Construction Update

Our innovative sewage treatment system is now fully operational. We are officially connected to City Water, with the completion of the check valves and small booster pump house (so cute that folks have asked to live in it!) With green roof planted, and parking bumpers installed, the parking area is complete. Paths and banks have been planted with trees and shrubs. The first

two houses have been drywalled. Excavation for the third is imminent. Folks at Green Grove avoid zealotry, but reducing our carbon footprint, and providing a model for sustainable construction practices in Western Washington County is part of our vision. As new subdivisions spring up in a heartbeat throughout the region, people wonder why infrastructure completion has taken so long here. The regional building boom means that sub-contractors are in short supply for smaller custom projects, and a tough winter in 2017 added to the delays. More importantly, doing anything “out of the box” in development takes far longer than conventional construction. It presents challenges to City and County officials that we are doing things that

haven’t been done here before. From the largest solar array in Forest Grove to the first cohousing community in Western Washington County, we are pioneering, and that takes time...lots of it!

School Options in the Grove

Curious about local school options? Forest Grove has some great ones: The Early Learning Community at Pacific University provides preschool thru 2nd grade at present, with plans for grades ¾ in future. A stimulating learning environment and nurturing, creative teachers are part of the PU School of Education. Zane’s Playroom is a free well-appointed community space for ages 0-3. The Cedar Classroom is an outdoor learning lab highlighting a commitment to integrating nature into school life Forest Grove Community School is a tuition-free 1st-8th public charter school located in historic downtown Forest Grove. Scholarship, environmental stewardship and citizenship guide their community-centered hands-on educational approach. Swallowtail School & Farm, with its main campus 10 minutes from Green Grove, provides Waldorf education with a strong environmental focus, to preschool through 8th gr. students. A holistic approach to child development coupled with a strong emphasis on all of the arts make it a great alternative. If you are interested in a standard public school education, Green Grove is in the attendance area for Harvey Clarke Elementary School, Tom McCall Upper Elementary, Neil Armstrong Middle School and Forest Grove High School.

Green Grove Community Library

A Common House with a whole lot of built in bookshelves can passively attract a lot of dusty, old discarded books, or with intention, provide a platform for a well-curated, high-interest collection of books, magazines, CDs & DVDs of value to its greater community. A selection policy, a barcode reader, and “Library Thing” have made it simple for Linda to begin establishing a Green Grove Library, with on-line access to the collection from your phone, or laptop. With a searchable catalog and reviews, users will be able to find titles of interest, and reserve them, just like at public libraries. Keeping track of circulation will be easy, with self-service on-line check-out. “Library Thing” is a great web-based tool for the bibliophile who wants to organize good reading, viewing and listening, and provides an on-line home for books and book lovers. A collection of 35 books on community-building, gardening, landscaping, green building, cohousing, group process, governance, and interpersonal communication have formed the nucleus of the collection. Children’s books, DIY, adult fiction, and high-interest DVDs coming soon, as high quality donations are added.

Green Grove also maintains a subscription to “Consumer Reports” and “Communities” magazine. Our “Free Little Library” will be erected this summer to better serve visitors and the general public. Shared books, DVDs, CDs and magazines are yet another way community can share resources. With Forest Grove City Library just 2 miles away, the full constellation of library programs and services is also within easy reach.

Construction Update

The 10-bay carport/storage unit is now paved and the 100 ft. long solar array to power the Common House is operating. It is the largest solar array in Forest Grove! Construction on the first two homes has proceeded steadily, and both now have permanent roofs, plumbing, wiring and windows. John & Bonnie’s home has siding as well. Paved pathways now link the home tracts. Landscaping, and a living roof above the carport storage units are eagerly anticipated.

Home Construction at Long Last!

Now that the first homes are under construction, we’ll introduce our general contractor, Shan Stassens of Winsome Construction. Because we are about community first, not real estate, we request that you initiate the membership process with Green Grove before contacting Winsome directly, though we encourage you to explore their website. Winsome is a residential custom home builder with extensive experience in high performance green building and construction. An Energy Star and Earth Advantage certified builder, they have completed projects using Ferrocement, steel framing, Cobb, ICF construction, and advanced wood framing techniques.

