COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL FEBRUARY 7, 2018
3A
Cottage Village is running its own race
The project continues to fundraise in the face of a
Summer 2018 deadline
will cost to fund raise, the group
is now looking at a $1 million
project.
To help ease the burden of
coming up with money to earn
money, CVC has acquired a
$5,000 grant from Banner Bank.
“We got money to help make
money,” Kelsh said. “We’re
looking at some events in the
spring.”
In the meantime, CVC has a
lot of lines in the water.
Several grants have been sub-
mitted and the group is current-
ly hoping to take advantage of
an affordable housing grant is-
sued by the state of Oregon.
Local Innovation and Fast
Track Housing—or LIFT—is
funded by $40 million from a
general obligation committed
by the state legislature in 2015
and aims to build new, afford-
able housing for low-income
residents.
As part of the application
process, the property on E.
Madison had to undergo an in-
spection that included insuring
that the location was in close
proximity to public transporta-
tion, schools, grocery stores and
other essentials.
CVC has also applied for a
grant from Cycle Oregon that
would furnish the village with
cargo bicycles.
According to Kelsh, the bikes
could be used as advertising for
the village as well as transpor-
tation for the residents who live
there.
While CVC has applied for
grants, it is also beginning to
reach out to the community.
“The next step is to start ask-
ing for materials,” Kelsh said,
noting that the group will be
compiling information on the
project to bring to local lumber
mills.
“We’re different,” Kelsh said.
He explained that in Eugene,
the resources were more abun-
dant and fundraising, a bit eas-
ier. “They had architects and
then, of course, the architects
found the material and so on.”
Rural development, howev-
er, is proving trickier and Kelsh
said now that Emerald Village
is complete, SquareOne will
have more attention to devote to
helping navigate the process; in-
cluding submitting permits and
a plan to the city.
“They’re helping us on the
timing with that,” Kelsh said.
Under the terms of the Meyer
Memorial Trust grant, construc-
tion of Cottage Village must be
completed by the summer of
2018 though according to CVC,
extensions maybe available.
To donate to the project, visit
www.squareonevillages.org/cvc
and click on the “donate” link.
PHOTO COURTESY COTTAGE VILLAGE COALITION
The Arbor South model, shown above in Eugene's Opportunity Village, has been selected as one of the models for
Cottage Village located on E. Madison in Cottage Grove.
By Caitlyn May
cmay@cgsentinel.com
T
he pace, so far, is best
described as slow
and steady according
to Cottage Village Coalition
(CVC) Chairman Bruce Kelsh.
CVC partnered with Eu-
gene-based non-profi t Square-
One to build a village of 13
tiny homes as a transitional
housing option for low-income
residents. Just over a year lat-
er, there are no shovels in the
ground or walls going up. How-
ever, Kelsh said the money is
starting to trickle in and plans
are still moving forward.
“It’s slower,” he said. “It’s
one of the lessons we’ve learned
in rural development is that it’s
slower.” Cottage Village, lo-
cated on E. Madison Ave. is
expected to mirror Emerald
Village in Eugene, also piloted
by SquareOne. Houses, approx-
imately 200 to 300 square feet
would be rented by individuals
who are approved by a com-
mittee and agree to community
standards, paying a few hundred
dollars per month.
But before anyone moves in,
there has to be houses.
CVC has settled on at least
one design, which is currently in
use in Eugene. The Arbor South
is the biggest model that would
be included in Cottage Village
at a little over 250 square feet
and account for at least fi ve
of the community’s dwellings
once infrastructure projects are
completed.
“It’s a hard thing to fund raise
for, a sewer system,” Kelsh said.
He noted that he expected that
once a house was constructed,
it would be easier for residents
and donors-to-be to visualize
the project.
CVC has collected approxi-
mately $300,000—in the form
of two grants, one from Meyer
Memorial and the other from a
Presbyterian Church group-- for
the project that started with an
estimate of $800,000. Howev-
er, after adding in the money it
PHOTO COURTESY SQUAREONE
A rendering shows the layout of Cottage Village, scheduled to be completed by the summer of 2018. Cottage
Village Coalition, the local group partnering with Eugene-based non-profi t SquareOne, is working on raising funds.