ECOPROPERTY LISTING
Creating a self-sustaining residential community in Costa Rica
-- ecocommunity ocean and mountain view lots for sale
Finca Las Brisas, Costa Rica
http://www.FincaLasBrisas.org
While other builders and developers skip town or close
their doors in Costa Rica, the owners of Finca Las Brisas
-- a self-sustaining residential community in the mountains
overlooking the Pacific coastal town of Samara, announce
the ground-breaking for the project's community center,
which will begin to take shape in February.
Unlike conventional "ground-breaking" activities where a
gold plated shovel might be used, the partners of the
project decided at the prompting of Project Manager, Patrick
Kelly, to make level the nearby school soccer field and
in doing so utilize the extra soil for repairing erosion
problems (from years of cattle grazing) on the 150 acre
finca (farm). Additional stock piles of the red earthen
clay are also being staged near the soon to be erected
community center for use in earth bags and earthen plaster
(greatly reducing the need for concrete).
Not only are these "developers" improving a soccer field
(and the public road for that matter), but they have also
recently hired an additional local employee with a young son
who was needed to keep the small one room school open.
Since the farm was purchased two and one half years ago,
a lot of "cross-pollination" of Tico and Gringo culture has
occurred, including fiestas where Ticos that work on the
farm full time return in the evenings for meals, singing and
guitar playing with the partners, friends and community
members. One fiesta was attended by over 150 people and
raised several hundred dollars for the school. The partners
employ local workers who ride horseback to work, and are
also purchasing locally growing palm thatch, teak, and
fallen or dead hardwood logs for construction from
surrounding neighbors. A nearby collaborative organic
farmer's market is also planned to support the local economy
and provide additional food for finca community members.
The company's work vehicle is even running on re-claimed
cooking oil or from pressing the fruit of local wild oil
palms (more revenue for local farmers).
Finca Las Brisas is a self-guided community with no agenda
aside from preserving the land and integrating with the
local community. Members will share more than 150 acres
of unspoiled forests, a Pacific Ocean view, year-round rivers
with numerous waterfalls, orchards, a vegetable farm, along
with a shared community center, trails, and other facilities.
The landowner's charter establishes an eco-community
combining co-housing (single family homes/shared resources)
and sustainable development.
According to Al Benner, majority partner, Finca Las Brisas
is a place where environmentally conscious people can not
only own property, but also live and vacation in harmony
with nature. "Our model is to integrate, rather than 'gate,'"
he explains. "By its very design, Finca Las Brisas eschews
the typical model of a planned community, and seeks
to seamlessly incorporate every facet of the project with
the surrounding population and land."
Benner and his partners have self-funded the development,
avoiding potential issues with real estate loans. All 150
acres are paid for in full, and ten of the 24 lots have been
sold for both seasonal and year-round residency. The new
community center is being funded from lot sales.
Internal access roads, water lines, trails, vegetable
gardens, coffee and fruit orchard plantings are complete,
and a supply of pure, solar-pumped well water is currently
available. Gardens and fruit trees planted in common areas
will provide fruits and vegetables for the residents,
separate from the farmed areas. Over 100 acres of the river
corridor is designated as a no-build zone, protecting the
environment, and the investment of each owner.
"The success we have experienced to date demonstrates the
viability of the Costa Rican market, even in a challenging
global economic climate," says Benner. "For buyers who are
also looking to simplify, de-stress, or reduce living costs,
our project makes perfect sense."
Slated for completion in 2010, the development, its
community gathering places and all of its low impact homes
will rely on self-supporting energy, farming and community
connections with local people, resources and sustainable
construction materials. "Our team is creating a sustainable
economic model by, for example, hiring local workers for
professional site maintenance and construction needs,
designing and building an infrastructure to support fully
sustainable energy and locally produced food, and
establishing a farmers' market and bi-lingual school just
outside the development," says Benner. "Crops are being
harvested from the property this season for local
restaurants, and the fruit trees planted in 2007 will begin
to produce soon—just in time for the second wave of lot
owners to enjoy from the decks of their new villas."