Winsome focuses on the efficient use of natural resources in projects with the use of FSC Certified, Reclaimed and Recycled materials, job site waste recycling, and built-in home recycling systems. Structures are tight and efficient, utilizing high quality materials and superior construction methods “to ensure that they will serve their inhabitants well for generations.”

Winsome also focuses on ensuring healthy indoor air quality by using low VOC and non toxic materials, such as wood, stone, ceramic and wool. Incorporating radon, mold and mildew mitigation practices ensures that the building is not creating poor indoor air. The company emphasizes energy conservation & efficiency both in the construction and the continued functioning of the structure over its lifetime. Standard techniques and technologies include spray foam additional insulation, super insulated floors & ceilings, low E glazed windows, energy star appliances & fixtures, compact fluorescent and LED lights, radiant floor

heating, heat pumps, zone heating, solar water panels & more.

Yoga in Community

Green Grove Cohousing has the good fortune of having two yoga teachers in our greater community circle who are sharing gentle yoga instruction in the Common House dining room.

Four to six of us currently gather weekly to increase flexibility and strength through regular yoga practice. 

Construction Update

Construction of the 10-bay carport/storage unit is now nearly finished, pending installation of the eco roof and Hardie board siding. Hydroseeding and straw over the exposed portions of the 5 acres have secured the soil from weather erosion. Homes are now under construction. Retaining walls are in, and pathways for what will become the community commons are graveled, awaiting paving crews. The walls and floor for the 18,000 gallon cistern for irrigation have been cast in concrete. The pond for stormwater retention is lined and awaiting landscaping. The street name has been approved. Step by step…

Harvest Open House and Beyond

Forest Grove and Green Grove welcomed the harvest and the changing of the seasons with blue skies and warmer days this year. The “weather gods” were with us as we enjoyed a host of fun outdoor activities from the Farmer’s Market to Halloween. A few highlights included: Green Grove neighbor, Lyle Spiesschaert, hosted a “Celebrate Great Grains” event in collaboration with Nana Cardoon and other local food producers and sustainability advocates. John and the bluegrass jam band performed there as well as at Green Grove the following day for our Harvest Open House.

Children’s crafts, cider- pressing, tours, and live music made for a fun time for a lively crowd of folks interested in learning more about cohousing and checking in on our progress.

The Friends of Historic Forest Grove hosted a sell-out “Grave Matters 2017” Nine fascinating graveyard residents told their stories dressed in historic attire. Linda played the part of Manche Langley, legendary attorney and pioneer for women’s rights, who became the 13th woman admitted to the Oregon Bar in 1909, when women weren’t yet allowed to vote or serve on juries.

Harvest Open House

Green Grove hopes to see familiar faces and attract some first-time visitors to our “Harvest Open House.” We’ve been spreading the word on the Red Tricycle website for Portland area families, as well as Facebook, and encourage all our friends to invite other folks interested in cohousing. It will be fun to all to see the construction progress firsthand, perhaps try your hand at pressing apples, and participate in a variety of other fun fall activities. Here’s hoping for mild weather and blue skies ahead!

More Fall Fun in the Grove!

Forest Grove will be hopping this fall! If you are still wondering if this small college town at the edge of the Tualatin Valley, and at the foot of the Coast Range would be a great place to live, you can experience some of the signature events that characterize this area, as well as some of the new happenings celebrating our past, and portending our future.

The Valley Art Associations 27th Annual Chalk Art Festival takes place downtown on Saturday, September 16th from 8am- 4pm. It is a wonderful opportunity to explore the downtown core, enjoy music, and view, or create art. 

The 53rd annual Corn Roast & Fall Festival is hosted by Pacific University from noon to 6pm, on the same day right next door.

The following weekend, Green Grove neighbor, Lyle Spiesschaert, will be hosting a free, family-friendly “Celebrate Great Grains” event on September 23rd from 11am-3pm. John’s bluegrass jam group will be there, as well as at Green Grove the following day for our Harvest Open House. Then, on October 7th, Friends of Historic Forest Grove will host “Grave Matters 2017” from 3pm-6pm. Nine fascinating graveyard residents will tell their stories dressed in historic attire. Linda will play the part of Manche Langley, legendary attorney and pioneer for women’s rights. 

