I just wanted to send a quick follow up to last week's newsletter (see below). Phase 2 momentum is definitely picking up as we approach the opening of Full Membership, when people get to lock in their spot in Phase 2.

Just in the past few days, we've received deposits from six new P2 Associate Member households. We're suddenly up to 38. So if you are excited about being part of Heartwood Phase 2, but have been dawdling, I'd encourage you to get your deposit in and reserve your spot in the queue. Our Phase 2 Associate Membership page has complete details.

Maybe it's the extra marketing we've been doing to ensure that we'll have enough new community members to make Phase 2 a success. Maybe it's the pandemic, which seems to have convinced so many people that real security in life is to be found in connection with nature and in the community of others, even if physically distanced. Or maybe it's because Heartwood Cohousing offers an opportunity to live in an established, close-knit community on a gorgeous piece of land in an exceptionally sunny part of the Rocky Mountains where deep relationships, low stress, playing and working outside, and eating local organic food all add up to an extremely healthy lifestyle.

For whatever reasons, we have been overwhelmed by the number of really wonderful households who have joined us to become Phase 2 Associate Members (P2AM's). We've got P2AM's of all ages and backgrounds and from all over the country. Everything from retired teachers, engineers, and a veterinarian to young families seeking to give their kids a more healthy childhood, growing up free to play in the safe embrace of nature and community.

We've currently got 33 P2AM households for only 14 available homes in Phase 2. And yet, there's no better time to become an Associate Member. How can that be?

Hopefully within the next month or two, assuming we can get our last regulatory hurdle resolved, we will be opening Full Membership. P2AM's will get priority status in becoming Phase 2 Full Members (P2FM's). While becoming an Associate Member requires a $1,000 fully refundable deposit and is essentially equivalent to saying, "I'm very interested in living at Heartwood. Give me a spot in the queue in case I decide to become a Full Member.", becoming a Full Member requires a $12,000 non-refundable deposit and is essentially equivalent to saying, "I am fully committed to living at Heartwood. Reserve my spot at Heartwood." What all that means is that many P2AM's will probably not make the big step up to become P2FM's, which will create room for those lower in the queue. It's not too late.

In addition to receiving priority status to secure a spot in Phase 2, by becoming a P2AM now, you will be invited to participate in various gatherings exclusively available to P2AM's:

• monthly P2AM Zoom gatherings where the latest development news is shared, and now news especially related to becoming Full Members (includes access to recordings of previous P2AM Zoom gatherings) (Our next P2AM Zoom gathering is this Saturday, February 13.)
• biweekly Phase 2 Associate Members Zoom Happy Hours where we have fun getting to know each other and current Heartwood community members
• the P2AM email chat group where lots of information is exchanged, questions are answered, and you get to know your future neighbors

P2AM's also secure their spots in the lot selection and carport selection queues. Becoming a P2AM means you'll be paired up with a member of Heartwood who will serve as your buddy to answer any questions you may have, put you in touch with other community members with whom you may share interests (e.g., gardening, raising chickens, fiber arts, homeschooling, snowshoeing, etc.), and act as your host when you come for a visit. Because of Covid, the only visitors we are currently inviting to stay in our common house guest rooms are Phase 2 Associate Members.

With P2FM fast approaching, the window for becoming a P2AM will be closing soon. If you don't want to miss this no-risk opportunity (your $1000 deposit is fully refundable for any reason), you might want to visit our P2AM webpage for full details on becoming a P2AM.

​As alluded to above, the really big recent news is all the new P2AM's who have now joined us. Welcome Kristi, Tracy, Shelley, Dawn & Tom, David & Kate & daughter, Hildegard, Janice & Bill, Jennifer & Kelsey & son, Charlie & Brenna, Terri & Sam, Joan, Susi, Denise & Bill, Alana & Jason & sons, Sonja & John & sons, and Kim & Jeff. We are soooooo excited to have you!

We have been having some great discussions on our email chat group and at P2AM Zoom gatherings, and just this last Saturday was our first ever P2AM Zoom Happy Hour, which was an overwhelming success.

