Consensed: December 2007

A. Our goal is to demonstrate that we can live with joy in a more sustainable way and with less personal/private space than the average US homeowner.  We will strive to average less than the maximum sizes permitted at the PTEV.   Each person who applies to build or inhabit a residence at the PTEV will first write a brief letter to the PTEV describing the design, materials, how it fits in with the overall design of the ecovillage, its flexibility to meet the needs of future inhabitants, and size of space (s)he wishes to build or inhabit, and of her/his personal understanding of the choices being made. We will support each other as we search to identify our own individual creativity, conditioning, desires and needs around personal housing spaces.  We will embrace the diversity in our group as we seek to harmonize different individual needs with our collective vision for a more sustainable future.    

B. Guidelines:

The following guidelines may be modified as the PTEV gains more development experience in the future, and exceptions may be considered for special needs:

1. General design criteria:

a. Visitability/ADA accessibilty – At least 1 exterior door and all hallways must be 3 feet wide (as per the IBC, International Building Code).  All main floor bathrooms must have 5-foot diameter clear turning radius.  Cabinets under all sinks and at least one kitchen counter must be easily removable.  All kitchen counters must be built so that their height can be modified with relatively little cabinet re-work.  No access ramp will be steeper than a 1/12 slope.  Ramps with slopes of between 1/12 and 1/20 will have at least one railing for safety.

b. Flexibility – Interior non-weight bearing walls will be built with modifiability in mind.

c. Aesthetics – Roof pitch and eave overhangs will be about the same for all dwellings, except for living roofs, which will be of a lower pitch and different eave structure.

d. Modularity – Continue to explore ways to allow creativity while exploring costs savings through uniformity of design and construction.

e. Energy efficiency – Exterior walls and roof will be better than code requirements. For example, SIPs use will require at least 6 inch wall and 10 inch roof panels.  Appropriate R values will be set for different materials used.  Emphasis will be on passive solar heating.  No wood stoves or fireplaces will be allowed.

f.  Frugality/Simplicity – Reuse, recycle and minimal use of materials whenever possible.

g. Durability – Consider life cycle costs.

h. Affordability – Keep affordability in mind in design and construction.

i. Water conservancy – Some rainwater catchment will be designed for impervious roofs.

j. System adaptability – Plumbing and electrical systems will be easily accessible for easy modification.

2. Bulk and Dimensions of personal spaces:
(Notes: Guidelines are for planned construction of dwelling.  As family sizes and configurations change with births, deaths, separations and other factors, some personal spaces for an adult may be temporarily larger or smaller than listed.  These changes will be addressed on a case-by-case basis within guidelines established in our Operating Agreements.)

*These are ground floor interior dimensions, excluding exterior wall thicknesses.  Does not include loft, attic, second story or space for kids.
**This does NOT include shared bathroom, kitchen and dining space located elsewhere and thus the zone I space at the satellite site is less per adult.
***Includes porches, decks, greenhouses, patios and other personal landscape areas around dwellings. Thus, the smaller the house is, the bigger the garden can be.

2a. Interior Dimensions

1) Ground floor space – see table above.

2) Bathroom, if present, will be at least 48 sf  and no larger than 70 sf, and must be fully ADA accessible if on ground floor. Limited to 1 per residence unless approved for special need.  Could be located in separate, shared facility (as in Satellite).

3) Loft, attic or second story space – limited to under 200 sf  (of space with more than 5’ headroom) and will depend on footprint, shape, etc.

4) Child Credit – 150 sf maximum per child, but this will not be added to allowable footprint, except under special situations based on need.

5) Heated basements, and unheated basements and root/fruit cellars, will be allowed on a case-by-case basis.  They may be required to be available for rental space, guest lodging, another residence, storage or other community use.  They need not be visitable or accessible.

2b. Exterior Dimensions

1) Maximum Height – (Highest point of roof ridge above “average grade”) will be no more than18 feet unless otherwise authorized, for example for a 2-story dwelling.  Housing clusters will be developed to maximize solar access.

2) Eaves – Will have approximately an 18” overhang, standard on all residences with impervious roofing.  Walls of earth and some other types of materials may require extra overhang, and will be allowed on a case-by-case basis.

3) Porches/Decks – May only be heated with passive solar heat and will be no more than 100 square feet total (ground floor), up to 50 sf of which may be enclosed.

4) Attached Greenhouses – May only be heated with passive solar heat.  Will be designed and constructed as fully functional greenhouses with appropriate ventilation and watering systems, primarily for growing plants, filtering gray water, and/or other greenhouse functions such as capturing more heat for the residence as part of the overall residential heating strategy.

5) Outdoor storage cupboard – 72 cubic feet maximum and must be attached to residence but will be easily removable without significant damage to dwelling.  No other outdoor storage spaces with impervious roofing will be permitted.

2c. Roof Issues

1) Roof main ridge must run roughly east/west in order to capture maximum passive solar energy, with up to no more than a 10 degree angle to the north or south.

2) Dormers – may be no more than 33% of the ridgeline in Tier 1 or 2, with no more than one on the north and one on the south.

