At the end of World War II Europe, and indeed much of the world, was in chaos. As the smoke cleared, some recognized an opportunity to not just rebuild, but to create new ways of building, doing business and of living together in community.
A group of Danes came together to work on an idea on how to create an intentional community, sharing resources and common spaces, and through this daily interaction with neighbors building a stronger, healthier community. The term ‘cohousing’ was given to the concept, and the idea spread worldwide.
Defined as an intentional, collaborative neighborhood that combines private homes with shared indoor and outdoor spaces designed to support an active and interdependent community life, cohousing isn’t a financial or legal model per se, but rather a descriptive term stressing active participation of community residents in many aspects of village life, including design and governance.
Most Prescott residents are not aware that we have had a cohousing community here in town for almost 30 years. Manzanita Village began as an idea in 1998 and, after several years of thoughtful planning, homes began to appear on the twelve-plus-acre parcel on Bradshaw Drive.
Architects Jeff Zucker and Paul Moore designed the community, the first of its kind in Arizona, with the intent of preserving the natural features of the landscape. As is typical in such intentional villages, there are no driveways or garages next to the homes, but instead a parking lot with carports. There is a central road that goes through the village so people can drop off their shopping, but villagers park in one of the two lots and walk to their homes on one of many paths. Residents often use wagons to transport groceries, etc., to their homes.
Longtime resident Merirose Kelsey calls the concept “circling the wagons,” where ideally all the homes are built with kitchen windows facing a common park area, though Manzanita Village is built, out of necessity due to the steepness of the hill it sits on, in two wings extending from the common house in the center. There are 36 lots, and homes vary in size. There are at the time of this printing two homes for sale.
There are many shared resources and distinctive features in the neighborhood that create multiple opportunities throughout the day for neighbors to interact. The common house, used by all, contains a greatroom that can comfortably hold up to 75 for shared meals, movies, programs, fitness classes and other events. It also has a laundry (though all homes have their own laundry capabilities), a playroom and another lounge. It has a wraparound porch and a large patio below for outdoor gatherings. There are frequent potlucks, picnics and birthday parties, and members can join a “meal team” where they share meals on a regular basis. Many trails wind through the village, children have a central playground, and there are no fences between houses, so there are plenty of chances to interact. Mailboxes and dumpsters are also located centrally rather than adjacent to each home.
Manzanita Village basically functions as a homeowners association, and monthly dues cover water, sewer, trash pickup and maintenance of the grounds and common house. In addition to dues, each villager is encouraged to contribute at least two hours per week in community work. This can include participating in one or more of the standing committees tasked with attending to areas such as finance, facilities, grounds, care of the common house, and others. One member may love to cook, and so shops and prepares a meal for their meal team, while other members may prefer gardening or bookkeeping.
All decisions requiring participation are made by consensus at regular community meetings. If someone disagrees with the majority on a specific issue, space is provided to discuss the issue further. With over 30 households, decision-making by consensus is no small task, but taking the time to air questions and reservations builds trust and ultimately strengthens the community.
Merirose describes being part of a cohousing community as an ongoing process of mutual adaptation, of wearing down each other’s rough parts. “We live in a rock tumbler. If you do it long enough, you become like a river rock.”
The design of the village includes a commitment to environmentally conscientious development and stewardship of existing natural resources. Water catchment tanks are used for landscaping. The community has also “rented” goats in the past to clear brush as part of their efforts to follow firewise practices. Compost is collected to help nourish the community garden.
Public-health research now lists loneliness as a major factor in lifespan predictability. Apart from the sadness of being isolated from others, loneliness is a health risk. Conversely, regular interaction with others, especially known neighbors, including children and pets, brings vitality. Jessica Bluff moved to Manzanita Village just before the pandemic and immediately took on caring for her grandson, who ended up staying with her for three years. She felt very welcomed and supported by the community.
Because of the interactive design the children here are known and feel safe playing outside or walking to each other’s homes. “Even if something does go wrong, there are people around who will help in a heartbeat.” Even those residents who don’t have children in their own homes enjoy having young, active kids in the neighborhood. Resident Colleen Sorensen relates how two of the village kids came to her door recently and asked if they could do yard work for her in exchange for fizzy water. Children do indeed make noise, but they bring a lightness and energy to a neighborhood.
Manzanita Village fosters a vision “to sustain and promote a thriving cohousing community whose members develop and participate in an intergenerational, intentional community that nurtures creativity, neighborliness, collaboration, consensus governance, environmental stewardship and global awareness.” The residents I met all agreed that the neighborhood encompasses much more diversity than most, which they find very positive and stimulating. They enjoy the fulfillment of serving the larger community. “The greatest thing I have found as an adult is community living,” shared Jessica. “You learn how to navigate people in a pretty safe way. Even if people don’t always agree, in the end they are still friends.”
To learn more, visit manzanitavillage.com.