At one of our recent Zoom gatherings, we announced that we will be building and selling homes in P2, as opposed to just selling lots. What that means is that we'll be able to provide beautiful, super high quality, energy efficient, and environmentally responsible homes at a lower cost and with less work for homebuyers than if we had sold lots and left it up to new Phase 2 members to build their own custom homes. There's a recording of that Zoom gathering explaining the advantages of building homes in this way and the whole home design process that Full Members will get to participate in.

Another bit of really big news is that we've decided where we will locate the Phase 2 homes. With 361 acres, we had many good options. We will be building the P2 homes somewhere within the envelope shown on the map below. I will work with engineers, architect (Matt Worswick), surveyors, etc. in deciding where in the envelope to place the homes. The P2 cluster will probably end up taking up somewhat less than half of the envelope. We are VERY excited about this location. It is gorgeous, south-facing land, right next to our dome greenhouse, but most importantly, it is very close to the existing cluster and common house thereby supporting a full integration of Phase 1 and Phase 2.

Another big recent community decision was that we have determined (as best as we can) that our very strong water well #5 means that we have enough water for both P1 and P2. Rather than building its own water system, P2 will buy into our existing P1 water system. We basically calculated the cost of the current water system ($251K), divided it by 38 (total homes in P1 and P2) to come up with $6600 per home, and multiplied that by 14 to get the P2 share ($92,400). We are lucky to have such great water (both potable and irrigation), especially considering that we live in a relatively dry part of the country.

Something else that's new: a brand new webpage answering many questions frequently asked by P2AM's. Check it out.

The community has also recently concluded a study considering the feasibility of connecting to the local sanitation system. Being a rural community, we currently have our own septic fields serving Phase 1. The line for the Town of Bayfield system runs along the highway about a mile and a half south of our homes. Tying into that system would relieve us of the burden of building and managing our own systems. In the end, however, we determined that the cost of tying into the Bayfield system (>$1,000,000) along with the fact we are located outside of the Town of Bayfield and they didn't seem to be particularly interested in serving us (system capacity issues), were too great of obstacles to overcome. The good news is that we have good septic systems serving Phase 1 and we will simply build more of them for Phase 2.

We have continued to doggedly work with the local fire department to create a fire mitigation plan which would be acceptable to them and the county planners in lieu of obtaining an emergency access easement. You may recall that even though we have an emergency access road, the neighbors whose land the road crosses between our land and the county road are not willing to sell us a legal easement. They are nice neighbors that we get along with well, but they were afraid an easement might reduce their property value and/or expose them to liability. The county planners have asked us to prepare, or have prepared by fire mitigation professionals, numerous reports and site plans detailing our fire mitigation plans. We have done all that and are hopeful that the county planners will soon make a decision to accept the fire department's recommended plan.

One thing that probably helped us in all this is that we've been very fire conscious for many years, collaborating with the fire department to mitigate the fire danger around our homes and being certified as a Firewise community.

​Once the county planners accept our fire mitigation plan (fingers crossed), we will be ready to open Phase 2 Full Membership and apply for Preliminary Plat approval. Opening Full Membership is a huge step in the development process. That's when we'll find out how many households are actually fully committed to buying a Phase 2 home. Attracting enough committed members is one of the most vital goals any new-forming community must accomplish. We are incredibly blessed to have so many enthusiastic P2AM's. It is looking very likely that we will have commitments for all 14 P2 homes and a waiting list.

We will be devoting our next monthly P2AM Zoom Gatherings to what it means to be a P2FM, what's required to become a P2FM, and how P2FM's will be involved in Phase 2 planning and design.

Because we are working through regulatory requirements, nailing down a timeline is difficult. Here is our current very rough, best estimate of the development timeline for Phase 2.

• Feb - Mar 2021: satisfy regulatory requirements; we're currently waiting on the County to approve our emergency access waiver
• Mar 2021: open P2 Full Membership
• May 2021: submit Preliminary Plat application, which includes site design and all infrastructure details
• Aug 2021: get Preliminary Plat approval
• Aug 2021 - Feb 2022: design homes, get construction financing, etc.
• Mar - Dec 2022: build homes and move in (the first homes would be completed in Sept 2022)

This is probably an ambitious timeline, but we’d rather set ambitious goals and hit them a bit late than set more relaxed goals and hit them a bit late.

