BLUE RIDGE COHOUSING

              ...a place to grow together

Becoming a Member

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We encourage prospective members to attend one of our Open Houses or Potluck Socials listed on the Events page. After getting to know us, you can become an Associate Member for a one-time nonrefundable fee of $250. Associate Members can attend business meetings and take part in discussions.

The next level of commitment is Equity Membership. This costs $10,000, reserves a house, secures a place in the lot selection queue and grants full decision-making rights.

We also encourage members, as well as non-members, to become investors. Investors put money into the development project, which is returned with a predetermined interest payment after the project is completed. Feel free to contact us to learn about the rate of return and other details.

Meet Our Members

Herb and Annie:   

Herb and Annie share a love of gardening, Poppy (our dog) and our two cats, and well as yoga and meditation practice. We’ve been together since the mid-90’s and expect to continue. We have a total of four children and 8 grandchildren, some right in the area and others on the West Coast. We usually take 5-8 mile hikes weekly, year-round.

Herb, late 60s and retired, is an avid gardener and bicycles for local transportation. He also enjoys monthly Sufi dancing, a long-term men’s group, and helps with Food Not Bombs. He grew up in New Jersey, and moved to Virginia in '72 to join Springtree Community near Scottsville. He later was co-director (with his wife) of William Penn House in Washington, DC, for 2 years and then volunteered for the Peace Corps in Palau (Micronesia). He spent several years back in Charlottesville renovating houses and doing carpentry, then earned a Master’s in counseling at UVA and worked for 13 years at the Blue Ridge Club House of Region Ten CSB before retiring. He does one-day-a-week child care for one of his granddaughters who lives in the area.

Annie, early 60s, is a native of Virginia, growing up in the Northern Neck and spending my adult life mostly in Charlottesville. I am a yoga teacher, wildcrafter, gardener and a GED teacher, as well as working part time with mentally ill adults. I spent many years as a single mother, and after buying a house in 1977, made a home for myself and son and have continued to live and garden there since. My experience with community is two-fold. Becoming a member of Deer Rock community in '92, I was a member until the community failed in '96. I also

spent several weeks a year at East Wind in Missouri, for the seven years my son was there. I am a homebody, but travel to visit my offspring in the West once or twice a year.

Carol:

I came to Charlottesville in 1962 to go to nursing school, married, and have 3 grown children. I am a homemaker in the Mill Creek area, active supporter of all my loved ones, and now teach nursing. I practiced psychiatric nursing for 20 years in Virginia and love working with students and colleagues in health care. Current interests are writing articles related to nursing, poems and essays, grandchildren, watercolors, national parks, various religions, and contributing to community building. Friends, family, dog Basil, and I walk/hike around the area in the forests and mountains of the Blue Ridge . The BRC group has a lot of energy, intelligence, and intergenerational connections and I very pleased to be a part of its development.  

Dan, Jenny, Thea, Robbie, Robin, and Suzanne:

Dan and Jenny moved to Charlottesville in 2007, with their two children, Thea ('04) and Robbie ('07).  Jenny's parents, Robin and Suzanne, are currently living in Abingdon, VA and plan to move in with us after they retire in a few years.  They will be visiting frequently until then to make sure we are giving the kids enough ice cream.

Dan is originally from western New York.  He is a graduate of Virginia Tech and UNC-Chapel Hill, taught statistics for six years at Virginia Tech, and is now beginning his second year teaching at UVA.   Jenny grew up in southwestern Virginia and is a graduate of William & Mary and UVA.  She taught elementary school (grades 3-5) for seven years in NC and VA, and is trained as a reading specialist.  Thea and Robbie were born in Blacksburg; Thea is currently working on her preschool diploma from a Charlottesville preschool, and Robbie is currently working on growing his back molars and learning to use a spoon.  Jenny and Dan both look forward to being involved in larger gardening projects again.  Thea loves reading, animals, and spending as much time as possible with her Nana and Papa.  Robbie loves being in perpetual motion and making a lot of noise.  Our family attends the Unitarian Universalist church in Charlottesville.

Robin and Suzanne both teach at Emory & Henry College, in the English & Education departments, respectively.   Robin's work has been in Renaissance psychology with a focus on the works of Shakespeare and Spencer, and Suzanne has written books ranging in topic from young adult literature to ESL education.  

Both are avid gardeners who also enjoy occasional biking and kayaking.  We are all excited to be part of a neighborhood that values a healthy community and healthy environment, and look forward to getting to know our neighbors better!

