Project Timeline

Inspired by a wish to create a strong, vibrant, environmentally conscious community where people know each other and spend time together, thirty people first met in 2006 at a public meeting in Jamaica Plain.

There they discussed what they would like to see in a community and created the Stony Brook Cohousing group. Together they, and now others who have joined, intend to build a cohousing community in Jamaica Plain.

2006

September 15: First meeting at the Boylston Congregational Church
October 25: Group decides to make all decisions by consensus.
December: Six founding households agree to form the group and invest money in forming a cohousing community in Jamaica Plain.
December 30: First holiday party (at Kristen’s home).

2007

February 3: Vision workshop held at Ethos in Jamaica Plain.
February: Members agree on our by-laws and operating agreement. We register with the City of Boston as the Residents at the EV@JP (Ecovillage at Jamaica Plain).
March 13: The equity member contribution becomes $2,500.
May: We agree on our name, Stony Brook Cohousing and one of our members designs our logo!
May 12 and 13: Site design programming workshop.
September 29: Consensus training workshop.
December 30: Second annual holiday party is hosted at Kristen’s and Monica’s home.
December: At year end, SBC has 5 equity member households and 5 associate member households.

2008

March: Equity membership contribution becomes $3,250.
March 15: Common area design workshop.
April: Site search begins in earnest.
May 3 : SBC members table at JP’s annual Wake Up the Earth Festival.
November: Stony Brook Cohousing becomes an LLC (Limited Liability Company).

2009

March 6: SBC hosts community outreach event featuring a presentation by Heather Clark on the Passivhaus standard for energy efficiency in buildings. (We’re inspired by Passivhaus!)
March 27-29: Member retreat (for skills- and community-building and just plain fun) held at Sargent Center for Outdoor Education in Hancock NH.
May 2: SBC members table at JP’s annual Wake Up the Earth Festival.
December: SBC enters into a joint LLC with Rees-Larkin Development. We really like Jon, our project director!
December: SBC, with Rees-Larkin Development, obtains site control of the Blessed Sacrament Church by signing a Purchase & Sale Agreement with Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation and New Atlantic Development.
December 22: Due diligence period begins, during which feasibility of Blessed Sacrament site is being assessed.

2010

January 8: Front page Jamaica Plain Gazette article features SBC and its prospective development of the landmark Blessed Sacrament Church.
January 19: We select Mostue & Associates to be our architects.
February 16: Members participate in a Sustainable Design Charrette with the architects and engineers.
February 17: Jamaica Plain Community Development Corporation holds a public meeting to introduce Stony Brook Cohousing to the Hyde Square community.