Blueberry Hill Inn

Description

When some friends introduced them to the cohousing book in the early 1990 ’s, the Newcomb family, owners of farm property in both Fairfax and Loudoun County, began talking about this intriguing new concept with farm friends and neighbors. With the help of the Cohousing Company and some local cohousing experts, they formed a group in November 1994 and called themselves “Beulah Road Cohousing. ” Twelve families attended the first meeting. The first site the group worked on was located on farm property on Beulah Road. An architect friend helped the group design a site plan, and they hired a consultant (from Liberty Village Cohousing) to help them through the arduous task of applying for rezoning. After several meetings with county officials and unsuccessful attempts to convince supervisors of the project ’s merits, the project seemed to be at a standstill. The Newcombs reconsidered their site options and chose another site on the farm: an inaccessible wooded hillside tucked behind the fields and roads of the farm. Planning began in earnest with the new site, Blueberry Hill. Architects, project managers, engineers and lawyers were interviewed, discussed, and hired. The architect (Jack Wilbern) orchestrated site design workshops, and the group massaged the site plan for several months over bimonthly meetings. Group membership ebbed and flowed, with new interest generated through bulk mailings and word of mouth. January 25, 1996 Blueberry Hill Cohousing held its first “Open House ” at the National Wildlife Federation building. Group members spoke to a crowd of 60 curious onlookers, friends and the press about the cohousing concept, the vision for Blueberry Hill, and the opportunity to join in. Membership jumped to over 9 committed households (those able to pay $5,000 with a promise of $20,000 for a down payment over the next year) soon after that presentation, and the meeting, working, and decision-making process became more formalized. Committees were formed to work on the various tasks of project development: group management, legal/finance issues, PR and marketing, design, community building and fun, and a variety of task forces. Members gained new skills and knowledge through hours of research, group meetings and county negotiations. Rezoning was the next big hurdle- the crucial step that would determine the future of the project. The PR committee worked hard to educate the larger community about the project to reduce the risk of unhappy neighbors testifying against their application, while the zoning committee met long and often with county officials to pave the way for our eventual consideration. On September 14, 1998, an emotional evening for all members of the Blueberry Hill family, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors quickly approved our application to rezone the farm to accommodate the 19 houses and one common house planned for the community. Blueberry Hill was a go! Over the next 2 years the community met twice a month to design and build their community. Builders were interviewed, considered, and reconsidered. All decisions were made by consensus and all individual and community concerns had to be satisfied.

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