David and Deborah:

Deborah:

David and I have spent the last 28 years living in Costa Rica while doing rain forest research and, for the first 14 years, directing a research station.  We're now looking toward our move back to the U.S.  We're both very attracted to the concept of co-housing as a way of joining an interactive community with a shared commitment to minimizing its "footprint" on the planet.  Being near a university and in a non-urban environment with lots of natural areas close by are other aspects we are looking for. For all these reasons we find the Blue Ridge Co-Housing project to be an exciting possibility for this next phase of our lives.  Interests: Music (Americana/Irish - guitar, singing; jazz - listening), Reading, Hiking and observing nature, Learning about other cultures/parts of the world.

David:

Deborah and I will be moving back to the United States after having lived abroad almost all of our adult lives.  We’re looking for a place to settle down within a community of interesting people near a university town.  The idea of the intentional community is very attractive to us.  We have lived in small communities (biological

research stations) for three decades, so we’re intimately familiar with living in close-knit communities.  We like the idea of knowing our neighbors, mutual security, shared upkeep of a larger community, a car-free living space, and the possibility for optional communal meals.  Interests: Music (Americana, Irish, mandolin and fiddle), Reading, Hiking and observing nature, Regular exercise.

Denise:    

I moved here four years ago from southern Maryland and love living in Crozet.  I have two very cool grown children, Chris and David, who are both students at the University of Maryland. They visit when school is out and may both eventually settle in the area. Several years ago I made a decision to scale back my work schedule and learn to live more simply and less expensively in anticipation of retiring one day from the nursing profession and having to live on a fixed income.  

My three-day-a-week schedule has made a huge difference in my attitude, focus, and ability to be emotionally present at work, as well as in having the time to get involved in pursuits that I care about and that enrich my personal life.  Some of these are described below.

In addition to working part time at UVA Medical Center in the Medical Intensive Care Unit, I also play classical violin and belong to a local amateur string ensemble composed of other adult learners.  I love to attend cultural events and live performances in town also lectures, classes and workshops on a variety of subjects.

I recently completed a certification course in Permaculture Design and currently serve on the steering committee for the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network.  I also help coordinate a film series with a great group of people at a local church where we have open screenings of films on environmental and other timely issues.

I sit on the board of directors of my community's homeowners association and also serve as treasurer. Last year we started an organic community garden on some of our common property.  Plans for the garden this year include a rainwater catchment system and a perimeter hedgerow to attract birds and predator insects for pest control. Some of my neighbors and I are organizing to plant native trees and shrubs around the bio-retention drainage ditches in the neighborhood with matching funds from the Albemarle County Stream Buffer Initiative for which we were approved last fall.    

I am an avid reader of non fiction, especially books on permaculture, green technology, Environmentalism and urban planning (that's how I found out about co housing).   I don't watch any TV (who has time for that!)  And, I want to save the world… but not so much through political activism as through making the right choices on a personal level and connecting with other like minded individuals to multiply the effort. I am very community and people oriented and enjoy volunteering my time in service with others. Cohousing seems like a natural fit.

Elizabeth:

A confirmed late bloomer. Educational writer who works at home for NY company; creator of workbooks, games and video scripts on everything from honesty to astronomy. Budding kayaker who loves hiking and camping (if it's not too cold or too steep). Spare time filled with yoga, meditation, cooking for friends, watercolor painting, baking cupcakes. Gardening enthusiast who is prone to overalls and digging in the dirt. Film school graduate and movie buff. Avid traveler with a long wish list that includes Japan, China, India, Greece and Scandanavia. Member of a choir and labyrinth society. Writer of several screenplays and a novel for kids. Animal welfare volunteer and vegetarian. Proud mom of Annabear the wonder dog and cats Sweetpea, Milo and Galileo.

Janice:

I am 61 years old, grew up in Atlanta, and moved to Staunton in 1987. Since then, I’ve worked at Western State Hospital as a Clinical Psychologist. I'll probably continue working there for the next 4-5 years. When I moved to Staunton, I was married, but my husband died in 1995. I've lived on my own since then. I love

animals and share my home with Luke the border collie, Daisy the terrier, Moose the miniature dachshund, and Sidney the cat. I enjoy reading, painting, writing, and gardening—not outstanding at any of them, but I'm making great progress. Probably because I have no spouse, no children, and no family (an only child with deceased parents) community is very important to me. I look forward to becoming a part of the Blue Ridge Cohousing community.

Jay and Susan:

Susan has been interested in cohousing since someone gave her the original book in 1988. She has a Masters degree in Criminal Justice and works as a counselor at The Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women (FCCW), where, among other things, she supervises the inmate dog training program. In her youth, she was a professional stage and TV actor…and still gets to do a show now and then.She loves her favorite nia and yoga classes.

