Sedona, AZ affordable residence for artists

Dear Permies community,

I was given this link by a member of a group we are forming to make an IC in Sedona, AZ. You can read about it here: https://www.ic.org/directory/untitled-cooperative-residence-for-artists/

I would love to get feedback on this description and meet anyone interested in joining us in our attempt to make artistic greener living affordable.

Basically I love co-op and sharehousing style situations but my artist friends and I could not really afford something like ArtSpace apartments anyway.

So we want to live in this beautiful area in a diverse community.

I hope it's ok this is my first post. Thank you

Are you buying completely undeveloped land? If so what housing type do you intend to use, what's the water source, power source, and bathroom plan?
Are you planning on buying the property yourselves or are you looking for more people to contribute ?
Also are you open to having livestock?

Jack Morgan wrote:Are you buying completely undeveloped land? If so what housing type do you intend to use, what's the water source, power source, and bathroom plan?
Are you planning on buying the property yourselves or are you looking for more people to contribute ?
Also are you open to having livestock?

Thank you for your response (and for the up vote) strangers! So maybe people are reading this, cool.

We would love that kind of land but we are presently looking to just rent a place, get a sharehouse together, at first. This to test drive our community before we commit to land ownership together. Sociocracy looks like an appealing next step from anarchy/meetings.

Our plan is to build adobe and maybe have more than one building.

The water source in the desert is a very big deal. This hasn't been a discussion yet outside agreements that we all desire clean water attained the best way. The water bubbles up strangely, some of it with arsenic naturally in it, carbonated, not great to drink. Distilling at the very least through sun evaporation would be a good start but it's a pretty big discussion. Jim Reich of "Sedona Oasis" community I believe has a well and he's just outside Sedona.

Power is ideally minimal and powered enough with just solar but nobody in the community is completely opposed to grid power. Sedona Oasis is more the pioneer (bioneer?) while we are trying to be a middle way.

Compost toilets are the plan so far. Nobody seems opposed to that yet.

We would love more people to contribute because they realize their goal is the same as ours: helping artists like us save money and live lightly in beautiful environs instead of pouring it into an exploitative for-profit place. We want to be a community hub, a friendly place that gets along with neighbors despite our living a bit different from the norm. No plans for livestock as far as I know. I can ask the others. We'll have a poodle, but no plans to milk her.

I thought of something else that may be helpful to mention. I think our stand point crosses with Permaculture ideals as well as coming primarily from a place of housing justice (intersects with Permaculture greatly I think). Land has become more and more elite and only seems to be getting worse, and we'd like to be an example that it's possible to not only go that direction, but also share together, and do so with reverence for the Earth.

Hey Maxeem, I clicked the link provided for more info. and tried registering so I could send a message and for whatever reason that site doesn't seem to be registering my email address. A pop-up on the site tells me that my email address is wrong except I'm not even registered there.
So I here I am!
I'm an artist looking for a community and seriously appreciate the Sedona area and the spiritual energy it exudes. I've enjoyed many of the hiking trails and hold wonderful memories exploring the area with my greyhound who passed last summer.
I've considered buying land and as you know land is either scarce or very pricey.
Architecturally I favor structures that are non permanent such as yurts, tent domes, tiny houses, pod houses that bolt down or permanent organic structures such as straw bale, hemp, or cob. Composting toilets are fantastic!
Currently, I live in the Phoenix area and have been undergoing major conscious expansion lately and need to make a cool change to accommodate my new found growth (and still learning).
I've been described as a nonjudgemental gentle soul who sometimes get irritated!
I have some gardening experience as well as space planning and design.
Estatic dance is in my blood!
Nothing much shocks me.
The start up of these types of communities is usually the major hurdle but once it is in motion, momentum is more easily gained in order for the community to sustain itself and flourish (OK I'm guessing).
What's the next step?  

Kel! Hooray! Thanks for the reply! Sorry to hear IC.org was giving trouble. They always seem to be under construction, but mostly in a really good way. In any case, so glad to read your message.

My SO and I recently got excited to get things moving along so we started renting a place in Flagstaff, and I've already been talking with a few people in Yavapai county who are also interested in moving things forward to make it "easier" (relatively, of course, since not much is easy about starting community) to do the dream of such dwellings you speak of.

Coconino county, where Flag (and half of Sedona) fall under, may be more amenable to the growing demand for healthful sustainable living than Yavapai, but I've found it's all about just befriending neighbors to move ordinances/zoning/laws/etc. together.

Cooperation! How about that?

