About the Clearwater Commons
Click the image above to download Clearwater Commons Cross-section and Overview (pdf, 2 megs)
The Clearwater Commons is an intentional, ecologically-responsible residential community. In June 2006 a group of families (and future homeowners) formed the Clearwater Commons LLC and purchased a 7.4 acre site on North Creek, 11 miles north of Seattle’s city limits. The site includes wetlands, forest, garden space, and salmon-supporting creek habitat. We have permits from Snohomish County for a site design of 16 residences plus a common house to Snohomish County and plan to begin construction in the Summer of 2009.
The physical design of the community represents our underlying values of
community and low-impact development. Pedestrian walkways, community
gardens, benches, shared tool sheds, and play spaces reflect our desire to
interact with neighbors through the natural course of our days. Our shared
common house allows individual dwellings to occupy a smaller footprint and
minimize our impact on the earth.
The Clearwater Commons LLC is intergenerational, ranging from small children to grandparents. We are planning a mix of townhomes and single family homes having two to three bedrooms. Our goal is to accommodate diverse family constellations, as well as individuals at all life stages—newborn through grandparents.
The inspiration for this community grew from founding members' involvement in The Clearwater School, a democratically run Sudbury school (k-12) located across the street. Our shared experience with the school encourages us to allow the structures for community meetings, gatherings, and events to evolve through our daily interactions, rather than follow a preset or mandated framework.
Our website is growing! Please check back often as we add more details about our community and its development.
Guiding Principles and Values
The Clearwater Commons is committed to creating a community and supporting a low-impact
housing development. Members share an intention of living a lifestyle that sustains a
balance between individual and community needs and the natural ecosystem.
- We take on a responsibility to act as stewards of our land—restoring and enhancing the natural environment including the stream, wetlands, habitat and wildlife.
- We value relationships between individuals, families, and our environment, and promote a lifestyle that will promote and sustain these relationships. We support diversity in family constellations and individual lifestyles.
- We trust each family to make decisions that are aligned with our intent of sustainability and that balance individual autonomy and community needs. We expect the specific commitments of our community will change over time and we wish to avoid hard and fast rules.
- We value communication and discussion and will take the time needed to voice, discuss, and understand diverse perspectives in order to reach informed and conscious decisions.
- We hope that our work in the Commons will serve as an example that will influence the greater community and encourage more sustainable building practices and lifestyles.
Community Member Expectations
- Develop the community according to Low Impact Development processes
- Restore the stream and the wetlands—and support the natural habitat
- Use green building practices that conserve energy; minimize the embodied cost of materials used, use low toxicity materials and substances, and avoid depleting resources
- Influence greater community by providing public access to our development and community processes and practices
- Minimize toxic pesticides or herbicides—use safest measures
- Follow pet rules that support the natural environment and show respect for all species
- Wisely recycle our wastes and manage our water uses.
- Contribute on a regular basis to the common needs of the community.