BAYFIELD – After nearly two decades of waiting, Heartwood Cohousing looks to expand the number of homes for Bayfield-area residents.
The pedestrian-friendly neighborhood, where residents collectively manage amenities like a greenhouse, wood shop, community building, land and other shared assets as a way to help better connect with each other, plans to add 14 new single-family detached homes in the not-too-distant future, which would bring the total number of residences to 38.
The first 24 homes at Heartwood Cohousing, located at 800 Heartwood Lane about 2 miles northeast of Bayfield’s Gem Village neighborhood, were completed in 2000. Mac Thomson, the phase two project manager at Heartwood Cohousing, said plans to build the 14 new homes had been in the works a short time after, but were stalled until around 2018 because of a left-turn lane being installed at the intersection of U.S. Highway 160 and County Road 506.
Thomson also said Heartwood Cohousing had to wait to get access permits from the Colorado Department of Transportation.
Heartwood Cohousing now must garner final approval from the La Plata County Board of County Commissioners to expand.
“The process is incredibly arduous. We’ve had multiple, multiple setbacks over the years,” Thomson said.
That hearing will take place on June 4, for which Thomson expects Heartwood Cohousing will get the green light because it has check-marked every imaginable logistical issue the county may bring up.
Construction of the new homes should be completed by late 2025, Thomson said.
The new homes will range between 1,100 and 2,600 square feet, and tentative sale prices once ready would range between $665,000 and $885,000.
One of the models will be one story, while two others will be two stories. Three of the models will include a basement.
By adding these new homes, Thomson also believes it will help address concerns of available housing in the county.
“There’s a lot of demand for housing in the county, obviously,” he said, adding that people are eyeing close-knit neighborhoods with strong community bonds.
Thomson also said being close to nature, including forest lands and trail systems, add to that interest in Heartwood Cohousing.
Similar to the first 24 homes installed in the first phase, Thomson said the 14 homes in the second phase will be similarly built in that they will be energy efficient and capable of running on solar energy.
“Being good stewards of the planet is a big value of ours at Heartwood,” he said.
mhollinshead@durangoherald.com
