Ericka Stephens-Rennie was raised in small-town Rossland, B.C. "That life was really appealing to me - the idea that you knew all your neighbours," she told the Courier. "I grew up sharing toys with my neighbours. My dad shared tools with the neighbours. Canning in the summertime and neighbourhood block parties were a reality of my life. I've always lived in big cities since moving away from home and was looking at a way to establish that again."
The 29-year-old has figured out how to return to small-town living in Kensington-Cedar Cottage, where Vancouver's first cohousing community will be built.
Last March, the city approved a rezoning proposal to allow for the cohousing complex to be constructed on three properties on East 33rd Avenue near Argyle Street.
Vancouver Cohousing appealed to Stephens-Rennie, in particular, because of neighbourhood amenities, including the Kensington Community Centre, Kensington Park, shops and restaurants on Kingsway and Victoria, and proximity to schools and transit on 33rd, Victoria and Knight.
"Overall, we are very excited to get back to living in the neighbourhood - my husband and I rented in the area when we first moved to Vancouver two years ago - and to getting to know our neighbours better both within the cohousing and within the broader neighbourhood," she said. The cohousing complex will include one level of underground parking and five buildings ranging from two to three storeys above grade.
The four residential buildings will be separated from each other, but have a common courtyard in the centre, and there will be a 6,510-square-foot common house at the back of the property to encourage and promote interaction between residents.
The 31 residential units range from studios to threebedrooms.
They will each have their own kitchen, living and dining rooms, while the common house will have a large kitchen and dining room, laundry facilities, a multipurpose room, a children's playroom, two guestrooms, meditation space and an office with room for about six desks. There will also be a common deck and garden space outside.
The Urban Design Panel didn't support the project at the rezoning stage, but the revised design is being finalized and will go before the UDP again, likely in October, before the project can secure a development permit. Construction could start as early as next spring with residents taking occupancy in the spring of 2015.
Price per unit is expected to be approximately $550 a square foot on average. While figures haven't been finalized, that could translate to anywhere between $280,000 for a small studio to $600,000 for a three-bedroom, all with access to common space.
Stephens-Rennie works for the federal government, but is on maternity leave with her six-month-old son Jacob. Her husband Andrew works for the Anglican Church, largely from home, and plans to use the complex's common office space.
"It's that common amenity space that really facilitates, in the long term, much more affordable housing. We're talking about doing common meals together in our common kitchen several times a week. There are common guest rooms and common office space," Stephens-Rennie said.
"We don't need to have an extra little den or space in our home. We can afford to buy just exactly what we need, which is two bedrooms."
Her family is considering sharing a car with another family in the complex and they're looking forward to the possibility of help with childcare.
Twenty-eight family groups have bought shares in the Vancouver Cohousing development company at this point. Regulations prohibit selling units until the city approves development permit.
"Ultimately it will be the shareholders that will make recommendation to the company to sell the units in a particular way and so we'll market to our own shareholders first," Stephens-Rennie said.
"For [my family], it's about the value of knowing your neighbours, having a sharing economy at your fingertips and the ability to cut down on expenses.... All those things that make life a bit smoother and easier on a daily basis when you know not just two of your neighbours, but 30 of them."
Go to vancourier.com to see a photo gallery and an extended story.noconnor@vancourier.com twitter.com/naoibh