If you're interested in a greater sense of peace and belonging in your life and a healthier lifestyle fostered by living in community and close to Nature, we invite you to get involved. Although our community gatherings are limited to Zoom and the outdoors, we are welcoming visits from P2AM's (with heightened hygiene precautions). Click here to go to our Plan a Visit webpage or click here to send an email to Sandy. She can help you reserve one of our common house guest rooms.

If you've been on the fence about becoming an Associate Member, don't despair about the fact that we already have 33 Associate Member households. Once Full Membership opens and the $12,000 non-refundable deposit is required, there will undoubtedly be some turnover. If you are seriously interested and would like to get involved with Heartwood and our Associate Members group, including participating in our monthly Zoom gatherings and biweekly Happy Hours, we'd strongly encourage you to get in the Phase 2 queue by becoming an Associate Member. Click here for info on becoming an Associate Member. Phase 2 will sell out on a first come, first served basis.

As always, if you have any questions, simply reply to this email. We're happy to answer any and all questions. We've posted answers to frequently asked questions on the Phase 2 FAQ page and also the general FAQ page.

I just wanted to send a quick follow up to last week's newsletter (see below). It feels like momentum is really picking up and life is getting a bit fast and crazy all of the sudden – but of course it could just be the fact that I'm organizing a 16 person, three week raft trip through the Grand Canyon that departs in about 45 hours.

Just in the past few days, we've received deposits from four new P2 Associate Member households. We're suddenly up to 22. So if you are excited about being part of Heartwood Phase 2, but have been dawdling, I'd encourage you to get your deposit in and reserve your spot in the queue. Our Phase 2 Associate Membership page has complete details.

I also wanted to let you know that because of the Grand Canyon trip, I won't be able to process your deposit and properly welcome you into the Phase 2 Associate Members group until early November, but someone here at Heartwood will be collecting our mail for us and noting the dates when deposits arrive so new Associate Members will be assured of reserving their appropriate place in the queue. (Thanks in advance for your patience and understanding.)

​Just like in Aesop's Fable of the The Tortoise and the Hare, our mantra for these past many months has been, "Slow and Steady Wins the Race". Even though the folks from the various agencies that we've worked with are good people, there has been some frustration along the way in working through the many regulations, but we just keep putting one foot in front of the other and we now appear to be approaching the light at the end of the regulatory tunnel.

It literally makes me giddy with excitement. Any one of these regulatory hurdles could have been a showstopper, but it now seems that we're on the verge of clearing all of the big regulatory hurdles. We are getting ever closer to making Heartwood Phase 2 a reality. Our patience and persistence are paying off. We are about to enter a new and exciting phase of Phase 2 development.

​You may recall from our last P2 Update newsletter that it was looking like the water flow assumptions in the Colorado Department of Public Health regulations were going to require us to complete a long and expensive Note 2 analysis even though our actual future water use will be significantly below the threshold which triggers that requirement. The big and exciting news is that because we have kept detailed records for many years of how much water each Heartwood home has used and how many people have lived in each home, we were able to show the health department that after adding the 14 Phase 2 homes, we will be below the Note 2 analysis threshold. Our engineer advised us that we were very unlikely to get an exception from the normal water flow assumptions the health department uses, but we persisted in our communications with the health department and in the end they decided that we did not have to compete the costly and time consuming Note 2 analysis. Huge news! So exciting to be able to move forward without that delay and expense!

Our other big remaining regulatory hurdle was the requirement to obtain an emergency access easement. You may recall that even though we have an emergency access road, the neighbors whose land the road crosses between our land and the county road were not willing to sell us a legal easement. They are nice neighbors that we get along with well, but they were afraid an easement might reduce their property value or expose them to liability.

The county regulations provide that the emergency access requirement can be waived based on a written approval of the fire department and the county planning engineer. To that end, we've have several onsite tours of our land with the fire department, county planners, and a fire mitigation service during which we came up with a plan to greatly beef up our fire mitigation defensible space around our housing cluster and along our primary access road (Heartwood Lane) in lieu of obtaining the emergency access easement. The fire department has agreed to the waiver and wrote a letter to the county planners stating as much. The county planners have yet to decide whether they are on board with the waiver, but during their onsite tour yesterday, they seemed receptive to following the fire department's lead -– at least they didn't seem opposed to it. :-)

One thing that probably helped us in all this is that we've been very fire conscious for many years, collaborating with the fire department to mitigate the fire danger around our homes and qualifying as a Firewise community.