The development's second phase features construction of a
community center, built as a rancho with 360 degree views,
and a caretaker's villa. All construction materials are in
line with true eco-building, incorporating "earth bags"
-- recycled banana bags filled with a special mixture of
sand and clay soil obtained on site, stacked on top of one
another and finished with earthen plaster to help complete
the main structure.
The open-air floor plan will include indoor and outdoor
areas to gather, dine and enjoy the dramatic views, sunsets
and the continual morning and evening breezes. Guest
quarters and a community kitchen for all landowners to use
while their homes are being built are incorporated into the
design, as is an infinity pool. The entire facility will be
powered by solar and wind power and supported by a
plant-based waste water management system.
"Finca Las Brisas is a sea-change model for future
eco-developments worldwide because of its combined social,
environmental and economic sustainability," says Benner.
"We are committed to doing the right thing by the land, the
people of Costa Rica, and those who will own part of this
rich and beautiful setting."
A full time site manager, Patrick Kelly is available for
tours of the property and falls. A rental house at nearby
Playa Carrillo is also available through March for use
by the press. For more information, visit
http://www.FincaLasBrisas.org or call 484.213.5345.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[EcoProperty editor adds topical resources:
How to Protect & Preserve the Land You Love
http://www.planetfriendly.net/property/stewardship.html
http://www.planetfriendly.net/dontpave.html
Land Trusts http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_trust
http://www.planetfriendly.net/dontpave.html#landtrusts
Fly without destroying the planet -- how to fly carbon neutral
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/Climate_Change/What_You_Can_Do/carbon_neutral...
Green Building / Sustainable Architecture / Natural Building
Green http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_building
Sustainable http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_architecture
http://directory.google.com/Top/Business/Construction_and_Maintenance/Bu...
Natural http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_building
Sustainable Living
http://www.planetfriendly.net/living.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_living
Simple Living
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voluntary_simplicity
http://www.planetfriendly.net/living.html#simplicity
http://directory.google.com/Top/Society/Lifestyle_Choices/Voluntary_Simp...
Homesteading http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homesteading
http://directory.google.com/Top/Home/Rural_Living/Homesteading/
Rural Living http://directory.google.com/Top/Home/Rural_Living/
Off-the-grid and Home-made Power
About: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Off_the_grid
Links: http://www.planetfriendly.net/blackout.html#offgrid
http://directory.google.com/Top/Science/Technology/Energy/Renewable/Home...
What's an Ecovillage?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecovillage
http://www.planetfriendly.net/community.html#ecovillage
Worldwide: http://gen.ecovillage.org http://www.ecovillage.org
Intentional Community? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intentional_community
Ecovillages across Canada, North America and worldwide
Canada: http://web.ncf.ca/di760/Directory.html
http://www.cohousing.ca
North America: http://ena.ecovillage.org/English/ecovillages/
http://directory.ic.org
Ecovillages Worldwide: http://www.ecovillage.org
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Ecovillages
Ecovillage Volunteer Opportunities
http://www.planetfriendly.net/volunteer/vol.php?keyword=ecovillage
Ecovillage Events, Workshops & Courses in Canada
http://www.planetfriendly.net/calendar/?s=y&qskeyword=ecovillage
Ecovillage Jobs, Internships, Membership Opportunities
http://www.planetfriendly.net/gw.php?theme=ecovillage
] |
| |
| *Note: e-mail addresses above (if any) have been masked to reduce spam. To form the correct address, rejoin the two blue portions, separated with @ |
|
Please Note: The content of this page is provided on an "As Is" basis and for general informational purposes only. People and Planet (also known as "EcoProperty.ca") is not responsible for the content, accuracy, timeliness, completeness, legality, reliability, quality or suitability of this posting. We do not screen or endorse the individuals or organizations involved. If you decide to make a purchase or enter into any other kind of transaction, contract or arrangement, you do so at your own risk and it is your responsibility to take all protective measures to guard against loss. Please read our full website Terms & Conditions.
|
|