Construction Update

Construction of the 10-bay carport/storage unit, and completion of infrastructure are all continuing. The pond liner is on order. A landscaping firm will be seeding the berm, pond area and roadway bank before the rains begin in earnest, and trees and bushes will be relocated once excavation is complete. We are still hopeful that construction of the first three homes will begin very soon. A race with the weather is on.

The 10-bay carport/storage unit will feature a green roof and a 100’ long solar array to power the common house. Each household will have a 9’ x 9’ locking storage unit. Doors, siding, paving and jumbo planters for climbing plants are next up.

A Garden in the Making

We are three steps closer to a large community permaculture garden after hand digging out years of unfettered blackberry invasion, covering the soil with recycled cardboard, and burying it in leaf mulch produced by the City of Forest Grove yard debris pick-up program.

Next spring, the soil will be ready to plant. In addition, more than 15 large cane berry plants from friends of Green Grove in Medford, and 5 raspberry plants contributed by Ginny & Michael, are now thriving between the orchard and the garden-to-be. John rototilled the area, and community members gathered to plant them when dryer weather finally arrived in May. We are looking forward to berries a plenty!

Construction Update

Construction of the 10-bay carport/storage unit , excavation for the pond and a berm to reduce road noise, and completion of infrastructure are all underway. Construction of the first three homes will begin very soon. The 10-bay carport/storage unit will feature a green roof and a 100’ long solar array to power the common house.

What the World Needs Now Is

As I gaze out our expansive picture windows on this freezing, grey day late in the month when love is celebrated ....whether it is love for our planet as expressed in our aspiration to reduce our carbon footprint, ...or love of our community working to create something transformative in Western Washington County

A haiku by Brad says it well:

Take nine small households
Cluster ‘round a common goal
Add love, get Green Grove

First Green Grove Family Play Group

Four children and their parents joined us for books, music, art, snacks and games on February 25th. The winter sun came out and hardy families enjoyed the swings and hiking around the property looking for wild animal tracks. This was the first of what we hope will become a regular tradition for families interested in our cohousing community.

Westside Planning Report

Green Grove is situated on the eastern border of the “Westside Planning Area”. The Forest Grove City Planning Commission reviewed a 150+ page report on February 6 to explore the means and mechanisms to develop the land on the 3 sides of Green Grove. On March 1st, the City sponsored an Open House to discuss the preliminary recommendations. The good news is that the land northeast of us is scheduled to remain exclusive farm use for at least another generation, which will protect much of our beautiful view of the Tualatin Valley and Mt. Hood. The other three sides of the property will likely be developed some time in the next 20 years. The big questions are: When? How? When we began this adventure, one of our hopes was to create a transformative model in Western Washington County for land development. As large homes on tiny lots with 2-3 car garages facing the street continue to proliferate nearby, we are flipping the equation to create small homes in a setting where food production, wildlife, outdoor recreation, community-building and sustainability are central goals. The overall plans for the region include a new elementary school, park land and a small amount of commercial/retail property. As much of the land is considerably sloped, with views of Mount Hood, lot sizes are

substantial. In the coming months there will be more opportunities to have input into the process for how this region will be developed. Green Grove members will be active advocates for sustainable development in the area.

And the Rains Came Down

The wettest February on record has forced construction to a stand still until soil saturation is reduced enough for heavy equipment to operate efficiently. Off-site construction is largely completed so that City water will be available to the property. Thatcher Road and our neighbors’ driveways have been restored, and the eastern road shoulder has serendipitously been widened, making it safer for walkers. The property entrance to Thatcher Road has been moved 40 ft. north to improve traffic sight lines. The new driveway/roadway is now graveled and compacted to accommodate heavy equipment.