More good news is that there seems to be a bit of a silver lining to Covid for Heartwood. There is suddenly a wave of interested people wanting to flee big cities, reconnect with nature, and foster community in their lives. We've had lots more people visiting our website, making inquiries, and coming for visits. We are now up to 19 Phase 2 Associate Member (P2AM) households. Welcome aboard Marta & Rob, Todd & Jame (and new baby!), Sue & Steve, Grace & Fred, Leslie & Jeff, Janice, and Ann!

Another Covid silver lining has been our monthly P2AM Zoom gatherings. We had planned to host a gathering of Phase 2 Associate Members back in April. We had to switch that over to Zoom, about which I was initially pretty disappointed, but which has actually been a blessing in disguise. We have now held five monthly P2AM Zoom gatherings with another one tomorrow. With P2AM's scattered all over the country, in-person gatherings would have been very difficult and infrequent. The Zoom gatherings have been a great way for the P2AM's to learn about Heartwood and for current Heartwood members and P2AM's to all get to know each other and begin to form close connections.

​With the clearing of those regulatory hurdles, our path ahead looks brighter than ever. Our next steps are to open Phase 2 Full Membership and apply for Preliminary Plat approval.

If becoming a P2 Associate Member means, “I’m very interested in living in Heartwood Phase 2. Here’s my $1000 fully refundable deposit to hold my spot.”, becoming a P2 Full Member means, “I am fully committed to living in Heartwood Phase 2. Here’s my $12,000 non-refundable deposit to hold my spot.” With significant money about to be spent on engineering, surveying, and other development costs to prepare our Preliminary Plat application, we need to know if we have enough seriously committed households. We are also now at a point of greater certainty about the likely success of the development so the risk is reduced for the households who are ready to take that next step of becoming Full Members. The time is right to open Full Membership.

There's a lot of work that needs to happen before opening Full Membership including updating cost estimates for lot development and home construction, deciding whether custom or production homes will be offered, and having a Full Membership contract drawn up detailing the rights and responsibilities of the P2 development company (Tara Development LLC) and the Full Members. We want to be able to provide P2AM's with as much information as possible for them to make their Full Membership decision. Given the work that needs to get done and the fact that I'll be spending the next three weeks rowing down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, Full Membership will probably open in early 2021. (The Grand Canyon is the most distant section of the huge Colorado Plateau, which is the amazing red rock canyon wilderness in our backyard.)

Because households stepping up to become Full Members now do so with less information than households who may join later, the early households will be rewarded for the extra risk they are taking (making a decision with less information). The early birds will receive a $10,000 credit against the eventual purchase of their P2 lot. They will also reserve their spot in the lot and carport selection queues and be able to participate in the planning and design of P2. And perhaps most importantly, they will reserve their spot in P2. With only 14 spots available and the huge surge in interest in Heartwood, P2 will probably sell out quickly.

If you're interested in a greater sense of peace and belonging in your life and a healthier lifestyle fostered by living in community and close to Nature, we invite you to get involved. Although our community gatherings are limited to the outdoors, we are welcoming visitors and our guests rooms are available (with amped up hygiene precautions). Click here to go to our Plan a Visit webpage or click here to send an email to Sandy. She can help you reserve one of our common house guest rooms.

If you've been on the fence about becoming an Associate Member, don't despair about the fact that we already have 19 Associate Member households. Once Full Membership opens and the $12,000 non-refundable deposit is required, there will undoubtedly be some turnover. If you are seriously interested and would like to get involved with Heartwood and our Associate Members group, including participating in our monthly Zoom gatherings, we'd strongly encourage you to get in the Phase 2 queue by becoming an Associate Member. Click here for info on becoming an Associate Member. Phase 2 will sell out on a first come, first served basis.

As always, if you have any questions, simply reply to this email. We're happy to answer any and all questions. We've posted answers to frequently asked questions on the Phase 2 page on our website and also the FAQ page.