Jay has been an executive life/business coach since 1990. He works on the phone with his clients all around the world, so living in cohousing he hopes he’ll have more contact with “live” people. One of his coaching specialties is non-violent communication. He’s currently leading a communication practice group in

Charlottesville and volunteering weekly to bring those skills to the women at FCCW (where Susan works). He loves riding his bike and playing golf and poker.

Jay and Susan have a 21 year old son, Max, who will graduate from Vassar College in 2008, a wonderful dog, Mozart, and an indoor cat, Shadow.

Lon and Pernie:  

We have lived always lived in Virginia except for a short stint in the Philly suburbs for Pernie to teach college English and for me to finish grad school. While we have lived in almost every part of the state, we are currently settled in Fredericksburg, where we both commute north to work via train. I work for NASA as a Congressional Liaison and Pernie also works for the Government as a Freedom of Information/Privacy Act Officer.

After earning degrees at William & Mary and James Madison University as well as completing advanced coursework at Catholic University, Pernie served as an Adjunct Professor of English at several universities in Virginia and Pennsylvania. Her first loves are her family, pets, reading, music, writing, and the Virginia

countryside. She looks forward to a slower, more carefree lifestyle in cohousing that will provide the opportunity for her to pursue her goals in a more timeless manner.

During most of the eighties, I was a professional student who worked towards graduate degrees in the Humanities, Business Administration, and finally Political Science. After working for almost twenty years in DC, in a few years I will be ready to move on to the new challenges of a second career. Work will then take on a secondary or even tertiary position so that I can enjoy varied interests that include music, reading, modern philosophy, political activism, foreign films, writing, Jungian psychology, long conversations with friends, as well as lots of exercise. I have always loved nature—especially the mountains and the sea—my earliest memories are of playing on the beach while my mother painted.

Mary:

I have lived in Newport News, VA for the past 18 years and will be relocating to Crozet. I spent this past summer in India on a Fulbright Scholarship. This travel adventure caused me to reflect on my life and in turn make the decision to live a more sustainable lifestyle (less waste, reducing my carbon footprint etc). I

think that I can do this by living in Crozet with the members of the Blue Ridge Cohousing Community. I am currently employed as a school library media specialist. In my spare time I enjoy yoga, hiking, gardening, reading and ethnic, vegetarian cooking. I also enjoy being involved with community supported agriculture. I spend a lot of time with my three adult daughters, who currently reside in Richmond and Fredericksburg. I have a mixed terrier dog, Ruby and two cats Moe and Sam.

Molly and Peter, Mia and Ava:

We have been living in Shadowlake Village cohousing for nearly two years and

we love it.  We helped form Blue Ridge Cohousing because we are interested in helping build cohousing from the ground up.  Peter was a long-term resident of Charlottesville and is looking forward to returning.  We are both active Unitarian Universalists.

Peter and I are addicted to challenges.  We first met through our love of travel, and have since moved on to the challenges of parenting, with each of us taking a long-term turn at stay-at-home parenting.  Peter is currently taking a break from his technology career to be a stay-at-home dad, and Molly telecommutes to a job in health policy.  Peter is an avid runner, though he has not found time for marathons since the birth of the girls.

Mia was born in 2002.  She loves dressup, drawing, and playing music.  She’s glad we moved to cohousing since she has so many more friends here.  Ava was born in 2004 and is fiercely independent.  She also enjoys dressup and drawing, though unfortunately one of her favorite mediums is drywall.

Joining cohousing has been wonderful for us in so many ways—through our deepening friendships, support for our children, and opportunities for further challenges.  We love being able to walk out our front door at any time of day and finding someone to chat with that we know and care about.  We wouldn’t have it any other way.

Mara:

I grew up in the mid-west, Missouri and Illinois, and moved to Albuquerque in 1960. I raised two children while completing my Bachelors degree in Chemistry and Biology and Associate degree in Respiratory Therapy. All the while lending support to the PTA and my children’s Swim Team. After my divorce in the late 1980’s, I bought my own home, where I’ve converted the lawn into xeriscape and provided off-campus housing to university students.

I derive sustenance by connecting and actively participating with: Unitarian Universalist’s 7 principles/church board, Ministry for Earth After School Program I co-created, Industrial Areas Foundation via Albuquerque Interfaith

Network of Spiritual Progressives & Tikkun Magazine & especially the network’s Ask The Arthur Cnf Calls with writers such as Riane Eisler, David Korten, Inter Faith Power and Light, 1Sky, Sierra Club, YES Magazine leading to Albuquerque 350: Flying Kites for Climate Change Event, 05/03/2009.

