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Member Spotlight: Marni Rolston

Here’s a little about our family:  I’m married to Jed Huseby; we have two children, Ida May, 15, and Sorin, 11.  Jed and I each moved to Bozeman in the early 1990’s, but didn’t meet until 2000, at a Bozeman contra-dance.  I attended the first Bozeman Cohousing community event at the Lindley Center in April of 2019 and have been thinking about it ever since.  

We are interested in Bozeman Cohousing because our daughter has special needs, and as we think about what her future might look like, we know that one of the most important things she will need as she becomes an adult is a stable community of people who will be a part of her life for many years or even decades.  We anticipate that Ida May might thrive in this intentional community; perhaps with a roommate who provides some support.  I’ve been anxious about what her future would look like for many years, and when I first heard about cohousing, I finally felt like this could be a place where she could live and thrive. 

Ida May is an incredibly social person, who thrives when she feels she is part of a community.  She will be in 10th grade next year, and enjoys hiking with her family, hanging out with friends, dancing, riding her bike around town, anything octopus-related, arts and crafts, and connecting with others.  She has spent a lot of time participating in almost every activity offered by Eagle Mount.  She is an engaging teenager who wants to be as independent as possible, and Bozeman Cohousing seems like it would be an excellent fit for her.

I think Ida has a lot to offer this growing community.  She has an inquisitive mind, a playful spirit, and a love of people.  She has a way of bringing people together, and her exuberance at seeing someone she knows is contagious.  She delights in being with young children and animals.  I envision her reading books to kids while their parents prepare meals in the common house, helping neighbors plant flowers, delivering mail to a neighbor who is home-bound, and many other helpful gestures.  

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Homes are selling fast. Don’t wait to join!

The progression of a cohousing development is continually moving from the abstract to the concrete.  When Bozeman Cohousing first began in April of 2019, there were only two households, no land, and only a vague vision of what was to come.  As the project has progressed, we secured an amazing 5 acre property only 2 miles from downtown.  We have hired a cohousing consultant, architects, a civil engineer, and a developer.  The site plan has been designed so that we know where the homes and open spaces will be on the property.  We have finalized floor plans for a variety of different sizes and layouts of homes.  As you read this, our architects are now working on the 3D building designs and renderings, which will take the vision out of our heads and on to a piece of paper.  We plan to begin construction in just 9 short months.

Ground level flats are popular for aging in place

Along the way, many new families and individuals have joined to help shape this vision and turn it into a reality.  Over the past few weeks, the number of applicants applying for membership has increased dramatically.  We are starting to have shortages of specific floor plans.  Due to the high demand of 3 bedroom townhouses, we recently voted to switch some of our 2-bedroom townhouses to 3-bedroom townhouses.  We still have a limited number of both of these home types available, but they won’t last long.  Our other most popular home types are the ground level 2-bedroom and 3-bedroom flats, perfect for aging in place or families that want a smaller home but still have access to a private backyard. 

If you have been waiting for the right time to attend a webinar or come to a site tour to learn more about our project, don’t wait any longer.  We currently still have homes available, but they are starting to sell fast.  Haystack Heights cohousing in Spokane, WA recently began construction and set the precedent of having all 39 of their homes pre-sold.  With more people than ever looking for a stronger sense of community and support to help raise their young children or provide stability as they age in place, these homes won’t last long.  Email us today to learn about the homes we still have available.  

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Cohousing Spotlight: Aliyah

Aliyah is part of the VISIONS group that is helping with demolition at Bozeman Cohousing. She arrived in Montana for the summer from Atlanta, where she lives in the metro-urban cohousing neighborhood known as East Lake Commons. With 60 households, the hallmark cohousing common house, and a member-run farm known as “Love is Love Farm,” Aliyah says that it’s been a great place to grow up. Now 16, she’s lived at East Lake Commons since she was an infant and has lifelong friends with the many teens in her neighborhood, as well as people of all generations. It’s been a treat to have Aliyah here this summer, and to share some of her stories and wisdom of the richness of growing up in cohousing. 

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Demolitions Begins, With a Little Help from Our Friends

Building healthy communities in Montana

Since Bozeman was first homesteaded, the site of Bozeman Cohousing has been a small farm. A large animal veterinarian and his wife most recently owned this 5.3 acre property where they grazed cattle and horses. As Bozeman Cohousing moves towards development of an intentional community, the tradition of the land will continue to include goats, chickens and shared gardens. The wood from the old fences weathered by years of exposure, will, too. The architects plan to repurpose the materials as part of the common house in our new neighborhood. 

It takes extreme care and time to dismantle the boards so they can be repurposed by removing rusty nails and stripped bolts. Bozeman Cohousing members have been incredibly grateful for the help of teen volunteers who have come to Montana from around the country to learn about sustainable farming and ranching, permaculture, and Western life. Much of the learning includes the hands-on process of volunteer work, and the kids have pitched in to help at the cohousing property removing invasive weeds and carefully taking down old fences. They have also had the opportunity to hang out with the goats on site, watch a milking demonstration, and learn about the philosophies of cohousing.

The teenagers came to Gallatin Valley as part of the organization VISIONS Service Adventures, which normally runs teen programs around the world, but cancelled everything this summer due to the pandemic. VISIONS is now running a singular program here in southwestern Montana, where the home office is also based. They implemented COVID protocols, which means that kids sleep in their own individual tents at a farm outside of town, everyone was tested for the virus, the group was divided into pods, and masks were worn for the first two weeks.

Volunteer work has also taken on a new form for VISIONS, which always focused on construction and labor projects in under-resourced communities around the world. This year the teenagers must be socially distanced from the community, but they’ve nonetheless been able to help with outdoor Food Bank projects, the Learning Garden at Story Mill Park, farming and gardening, and the cohousing site. 

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Member Spotlight: Lynn Hellenga

The first eighteen years of my life were spent in Devils Lake, North Dakota. The same home town both of my parents grew up in. I’m a retired Registered Dietician/Nutritionist, most recently working at MSU on a Center for Disease Control and Prevention grant. Presently I nanny part -time a 15 month old child, and parent our two sons. Alex is 19 taking a gap year, and Braeden will be a Senior at Bozeman High this fall.

As many 50 something’s I enjoy the outside activities Bozeman and Gallatin valley has to offer year round. My family also enjoys participating in international home exchanges. These exchanges have allowed us to travel to many countries, live overseas and gain a sense of basic everyday living through living in other established households.

For me, the concept of Cohousing is a way to have deep connection to multigenerational families through daily activities and informal interaction. The idea of downsizing, sharing a common house, gardens, livestock and chores through Co-housing is of interest to me. It will allow me to try new things and still be able to travel. The idea of moving from our large family house to a Cohousing community to “age in place” is appealing to me as well.