​This is perhaps the most challenging part of the Phase 2 development for me – working with the various agencies to understand and meet all of their housing and development regulations, while at the same time trying to keep those regulatory burdens from driving the costs of our Phase 2 homes too high. It's a real test of my patience and persistence, but I'm doing my best to not get frustrated and to keep my eye on the prize: creating community life for 14 new households while making Heartwood more vibrant than ever.

During these tumultuous times for our country, I feel the value of community more than ever. Through community, we can offer the world just a bit more civility, understanding, and connection.

​In our work on septic system plans, we're required to complete a Note 2 analysis if our total discharge for the whole community is greater than 6000 gallons per day (gpd). The analysis is fairly long and expensive (maybe 6 months and $15,000) and intended for large systems so we've been hoping to avoid that requirement.

We have 20 years of good data on our water usage showing that we use only about 2000 gpd, which is very low. We are very water conscious here. Adding 14 Phase 2 homes will probably bring our total usage up to about 3200 gpd, well below the 6000 gpd threshold.

Seems like it should be pretty easy, right?

Unfortunately, in their calculations, the state regulators assume that all homes are at full occupancy, roughly meaning two people in every bedroom, which means they assume that we'd have 209 people living here resulting in daily water usage of 6660 gpd. That's a crazy number given that we've currently got 60 people living here and will probably be at about 100 people with the addition of Phase 2.

We also keep good census data so I calculated the statistical probabilities of full occupancy. I was pretty excited to find that based on historical census data and extrapolating for Phase 2, we have 99.997% confidence that our total population won't exceed 151 people, which equates to 4810 gpd.

Unfortunately it seems that the regulators probably won't be willing to accept statistical analysis and will insist on assuming a population of 209 people. We've tried everything we could think of, but it looks like we're probably going to be required to do the Note 2 analysis. This is frustrating on many levels. The analysis will most likely not impact the design of our septic system one iota while adding six months to the approval process and about $1000 cost to each home.

While this is not a "no" to being able to develop Phase 2, it is definitely an unwelcome setback and a "no" to being able to submit our Preliminary Plat application this summer, which is what we'd been hoping to do.

​Subdivisions of 25 - 99 homes are required to have an emergency access, which is a road that could be used in case our primary access would not be available during an emergency, such as a forest fire, which is our most likely emergency where we live. We currently have a good emergency access road, but it crosses our neighbor's land before connecting with County Road 506.

The neighbors whose land it crosses have become friends of Heartwood over the years and have told me that in an emergency, they would welcome us or emergency vehicles to use their road. Unfortunately they're unwilling to sell us a legal emergency access easement because they're afraid that it might expose them to liability or decrease their property value. Our attorney and I don't believe these fears are well founded, but if they don't want to sell us an easement, there's nothing we can do to compel them to do so.

There could be other neighbors whose land we could cross with an emergency access road who might be willing to sell us an easement, but that could end up costing $100,000 to build the road and obtain the easement. That would represent another significant development cost that wouldn't really add much value given that our primary access road mostly crosses open and relatively flat pastureland so is unlikely to ever be unavailable in an emergency and in addition to that we already have a good emergency access road. According to state statute, emergency vehicles can use whatever road they need in an emergency, regardless of whether there's an emergency access easement on that road.

The county regulations provide that the emergency access requirement can be waived based on a written approval of the fire department, county engineer, and county planning engineer. I had a Zoom meeting with those three men last week to discuss the possibility of such a waiver. The fire department deputy chief seemed willing to give us a waiver given our history of collaborative work with them on fire mitigation (Heartwood is Firewise certified), the existence of an emergency access road, and the quality of our primary access. The county engineer seemed willing to follow the lead of the fire department. Unfortunately, the county planning engineer seemed more inclined to follow the regs more strictly and insist on an emergency access road with an easement. He wants a guarantee that the emergency access road we currently have will never go away and the only way to ensure that is with a legal easement.

So the plan is that I'm going to work with the fire department to come up with additional fire mitigation work that we can commit to in lieu of obtaining an emergency access easement. Maybe then the county planning engineer will agree to the waiver. Wish us luck!