The above activities help keep me in touch with the awe and wonder of life and with many fascinating friends and acquaintances. The dynamics provide a marvelous spring board for stretching my spirituality and peace of mind as an active member in my community. I’ve viewed and studied the concept of Intentional Living for quite a few years and I’m thrilled to have located an ideal fit by joining those in the midst of creating Blue Ridge Co-housing. And to realize Crozet, VA will draw me closer to my two children’s families while also allowing me to extend my roots and spread my wings while residing in Virginia.

Mark, Jen and Lily:

Mark grew up in Ridgecrest, California (through kindergarten); Fairfax,

Virginia (through second grade); Yuma, Arizona (through sixth grade);

back to Fairfax (through high school); and finally to Charlottesville

where he studied electrical engineering at UVA and never left. He works

at Rediscovery Software developing software primarily for museums and

libraries. He enjoys playing soccer, writing screenplays, watching

movies, hiking, camping, playing card/board games like poker, and

torturing puppies (just seeing if you're paying attention).

Jen grew up in Danville, Pennsylvania; studied biology at Loyola College

in Maryland; and studied biochemistry at UVA. She works in the Concannon

lab at the University of Virginia on type I diabetes and DNA damage

repair. Besides sharing Mark's fondness for soccer, hiking, and camping,

she enjoys photography and has found a really cute subject to hone her

skills with.  She was a competitive swimmer through college and enjoyed

her time as an assistant coach for the Charlottesville YMCA Aquatic Club

(CYAC) up until Lily was born. Once an avid runner, her achy knees have

forced her to hang up her running shoes. She is now interested in

pursuing knee friendly activities such as yoga.

Lily entered the world May 24, 2008, and enjoys avocado, splashing,

Cheerios, puppies, pulling herself up, dogs, dancing, Sophie (the toy

giraffe), most people, making music (on her Groove and Learn),

applesauce, green, most animals, books (to eat), clapping, dog sneezes,

blue, and throwing things on the floor. She's excited about cohousing

because she likes being around people and, of course, to be around the

dogs. She does not like being tired, diaper changes, milk protein

(apparently allergic to), being hungry, vacuum cleaners, toys that she

cannot figure out, and being tired and hungry.

We were especially drawn to the strong community aspect of cohousing and

are excited about the prospects of raising a family in this kind of

environment.

Tim and Jacque

Hi!  We’re Jacque (pronounced like “Jackie”) and Tim Little.  We live 30 minutes south of San Francisco.  However, our married life has also seen stints in Burlington, VT (where Jacque completed her MA in Higher Education at UVM) and Keene, NH.  Jacque grew up around Pittsburgh, PA, while Tim was born and raised just north of Boston, MA.  He promises to keep his love of the Boston Red Sox in check.  GO SOX!  Oops!

We’re currently two … plus our dog Tucker (100% mutt, tri-colored, maybe some type of herder/lab mix).  We rescued him a few years back and got really lucky.  He loves chasing birds at the beach and sleeping on our king-sized Tempurpedic bed.  Tough life!  He’s a great dog with momentary lapses into “knucklehead-ness”.  He needs community with other dogs and should benefit from life at Blue Ridge Cohousing as much as us.

Jacque’s currently growing our first child (which we’re just a little bit excited about … ahhhh!!!) who will make his grand appearance sometime around late August/early September.  This event drives our decision to move back east closer to family.  Both Jacque’s parents and sister (and her family) live about 30 minutes west of Crozet.  We’re really excited about Blue Ridge Cohousing’s close proximity to both family and Charlottesville.  We’re also thrilled to think that we will be raising our family within the context of neighbors who want to know us, support us, grow with us, and celebrate life together.

Though not an architect by practice (he currently works for REI, Inc.), Tim has always been drawn to environmentally sensitive residential design.  He spent two semesters participating in an EcoDwelling   master’s program.  His passion for design is rivaled by his love for meaningful connections with others.  His experiences in intentional communities (in one way, shape, or form) have been some of his most fulfilling.  Tim also enjoys hiking, guitar, singing, and travel.  Haiti holds a special place in his heart. 

Jacque currently works in the Department of Housing and Residential Life at Notre Dame de Namur University.  Her career in this field (where we have lived on several college campuses) has provided us with the opportunity to create community with college students.  Often our apartment has become a home away from home for students.  We choose to live our life openly and invite others to feel at home, not only in our space, but also, with us.  Jacque loves the sunshine, dancing in the grass with no shoes on, making up words (the wrong ones) to songs, animals, and ice cream.

We can’t begin to express how appreciative we are for the opportunity to begin this journey as members of Blue Ridge Cohousing and can’t wait to meet you all!  Until then …