3) The pitch for non-living roofs will be 7/12 to 10/12, or about 30 to 40 degrees, with exceptions for special circumstances such as round buildings, thatch roofs, etc. 

3. Amenities

a. Kitchen and/or Bathroom - Optional in a home, but if present, must be easily modifiable to be ADA accessible.  If located in a shared building, must be fully ADA accessible.

b. Washing machines and dryers will all be in shared laundry facilities, unless approved for special needs elsewhere (like chemical sensitivity requirements).

c. Clothes drying on lines will be strongly encouraged everywhere and the PTEV will provide sites for clothes lines.

d. There will be no garbage disposals or trash compactors.

e. Water conservation measures will be implemented for faucets, toilets and showers.

f.  All buildings with water connections will have plumbing placed for gray water systems and passive solar hot water systems.  These systems will be installed when affordable and used whenever possible.

g. Energy Star appliances, or better ones, must be selected if available, especially for refrigerators (for which alternative cool food storage methods are encouraged).

h. The PTEV may develop more specific standards than those listed here for energy efficiency, including permitted appliance types and uses.

i. Human “waste” is considered a resource and our goal is to compost it as efficiently as possible. Composting toilets, or other acceptable alternatives, will be available throughout the EcoVillage, and may be required in all bathrooms even though their accessibility may not meet ADA standards. Flush toilets will be limited in number and will use storm water or gray water whenever approved or feasible. Use of flush toilets, especially those using potable water to flush, will be discouraged. Our management plan for human “waste” is still being developed and will be consistent with our core values and permaculture principles.

4. Personal Zone 1 Space

a. Personal Zone 1 Space allows residents specific areas of personal use, includes dwellings, porches, patios and gardens, and offers both opportunities and responsibilities.

b. Landscaping and gardening will be consistent with permaculture principles. We will not use toxic herbicides, pesticides, rodenticides or other toxins. Growing food is encouraged. We also encourage plants that are beneficial to wildlife.

c. At least 6 feet on all sides of a residence is considered part of the Personal Zone I of the resident(s) of a dwelling, unless otherwise specified due to specific site requirements, like paths, neighboring yards, etc. Part of the Zone 1 personal space for a residence may need to be physically separated from the land where the residence is located if adjacent land is not available.

d. Patios and courtyards must be pervious enough to manage all storm water within the residential zone 1.

e. Garden walls will be less than 4 feet high.

f. Hedges and fences will allow some visual communication between yards and common paths while honoring and allowing the need for some outdoor privacy for residents.

g. Some temporary deer fencing will be allowed until deer are reasonably excluded from the residential area of the PTEV.

h. Trees and other plantings may not shade dwellings from passive winter solar access.

i. Personal yard space will be kept safe and attractive. There will be no outdoor storage of building materials, furniture or other possessions that are not regularly used.

j. The PTEV has the authority and responsibility to determine that the Personal Zone 1 Space is being developed or used in a manner consistent with our values and principles. The PTEV must approve plantings of trees or shrubs that can grow to over 8 feet in height or that have the potential for being destructive to infrastructure, like sewer lines, etc.

5. Material source list

a. Use of salvaged materials will be encouraged.

b. Local purchasing will be prioritized if affordable, to support the local economy.

c. All newly purchased wood products must be FSC certified if locally available.

d. The total carbon footprint and life-cycle costs of products will be considered whenever possible.

6. Prohibited materials list

a. This “red” materials list comes from the Living Building Challenge, (Appendix #3). They may only be used in special circumstances, if proven to be non-toxic, and must be permitted on a case-by-case basis by the PTEV.

b. • Added formaldehyde • Halogenated Flame Retardants • PVC • Mercury

• CFC's • HCFC's • Neoprene (chloroprene) • Cadmium • Chlorinated Polyethylene and Chlorosulfonated Polyethlene • Wood treatments containing Creosote, Arsenic or Pentachlorophenol • Polyurethane • Lead • Phthalates

7. Equity Determination for LLC Members:

a. The PTEV will use estimated Dwelling Replacement Cost (DRC) to set an Equity Value (EqV) on each dwelling as needed, keeping within an Equity Value Limit (EqVL) in order to keep housing relatively frugal and affordable, using a standardized procedure (Dwelling Equity Proposal consensed 6/17/07)

b. Personal Zone 1 landscaping Equity – If and how calculated is to be determined.

8. Expenses covered by PTEV:

a. Utilities (if desired) to within no more than 20 feet of one corner of any residence.

b. General site engineering.

c. Residential Zone design.

d. Common House, laundry and other site plan approved and budgeted common structures.             

9. Expenses covered by Owner Member paying for construction of a residence:

a. Design and engineering costs of the dwelling.

b. Construction costs of the dwelling.

c. System Development Charges (SDCs) for water and sewer, either in full for one residence, or as a prorated portion of shared cost, depending on how utility hookups are shared.

d. Utility line placement for all utilities run around the footprint, but a minimum 20 feet, even if distance required is less, so that there is no financial disparity for those building farther from main utility corridors.

e. Construction permit costs.

f. Pro-rated amount of expenses related to the construction (design, engineering, utilities, etc.) of any facilities shared by those living in satellites.