Magdalene Jaeckel: Wolf Creek Lodge Senior Cohousing - A Concept Whose Time Has Come

Published on Mar 16, 2009 - 7:52:14 AM

By: Magdalene Jaeckel, Member of Wolf Creek Lodge Co housing in Grass Valley, CA

Mar. 16, 2009 - Wolf Creek Lodge, a senior cohousing development soon to be built in Grass Valley, will serve active adults, mostly over 50 years of age. The Lodge is a unique, beautifully designed three-story structure with fully equipped, private units and large common areas.

It is one of the very first cohousing developments in this country designed especially for adults who find that their large homes with much acreage out of town are increasingly becoming a burden to them. What once was a dream of spaciousness and gracious living is becoming a liability. People are becoming isolated in their large homes after the children have left and often live in another part of the country. Their children worry about them, too, and wonder how much longer mom and dad can sustain a lifestyle that is not right for them anymore.

With the latest downturn in our economy we can expect that life will never quite return to how it once was, with our consumer-driven economy and lavish living that, as it turns out, cost us more than we could reasonably afford. The trend will be away from large, expensive dwellings. At the same time people can expect to live longer, healthier and more active lives. If we are not tied down to an oversized, expensive house and the endless chores that come with it, we can enjoy traveling and many other activities we didn't have time for. Elders enjoy the company of like-minded people and are happy if they don't have to get into the car to see their friends. The friends are right next door! And we can age in place and stay out of nursing homes and assisted living facilities, hopefully until the end of our life.

The concept of cohousing, which is becoming a buzz word around the whole country, is simply to create a modern old-fashioned village, where neighbors can meet, know and support each other while living in buildings that can be better constructed, be more energy efficient and more suitable to communal life than what could be achieved in single, detached dwellings. The "green" construction that goes into these buildings is nothing short of miraculous. They are designed by Charles Durrett, who introduced co housing to this country and has built more than 20 co-housing communities all over the USA. They exceed the most stringent California guidelines for green, sustainable, energy efficient homes by 35%.

A co housing community starts way before you see an actual building. Folks who are enthusiastic about the idea get together to share their ideas of what their future home should look like, and under the guidance of the architect, design it. They commit a certain percentage of the price of their future home before construction begins. After much preparation the project is approved by the city fathers and a construction loan obtained, a builder found, and then construction can begin.

Co-housing is perfect for the "boomer generation". Its time has come.

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