raines says: This regular monthly community tour and open house of the East Bay's biggest and most "suburban" cohousing neighborhood, Pleasant Hill cohousing, the only "new-build" classic cohousing community in the region, the largest in the East Bay, and a lovely community.

Note that this is not an official MeetUp run by East Bay Cohousing, but we will pass along RSVPs that come in here, and you can use this event listing to coordinate carpooling, bike riding, and the like.

Every first Sunday of the month.

Visit Pleasant Hill Cohousing's page on the EBCOHO MeetUp for more info, links, and current openings.

If you need to cancel your reservation, or decide not to go, please let Pleasant Hill's volunteer tour guide know as soon as possible!

Individual Homes

There are 32 units, grouped in various configurations ranging from 2-6 homes per building. The buildings were constructed with wood framing, stucco outer walls, and corrogated metal roofing. The smallest units are 640 sq ft one-bedrooms; the largest are 1579 sq ft four-bedrooms.

Each home has its own kitchen. The homes are owned individually as condominiums, with some rentals.

Common Areas

Our 3,835 sq ft Common House contains a kitchen, dining room ("great room"), sitting room, laundry, kids room, teens/older kids room, crafts room, guest rooms, and bathrooms.

The Common House is the only building in the project that has air conditioning. However to minimize the use of air conditioning, the building also has a cooling tower with large fans that can be used in the evening to pull cooler air into the building and push hot air out.

Other common facilities include swimming pool, hot tub, play area, workshop, bike shed, organic garden, and granite boulders from original site - both decorative and used by children for climbing.

Location

We're conveniently located near Highway 680 and public transportation, with easy access to Walnut Creek, shopping, and recreation.

Pleasant Hill, population 32,000, is located 30 miles east of San Francisco, 4 miles north of the I-680/Hwy 24 interchange. Mostly a residential community with scattered retail/commercial areas, it is bounded by the cities of Walnut Creek, Lafayette, Concord, and Martinez. Pleasant Hill has recently (2000) redeveloped its downtown to create a contemporary shopping district just blocks from the site. In addition, an abundance of good restaurants and shops are within easy driving distance. The city has good recreation programs for all ages and regional walking/biking trails traverse it.

Iron Horse Trail

A walking and biking trail - the Iron Horse Trail (so named because it's on the old Southern Pacific Railroad right-of-way) - runs alongside the site and connects to the Pleasant Hill BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) station (~1 mile) and downtown Walnut Creek (~4 miles). The 24-mile trail goes north-south from Concord to Dublin and connects to several other trails that traverse the county making for great biking opportunities.

A neighborhood park is located just the other side of Fair Oaks Elementary School adjacent to the site. Briones Regional Park and Mt. Diablo State Park are located nearby providing numerous opportunities for hiking and recreation. There are several health clubs in Pleasant Hill including the YMCA.

Diablo Valley Community College and JFK University are located in Pleasant Hill, and there are several city and county adult education programs in the area.

There are multiple venues nearby for movies, theater, music and other performing arts including the Dean Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, the Willows Theater Company in Concord, and the Concord Pavillion.

There are farmers markets in Pleasant Hill (May-Nov) and Walnut Creek (year-round). Several community members participate in a CSA farm, Terra Firma Farms, with a weekly delivery of locally grown organic fruits and vegies made even more convenient because we are the drop site. 

Raines says: This regular monthly community tour and open house of the East Bay's biggest and most "suburban" cohousing neighborhood, Pleasant Hill cohousing, the only "new-build" classic cohousing community in the region, the largest in the East Bay, and a lovely community.

Note that this is not an official MeetUp run by East Bay Cohousing, but we will pass along RSVPs that come in here, and you can use this event listing to coordinate carpooling, bike riding, and the like.

Every first Sunday of the month.

Visit Pleasant Hill Cohousing's page on the EBCOHO MeetUp for more info, links, and current openings.

If you need to cancel your reservation, or decide not to go, please let Pleasant Hill's volunteer tour guide know as soon as possible!

Individual Homes

There are 32 units, grouped in various configurations ranging from 2-6 homes per building. The buildings were constructed with wood framing, stucco outer walls, and corrogated metal roofing. The smallest units are 640 sq ft one-bedrooms; the largest are 1579 sq ft four-bedrooms.

Each home has its own kitchen. The homes are owned individually as condominiums, with some rentals.

Common Areas

Our 3,835 sq ft Common House contains a kitchen, dining room ("great room"), sitting room, laundry, kids room, teens/older kids room, crafts room, guest rooms, and bathrooms.

The Common House is the only building in the project that has air conditioning. However to minimize the use of air conditioning, the building also has a cooling tower with large fans that can be used in the evening to pull cooler air into the building and push hot air out.

Other common facilities include swimming pool, hot tub, play area, workshop, bike shed, organic garden, and granite boulders from original site - both decorative and used by children for climbing.

Location

We're conveniently located near Highway 680 and public transportation, with easy access to Walnut Creek, shopping, and recreation.