​In the spring of 2019 during our county planning feasibility evaluation process, the fire department completed an agency input form stating that our 30,000 gallons is adequate for both Phase 1 and 2. Unfortunately, this spring they informed us that they had not considered the requirements of the 2015 International Fire Code (IFC), which the county adopted in 2010.

Working with our site planning engineer, we were able to determine that the IFC would require 60,000 gallons of water storage for Phase 1 and 2. Ouch.

The good news is that we also figured out that if we install sprinkler systems in the Phase 2 homes, the total water storage capacity requirement would only be 29,350 gallons, just under the 30,000 gallons of water storage we already have.

In my previous meetings with the fire department, they were fairly enthused about sprinkler systems, even though sprinkler systems don't really help in a forest fire. They said that sprinkler systems have come down in price and now cost about $1.50 per square foot, or about $3000 for a 2000 sf home. Also, a sprinkler system should reduce home insurance costs. So it seems that adding sprinkler systems to Phase 2 homes not only meets a regulatory requirement, it also adds real value to the homes by making them safer and lowering insurance costs.

I'm pretty sure that we're all set on the water storage issue and we can check that box. Making some progress sure feels good!

​With the big setback in our septic system planning it looks like our Preliminary Plat approval will be delayed for at least six months making construction in 2021 unlikely. Building homes in 2022 now seems more likely. That's a real disappointment, but we've been working on developing Heartwood for more than 25 years so adding another year is not the end of the world. We will just keep moving doggedly forward working to create an amazing addition to Heartwood and 14 beautiful and reasonably priced homes for 14 new community households.

Something very positive that's been happening lately is the enthusiasm and engagement of the Phase 2 Associate Members. We've been holding monthly Zoom gatherings so they can get to know Heartwood, each other, and the Phase 1 members. The last Zoom gathering was a virtual tour of Heartwood's many gardens, greenhouses, irrigated pastures, and farm animals. Through these gatherings, our Associate Member group is becoming more closely connected even though they live all across the United States.

There also seems to be a lot more interest in Heartwood from the general public. We've been getting lots of inquiries and people wanting to visit. Perhaps because of the pandemic more people are seeing the value in living in supportive communities and also the attraction of a virtual job in a gorgeous rural location. Whatever the reason, this is good for cohousing, good for Heartwood, and good for Phase 2.

Since the last Phase 2 Update newsletter, we've added two new Associate Member households. A huge welcome to Renée Rivard and Mark & Lauren Gilbert and their one year old daughter!

If you're interested in a greater sense of peace and belonging in your life and a healthier lifestyle fostered by living in community and close to Nature, we invite you to get involved. In July we will again be opening up our common house guest rooms. To get details on our reopening plans, click here to go to our Plan a Visit webpage or click here to send an email to Sandy. She can help you reserve one of our common house guest rooms.

If you've been on the fence about becoming an Associate Member, don't despair about the fact that we already have 16 Associate Member households. Once Full Equity Membership opens up and the $12,000 non-refundable deposit is required, there will undoubtedly be some turnover. If you are seriously interested and would like to get involved with Heartwood and our Associate Members group, including participating in our monthly Zoom gatherings, we'd strongly encourage you to get in the Phase 2 queue by becoming an Associate Member. Click here for info on becoming an Associate Member.

As always, if you have any questions, simply reply to this email. We're happy to answer any and all questions. We've posted answers to frequently asked questions on the Phase 2 page on our website and also the FAQ page.

In just three weeks, Heartwood will be hosting our first gathering of Phase 2 Associate Members. This is a huge and exciting step as we move closer to making Phase 2 a reality.

On the county approval front, recent progress has unfortunately been slow. We've mostly been working on septic system plans, an emergency access easement, and fire mitigation requirements. All of these need to be figured out before we can apply for our Preliminary Plat approval, which is our next big step in the overall county approval process. These are challenging obstacles, but we will persevere. We had many equally challenging obstacles during our Phase 1 approval process and we were able to work through them.

On a more positive note, our group of Phase 2 Associate Members (P2AM's) is growing in number and growing in enthusiasm. Recently we've had   a couple of new households become P2AM's and many P2AM's visit Heartwood. A big welcome to Mary Ellen & Paul Garrett and David & Lalanya Bingham and their 2 children (ages 6 & 1), our newest Associate Members!

