Discussion Paper
This paper is a more practically organized explanation of the Lanark Eco-Village possibilities. It is a work in progress and your comments are welcome. Feel free to offer any comments or suggestions to the EcoLanark Wordpress discussion page.
Framework for Involvement
This proposal is at an early stage. While decades have been spent collecting the views shared in "The Vision" and "What we could build," the focus on building an actual settlement based on domestic ecosystems, is just now starting to move.
At present, what is available is 160 aces in Lanark County about three km. from the Village of Lanark. There are about 20 acres cleared and lots of mature woodland. About 30% is wet land, with soft maple. Only a small portion, back near the Mississippi River, and hard to get to, is marsh in the dry seasons.
The pictures across the top of this page are of the house, about 2000 sq. ft.. There are plans to add on a bigger kitchen which could serve a larger community and free up house space for divided quarters.
A shed roughly 20 ft. square with an "A frame" like second level. Presently storage, it could be fixed up for a small business and possibly a rudementary dwelling up top.
A fully functional woodworking shop, capable of making anything you can imagine in solid wood. It was assembled thirty years ago with the intent of making parts for community. It stands by for such possibilities and provides a source of income in the mean time.
A large shop building, 1,000 sq. ft. in the shop area, including wood storage and another 400 sq. ft. upstairs, separated from the dust, with a high ceiling and a 70 sq. ft. loft. Easily heated and presently habitable.
The last picture is of the Clyde River. It is about a 20 minute walk through the neighbour's property. We are welcome to walk there, and there is a fair chance that we might be able to purchase that property, or the most useful portion for the eco-village project. That property is 135 acres with, perhaps 60 cleared. It also has substantial woodlands and some adjoining wet land.
There is already lumber, on our site, milled from trees on the property, for a 10 ft. X 10 ft. and an 8 ft. X 12 ft. cabins. Such mini-dwellings can be erected about the property. A site for the 10 x 10 has already been cleared along with a route to get materials to the site.
At present there is a 2300 sq. ft. fenced garden. Another area, behind the shop, has a much larger gardening space that needs fencing to keep the deer away.
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The present property requires that we come up with $150,000 by Summer Solstice 2011. How that might be contributed by interested parties and what additional funds would be necessary to make the property livable for a number of families is a topic for discussion.
Hope to see you at such discussions in the not too distant future.