Pleasant Hill, population 32,000, is located 30 miles east of San Francisco, 4 miles north of the I-680/Hwy 24 interchange. Mostly a residential community with scattered retail/commercial areas, it is bounded by the cities of Walnut Creek, Lafayette, Concord, and Martinez. Pleasant Hill has recently (2000) redeveloped its downtown to create a contemporary shopping district just blocks from the site. In addition, an abundance of good restaurants and shops are within easy driving distance. The city has good recreation programs for all ages and regional walking/biking trails traverse it.

Iron Horse Trail

A walking and biking trail - the Iron Horse Trail (so named because it's on the old Southern Pacific Railroad right-of-way) - runs alongside the site and connects to the Pleasant Hill BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) station (~1 mile) and downtown Walnut Creek (~4 miles). The 24-mile trail goes north-south from Concord to Dublin and connects to several other trails that traverse the county making for great biking opportunities.

A neighborhood park is located just the other side of Fair Oaks Elementary School adjacent to the site. Briones Regional Park and Mt. Diablo State Park are located nearby providing numerous opportunities for hiking and recreation. There are several health clubs in Pleasant Hill including the YMCA.

Diablo Valley Community College and JFK University are located in Pleasant Hill, and there are several city and county adult education programs in the area.

There are multiple venues nearby for movies, theater, music and other performing arts including the Dean Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, the Willows Theater Company in Concord, and the Concord Pavillion.

There are farmers markets in Pleasant Hill (May-Nov) and Walnut Creek (year-round). Several community members participate in a CSA farm, Terra Firma Farms, with a weekly delivery of locally grown organic fruits and vegies made even more convenient because we are the drop site. 

Raines says: This regular monthly community tour and open house of the East Bay's biggest and most "suburban" cohousing neighborhood, Pleasant Hill cohousing, the only "new-build" classic cohousing community in the region, the largest in the East Bay, and a lovely community.

Note that this is not an official MeetUp run by East Bay Cohousing, but we will pass along RSVPs that come in here, and you can use this event listing to coordinate carpooling, bike riding, and the like.

Every first Sunday of the month.

Visit Pleasant Hill Cohousing's page on the EBCOHO MeetUp for more info, links, and current openings.

If you need to cancel your reservation, or decide not to go, please let Pleasant Hill's volunteer tour guide know as soon as possible!

Individual Homes

There are 32 units, grouped in various configurations ranging from 2-6 homes per building. The buildings were constructed with wood framing, stucco outer walls, and corrogated metal roofing. The smallest units are 640 sq ft one-bedrooms; the largest are 1579 sq ft four-bedrooms.

Each home has its own kitchen. The homes are owned individually as condominiums, with some rentals.

Common Areas

Our 3,835 sq ft Common House contains a kitchen, dining room ("great room"), sitting room, laundry, kids room, teens/older kids room, crafts room, guest rooms, and bathrooms.

The Common House is the only building in the project that has air conditioning. However to minimize the use of air conditioning, the building also has a cooling tower with large fans that can be used in the evening to pull cooler air into the building and push hot air out.

Other common facilities include swimming pool, hot tub, play area, workshop, bike shed, organic garden, and granite boulders from original site - both decorative and used by children for climbing.

Location

We're conveniently located near Highway 680 and public transportation, with easy access to Walnut Creek, shopping, and recreation.

Pleasant Hill, population 32,000, is located 30 miles east of San Francisco, 4 miles north of the I-680/Hwy 24 interchange. Mostly a residential community with scattered retail/commercial areas, it is bounded by the cities of Walnut Creek, Lafayette, Concord, and Martinez. Pleasant Hill has recently (2000) redeveloped its downtown to create a contemporary shopping district just blocks from the site. In addition, an abundance of good restaurants and shops are within easy driving distance. The city has good recreation programs for all ages and regional walking/biking trails traverse it.

Iron Horse Trail

A walking and biking trail - the Iron Horse Trail (so named because it's on the old Southern Pacific Railroad right-of-way) - runs alongside the site and connects to the Pleasant Hill BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) station (~1 mile) and downtown Walnut Creek (~4 miles). The 24-mile trail goes north-south from Concord to Dublin and connects to several other trails that traverse the county making for great biking opportunities.

A neighborhood park is located just the other side of Fair Oaks Elementary School adjacent to the site. Briones Regional Park and Mt. Diablo State Park are located nearby providing numerous opportunities for hiking and recreation. There are several health clubs in Pleasant Hill including the YMCA.

Diablo Valley Community College and JFK University are located in Pleasant Hill, and there are several city and county adult education programs in the area.

There are multiple venues nearby for movies, theater, music and other performing arts including the Dean Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, the Willows Theater Company in Concord, and the Concord Pavillion.

There are farmers markets in Pleasant Hill (May-Nov) and Walnut Creek (year-round). Several community members participate in a CSA farm, Terra Firma Farms, with a weekly delivery of locally grown organic fruits and vegies made even more convenient because we are the drop site.