In February I gave a presentation during the Cohousing Association of the US online affordability conference on reducing construction costs by offering smart and economical design choices. Coho/US is doing a great job of hosting online events and webcasts to share information about cohousing.

At the end of February Heartwood held its annual retreat. I can't tell you how grateful I am that many years ago we had the foresight to start that tradition. Although shared community meals, casual social interactions of all kinds, work parties, our annual Canyonlands campout, and many other points of connection bring us together throughout the year, for me, nothing seems to bring us closer than our annual retreat.

The retreat combines reflection, authentic personal sharing, humor, renewal of our shared community vision, and breaking bread together to bring us into a place of expanded commitment and connection. We are here together at Heartwood because we recognize that we each need community and connection in our lives to thrive. The world needs community and connection to thrive. At our annual retreat, we reconnect with that shared vision.

The next big thing on the horizon is our very first gathering of the Phase 2 Associate Members over the weekend of April 3 to 5. We've got nine households so far planning to attend plus current Heartwood members.

We've been busy working on plans for the weekend. We'll be sharing information and gathering input on development and design plans. It will be a combination of discussions and feet-on-the-ground reviews of Heartwood homes, other community amenities, and possible Phase 2 building sites.We will be learning, connecting, and having fun together.

If you've been sitting on the fence about becoming a Phase 2 Associate Member and this gathering sounds interesting to you, this might be a good time to join. Only P2AM's and current Heartwood members are invited to the gathering. Associate Members will be able to provide design and planning input (as they've already been doing on our Phase 2 email chat). Click here for info on becoming an Associate Member.

Besides the big gathering, we will continue working on our county approvals and attracting members.

If you're interested in a greater sense of peace and belonging in your life and a healthier lifestyle fostered by living in community and close to Nature, we invite you to get involved. If you'd like to come for a visit, click here to check out our Plan a Visit webpage or click here to send an email to Sandy. She can help you reserve one of our common house guest rooms.

If you've been undecided about becoming an Associate Member, don't despair about the fact that we already have 15 Associate Member households. Once Full Equity Membership opens up and the $12,000 non-refundable deposit is required, there will undoubtedly be some turnover. If you are seriously interested, we'd strongly encourage you to get in the Phase 2 queue by becoming an Associate Member. Chances are there will be room for you. Click here for info on becoming an Associate Member.

As always, if you have any questions, simply reply to this email and let us know. We're happy to answer any and all questions. We've posted answers to frequently asked questions on the Phase 2 page on our website.

​Have a great weekend and Thanksgiving everyone! Lots of gratitude. Lots of love.

The really big news is that last night we went before the County Planning Commission seeking approval for a Land Use Map Amendment which would make Phase 2 possible. We passed with flying colors! That was the the first big hurdle with County approval. We have two more to go – Conceptual Development Plan (CDP) and Preliminary Plat.

Our hearing before the Planning Commission to consider our CDP application is scheduled for November 21. Everything is looking good so far. May it go as smoothly as last night.

The Phase 2 Associate Members' chat group has been lively. Folks have been introducing themselves and we've begun sharing our hopes and dreams about what kind of homes we'd like to build. Our work together to shape our new community expansion has begun.

Besides saving your spot in Phase 2 and your place in the lot and carport selection queue, getting to participate in shaping our Phase 2 planning and design is one of the key benefits of becoming a Phase 2 Associate Member. Click here for info on becoming an Associate Member.

Speaking of which, we are now up to 20 P2 Associate Members. Welcome aboard May and Joyce!

There are a thousand details involved in a real estate development of this magnitude and many of them are rather mundane, although completely necessary. Some recent progress:

• The community revised our covenants paving the way for our new vision of Phase 2 – fourteen homes clustered near our existing Phase 1 cluster.
• We submitted our application to expand our water well permits to allow for Phase 2 expansion plus possible future farm housing.

It's not all about work here. This past weekend we had a great time together at our 24th annual Canyonlands campout. We even did a 204 mile hike on Saturday. Well, actually, 15 of us did a 13.6 mile hike for a total of 204 miles through some of the most jaw dropping scenery on the planet. And since this is the Four Corners region, we had lovely, sunny skies the whole weekend.