TOUCHSTONE COHOUSING
"With Cohousing, neighborliness comes with the house." Ann Arbor News
Touchstone Overview
What is Cohousing?
Cohousing is a village-like neighborhood where people know and support each other. Ours is a group of privately-owned condominiums. Vehicles are parked on the perimeter, and wide pathways within the neighborhood are walkways, gathering spots for conversation and play areas for children. The neighborhood is at the end of a dead end road and is very quiet, with shopping along Jackson Avenue from Zeeb Road to Maple Road only minutes away. There are three Ann Arbor Cohousing communities:
Touchstone is at 560 Little Lake Drive
Great Oak is at 500 Little Lake Drive
Sunward is at 424 Little Lake Drive
What kinds of people live at Touchstone?
• Intergenerational – ages range from infant to the mid-eighties
• Families with children, couples without children, retired people, singles, widows and widowers, divorcees, newlyweds and others make up the neighborhood
• Occupations include engineers, computer specialists, therapists, yoga instructors, retired teachers, newspaper editor, stay-at-home dad, blood bank technician, elementary school teachers, speaker/trainer/coach, medical doctor, finish carpenter, college and grad students, office manager, retired symphony musician, small business owners and nurses
• Residents have chosen to live a more environmentally sustainable lifestyle. Examples: We consume less energy with energy-efficient dwellings, have composting and recycling available on-site, share rides and large equipment such as lawnmowers and a play structure, and use only fragrance-free laundry products. Four of us drive gas hybrid cars
Safety and environment
• Homes are healthier because they were built using paints, glues, sealants and flooring that reduce or eliminate chemical gases inside dwellings
• Vehicles are eliminated inside the neighborhood except for delivery/service and emergencies
• Everyone knows each other, so it is obvious when strangers are in the neighborhood
• No herbicides or pesticides are used on plants, lawns or gardens. Fragrances are eliminated to accommodate people with allergies
Lifestyle
• The entire community watches children. It is safe for them to play outside. Spontaneous child care and play dates are common
• Spontaneous conversations with neighbors often take place in walkways
• Everyone has a porch which invites visitors for conversations when sitting outside
• Group meals are prepared three times weekly for those who wish to participate
• Everyone helps in the neighborhood each month mowing grass or shoveling snow, cooking meals, chairing committees, and many other tasks
• Neighbors are available in emergency situations or when you are missing ingredients for cooking
Homes and Surroundings
• Homes meet the standards of Energy Star ratings. To get this rating an energy audit must show a rating of 85 or below. Two of our units were tested and achieved ratings of 77 and 73.
• An EPA study of Nyland, a cohousing neighborhood near Denver the size of Touchstone, showed utility bills were half those of neighboring homes
• More than half of the 35 acres owned by Ann Arbor’s three cohousing neighborhoods located next to each other are preserved in a natural state with two ponds, a greenbelt of native plants and prairie, plus a woods
• Homes at Touchstone, the newest community:
1. The neighborhood is comprised of 1-3 bedroom condominiums priced from $170s to $340s
2. All units have either an unfinished basement or large unfinished attic with dormers
Common House
Our temporary Common House has a kitchen, dining/meeting room, play rooms for children and laundry room.
Our three-story Common House to be built has the following design:
Main Floor: Great Room for meetings and shared meals, commercial kitchen, sitting room, children's play room.
Second floor: Yoga/meditation space, guest sleeping room, offices
Basement: Game room, laundry, media room, crafts/music area, storage
Tours/information meetings:
Sundays at 2 PM at Sunward Common House.
Click here for information
Back to About Cohousing
Cohousing is a village-like neighborhood where people know and support each other. Ours is a group of privately-owned condominiums. Vehicles are parked on the perimeter, and wide pathways within the neighborhood are walkways, gathering spots for conversation and play areas for children. The neighborhood is at the end of a dead end road and is very quiet, with shopping along Jackson Avenue from Zeeb Road to Maple Road only minutes away. There are three Ann Arbor Cohousing communities:
Touchstone is at 560 Little Lake Drive
Great Oak is at 500 Little Lake Drive
Sunward is at 424 Little Lake Drive
What kinds of people live at Touchstone?
• Intergenerational – ages range from infant to the mid-eighties
• Families with children, couples without children, retired people, singles, widows and widowers, divorcees, newlyweds and others make up the neighborhood
• Occupations include engineers, computer specialists, therapists, yoga instructors, retired teachers, newspaper editor, stay-at-home dad, blood bank technician, elementary school teachers, speaker/trainer/coach, medical doctor, finish carpenter, college and grad students, office manager, retired symphony musician, small business owners and nurses
• Residents have chosen to live a more environmentally sustainable lifestyle. Examples: We consume less energy with energy-efficient dwellings, have composting and recycling available on-site, share rides and large equipment such as lawnmowers and a play structure, and use only fragrance-free laundry products. Four of us drive gas hybrid cars
Safety and environment
• Homes are healthier because they were built using paints, glues, sealants and flooring that reduce or eliminate chemical gases inside dwellings
• Vehicles are eliminated inside the neighborhood except for delivery/service and emergencies
• Everyone knows each other, so it is obvious when strangers are in the neighborhood
• No herbicides or pesticides are used on plants, lawns or gardens. Fragrances are eliminated to accommodate people with allergies
Lifestyle
• The entire community watches children. It is safe for them to play outside. Spontaneous child care and play dates are common
• Spontaneous conversations with neighbors often take place in walkways
• Everyone has a porch which invites visitors for conversations when sitting outside
• Group meals are prepared three times weekly for those who wish to participate
• Everyone helps in the neighborhood each month mowing grass or shoveling snow, cooking meals, chairing committees, and many other tasks
• Neighbors are available in emergency situations or when you are missing ingredients for cooking
Homes and Surroundings
• Homes meet the standards of Energy Star ratings. To get this rating an energy audit must show a rating of 85 or below. Two of our units were tested and achieved ratings of 77 and 73.
• An EPA study of Nyland, a cohousing neighborhood near Denver the size of Touchstone, showed utility bills were half those of neighboring homes
• More than half of the 35 acres owned by Ann Arbor’s three cohousing neighborhoods located next to each other are preserved in a natural state with two ponds, a greenbelt of native plants and prairie, plus a woods
• Homes at Touchstone, the newest community:
1. The neighborhood is comprised of 1-3 bedroom condominiums priced from $170s to $340s
2. All units have either an unfinished basement or large unfinished attic with dormers
Common House
Our temporary Common House has a kitchen, dining/meeting room, play rooms for children and laundry room.
Our three-story Common House to be built has the following design:
Main Floor: Great Room for meetings and shared meals, commercial kitchen, sitting room, children's play room.
Second floor: Yoga/meditation space, guest sleeping room, offices
Basement: Game room, laundry, media room, crafts/music area, storage
Tours/information meetings:
Sundays at 2 PM at Sunward Common House.
Click here for information
Back to About Cohousing
