Arboretum Cohousing  
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Contact us at info@arboretumcohousing.org or 608.229.7906

 Arbco > About Arbco
About Arbco

Arboretum Cohousing, Inc. is a non-profit membership organization whose purpose is to provide sustainable and affordable living spaces to its members. Arbco operates on consensus, as do many other cohousing organizations, which is both a means of governance and a way of interacting with each other in community. Legally, Arbco is structured as a condominium association. Each member owns their own unit and we all own the land and common space together.

Board of Directors

John MerrillPresident2007
Janet KellyChair of the Board2008
Karen EcklundVice President2008
Craig HadleyTreasurer2007
Susan Herr-HoymanSecretary2007
Karen CarlsonMember-at-large2008
Linda FarmerMember-at-large2008

The Board is elected at the annual meeting each January. Board terms are for 2 years.

The Board has general oversight over Arboretum Cohousing and is a necessary structure for any incorporated organization. Most of the work is done by committees, with the Board providing guidance as needed.

History

The core group of what is now called Arboretum Cohousing had its first get-together in early 2003, with no particular site yet in mind. Planning began in earnest when Madison's St. Marys Hospital, as part of it's expansion efforts, offered a block of houses for sale to a developer who would meet the hospital's and the neighborhood's goals of home ownership and affordability. In late 2003, the Arboretum Cohousing proposal was accepted.

Since then, the group has been refining the details of the offer to purchase while working on design and organizational issues. We began the public outreach campaign in January 2006, and reached our target goal of two-thirds of homes presold by that summer. That triggered a host of other design and planning steps, and we excitedly held the groundbreaking ceremony in late summer 2007. Construction is expected to be completed the the end of September 2008.

Arbco All listserv Arboretum Coho Listserv -- Sign Up!!
Cohousing project defies otherwise cool market Sept. 25, 2007 Article in Capital Times by Mike Ivey
Arb Cohousing moves forward May 2, 2007 Article in Capital Times by Mike Ivey
Arbco ready to go: Vilas area cohousing project to begin selling units Jan 11, 2006 Article in Capital Times by Mike Ivey
Arbco signing Jan 6, 2006 Article in Wisconsin State Journal on Arboretum Cohousing
Arbco signing Jan 5, 2006 Article in Capital Times on Arboretum Cohousing
Arbco possibility April 13, 2004 Capital Times article on Arboretum CoHousing.
Cohousing spark The June 2002 letter in RiverCurrents West that sparked the Arbco.