WHAT IS YOUR PHILOSOPHY?
This is our Vision Statement: “We, the members of Legacy Farm Cohousing, have come together to live in common connection and community. We commit to living cooperatively and peacefully with each other, and sustainably in our environment. These are vital contributions we can make towards a more just and humane world.”

IS THIS A COMMUNE?
Communities can be ranged along a spectrum of "togetherness." On one end of the spectrum might be a high-mobility city neighborhood where people move in and out and hardly know one another. The other end of the spectrum might be a commune where everyone shares everything.

Ilyse and Cameron at the Community Life Memorial Day weekend campout on the plateau.

Cohousing is somewhere in the middle. It is closer than the closest neighborhood, but a long way from a commune. Families own private living units and run their own financial affairs. They also co-own and co-manage substantial property, including a Common House, gardens, and land held in common. The homes are clustered, to preserve open space and enhance neighborliness.

The difference between cohousing and a co-op housing project is the intentionality. People in cohousing gather with an intent to be a community, to communally share some resources and own some communal structures. If you visit cohousing neighborhoods around the country, the differences on the spectrum will become more apparent. Cantine's Island (NY), Pathways (MA), Pioneer Valley (MA), and Ecovillage Ithaca (NY) are our closest neighbors.

Larry with Toby.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING ON THIS?
We have been meeting since August, 2002. We formed our LLC in 2003. In 2009, we were given permission to market the project to prospective residents under the NY State Attorney General's Limited 101 Filing process.

WHERE WILL THE COMMUNITY BE LOCATED?
We will build on 56 acres of rolling meadows, ponds, and woods on Binnewater Rd in Rosendale, NY.

Danielle and baby Chailan at the campout.

Equity members planning design with architect Bruce Coldham in the Rocky Hill Cohousing common house, Amherst, MA.

HOW WILL HOMES BE BUILT: HIGHLY INSULATED, HEATING ALTERNATIVES, ETC.?
We've been exploring many kinds of green building and are committed to sustainability in buildings as well as land use. 

HOW STANDARDIZED WILL THE HOUSES BE?
At this point, we are planning for houses to be fairly standardized with a menu of possible options to add.

Display of our tentative site and house plans at a gathering for curious Prospective Residents.

HOW MANY HOUSES WILL THERE BE? HOW BIG ARE THE HOUSES?
We are planning on building 29-37 units, between 900-1700 square feet. Most will be two story units as duplexes, but there will be some detached homes as well.

WHAT ABOUT CARS, PARKING, GARAGES, CARPORTS?
Ours will be a pedestrian environment. Cars will drive to and be parked in parking areas and carports scattered throughout the build-out area, with carts available for carrying loads to houses. Some houses may have their own separate garages. Access for emergency vehicles and major deliveries will be provided.

WHAT ABOUT PETS?
Living comfortably with animals involves limiting the number of pets brought into the community. Each household may have up to two cats/dogs, (This means two dogs or two cats or one of each.) The total number of dogs and cats will not exceed the number of units in the community. (ie: 30 units - 30 cats, 30 dogs). Exceptions may be made on request to the General Circle.

A Community Life event at nearby Minnewaska State Park, complete with dogs.

HOW LONG WILL IT BE BEFORE I CAN MOVE IN?
We can't guarantee a move-in date, but we're hoping to be finished in two years.

HOW DO I GET MORE INVOLVED?
We welcome you to come to open meetings, join committees and working groups to help our process to move along, and attend Community Life gatherings.

Sponsor: Legacy Farm Cohousing aka Ulster County Cohousing, LLC Sponsors’ Address: POB 88 Rosendale, NY 12472 Location of Project: Hahn Farm Road, Kingston, NY 12401. This advertisement is not an offering. No offering can be made until an offering plan is filed with the Office of the Attorney General of the State of New York. This advertisement is made pursuant to Cooperative Policy Statement No. 1 issued by the New York State Attorney General. (5/06)
Attorney General File Number CP05-0229