(Paving will come when construction of the first homes is completed). Site grading is suspended pending a dry spell, with plastic covering on soil for erosion control. Construction of the 10-bay carport/storage unit, excavation for the pond and berm to reduce road noise, and completion of utility trenching are on hold until there is a break in the weather. Meanwhile, we are putting one muddy boot in front of the other, and looking forward to dryer days ahead.

And Still I Rise

Building community, both literally and figuratively, requires faith, a whole lot of tenacity and perseverance. As the mountains and dirt trenches have turned to mud and filled with water after months of construction delays, and the nation is shaken to its core by an unprecedented election season, it is enticing to seek certainty in an uncertain world. The second week of December saw a resurge in construction at Green Grove, and the arrival of a host of machines and workers prepared to complete the infrastructure over the winter. As individuals, we’ve begun to explore and renew our personal commitments to find a way forward that respects diverse opinions and inspires dialog to help us find common ground. As Brad & Linda’s daughter wrote of the election after working the sugar beet harvest in Montana & North Dakota during the month of October: “We should not take this as a grand-scale endorsement of bigotry by our fellow citizens. I think Trump supporters feel angry and forgotten (justifiably or not) and felt that this was their way of sticking it to the man. They don’t realize they just stuck a fork in the light socket instead. It is hard to forgive this recklessness. But it is easier to forgive than willful viciousness.”

Two activist groups have already sprung up in Forest Grove since the election, seeking to find common ground and protect the vulnerable among us, be they potential targets for racism and bigotry or members of the disenfranchised electorate who believe change is called for, no matter what the cost. More than ever, it is time to walk our talk, and support others in dialog, and deed. There are many opportunities to express that conviction in Forest Grove, from attending the forum on “Muslims in America 2017:Tackling the Tough Questions” at Pacific University on December 5th, to participating in the Martin Luther King Day Parade for Peace on January 16th. For a list of specific suggestions, contact Linda at: grovecoho@gmail.com. Recommended reading: The Impossible Will Take a Little While: Perserverance and Hope in Troubled Times, New and Revised Edition by Paul Rogat Loeb.

Why Forest Grove?

So many folks considering Green Grove from just a little ways away...Portland, Tigard, Silverton, Beaverton, Newberg...Some looking for a healthier and safer place to raise children, some looking for less traffic and more open space, some looking for a strong sustainability ethos, some looking for a place to produce enough food to feel a measure of self-sufficiency... Forest Grove represents and provides all these opportunities, and many more. Linda had an epiphany after doing a “Martes Magias” Spanish- language family storytimes in farmworker’s apartment complexes. What she loves most about Forest Grove is the human scale... the reality that if you are interested in making some small difference in the world, thinking globally while acting locally, Forest Grove is a place where you can realize your dreams. You don’t have to be a rock star, or a politico, or a celebrity of any ilk to pitch an idea, and bring it to fruition here. You can “touch the future” working with children, or organizing community gardens, or serving on City boards and commissions...or co- found a cohousing community, not because you are well-connected, or have sterling credentials ...in Forest Grove you can make a difference because you are willing to work hard, and you care! In Forest Grove, with a population of 22,419, you can be the change you want to see in the world!

Dirt is Moving

Reclining in the hammock or gathered around the fire pit, there is ample evidence in the background of infrastructure construction underway. Digging, trenching, and leveling are the current focus of property development on the Green Grove acreage. It is easy to take water, sewer, electricity, other utilities and stormwater drainage for granted when they are on-site before you move in. Actually participating in the planning is something else. Just how will the electrical conduits service the property? Where will the cables connect with the homes? How will the paths be lighted? Where will the solar panels be metered? How will the irrigation pond and cistern water be collected from roof and stormwater run-off, and be pumped to the permaculture garden site? All decisions are fascinating for some, and daunting for others. Thankfully, we have an experienced team of engineers, general contractor, excavators, surveyor, electricians, builders, architects, consultants, City planners and inspectors who “get it”, making infrastructure and construction blend harmoniously and efficiently so that sustainability and quality are planned and built into every aspect.

Additionally, early August saw the garage covered with a new 50-year metal roof , and other projects added to the schedule to maintain the common property, and contain future HOA dues at a consistent $250 per household, per month.