If you'd like to meet up here in Phoenix while we are shuffling and packing boxes for the move to Flag, please private message me and I'll send you my phone number to text/call and let's meet and chat!!

For goodness' sakes, there are so few of us willing to not only try something outside the unhealthy norm but also share it and make it affordable together, may as well meet just for fun. And if this Untitled Cooperative Residence project advances because of our meeting, all the better!

Also, I have been lurking in r/intentionalcommunity as maxeemtoons if you want to message me on Reddit.

PS sorry about the passing of your furry friend/family, that can be real tough

Im interested in Arizona because it has no zoning laws in some parts... and you can build  ridiculously huge barns and houses, and they won't give you trouble. Plus the land is very cheap in certain parts.. like in the south east near new mexico... 20 acres for 5,000 dollars i saw once... with a stream of water near the property... not bad. Not a damn soul nearby either.

Might be worth a look...

It'd be great if we could get together and just build a bunch of houses, like earthbags and bring all our tools... and get busy.

Cochise County south of Tucson is very flexible regarding structures and the land is fairly reasonable.

Cochise.. thats right.. it was down there. I'd love to build right next to a flowing river so you can build a hydro turbine to power the whole area. Great place for solar also, obviously..

With enough power, you can grab water right out of the desert air with a condensator with filter. They also can act as an air conditioner..

So many great ideas.. i wish i knew some people who already live at these places.. i'd love to join them, and just upgrade with them and stuff. Anyone doing Arizona in the future, you gotta let me know... Cochise is no zoning, which means you can build Adobe mansions which could be worth millions if you build them big enough and make them exotic looking inside and out.
Never forget air crete... save you a fortune for impressive setups, like domes and simple walk ways.

Great ideas!

You may not know me, but I am in Arizona and I invite you to try! I am easy to know LOL

Barring that, Sedona Oasis would probably love some of those ideas.

I do appreciate your resourceful ideas. Although TBH, extreme isolation is not part of what I envision since I've already been to some communes like that and they were great but not what I'm seeking. More like something that forms a bridge, would be ideal I think.

Then again, there is the old "if you build it they will come" attitude, and that works sometimes.

But really I think intermixing, some touristy-ness, that's desired. I would like to see diversity (and diverse people(s) feel comfortable there together).

Daniel Oconnor wrote:Cochise.. thats right.. it was down there. I'd love to build right next to a flowing river so you can build a hydro turbine to power the whole area. Great place for solar also, obviously..

With enough power, you can grab water right out of the desert air with a condensator with filter. They also can act as an air conditioner..

So many great ideas.. i wish i knew some people who already live at these places.. i'd love to join them, and just upgrade with them and stuff. Anyone doing Arizona in the future, you gotta let me know... Cochise is no zoning, which means you can build Adobe mansions which could be worth millions if you build them big enough and make them exotic looking inside and out.
Never forget air crete... save you a fortune for impressive setups, like domes and simple walk ways.

I don't think you will find many flowing rivers in Cochise County.
I bought a few acres in Sunsites at a tax lien sale a few years ago and, because life changes all your plans, have no idea what to do with it now.

A clarification on the Cochise County info...

Cochise County, AZ, does indeed have property zoning. Cochise County Zoning districts

There is an owner-opt out permit currently, which means you can opt-out of most (but not all, in all cases) building inspections. It only applies to certain zonings and property size of a minimum of 4 acres: Cochise County owner-builder amendment details  

That's a great option that doesn't exist many places with zoning, not in as liberal a form at least.  One is still supposed to build to code and you have to tell what you are planning to build, and where on the property you are going to put it.   Earth buildings do have code in AZ and NM, so they can be built here with less push-back than some areas.  Residential greywater is allowed in AZ, too, without inspection.

There are some complications.  You have to sign a notarized document that is recorded to document that you built without inspections, and that you aren't supposed to sell or rent the property (for at least one year).  This is to demonstrate that your intent is to build the residence for personal use, not for profit.  It also notifies a future buyer and lender that the home was built without inspections.  This may make it harder to get property insurance, but there seem to be a number of companies that would still cover your building.  Where I am, many people have homes built with the owner-opt out permit, and still have insurance.  I just got insurance on a house, and the company didn't ask me anything about permits.  Some people think this may make it harder to get a loan on the property in the future... I haven't heard any confirming stories of this, so I suspect it's conjecture.

The really interesting thing about Cochise County's rural residential zoning is that on some it allows more than one home on a single property without dividing the property.  You can put a house for every 4 acres, essentially.  The downside - rather high property taxes in Cochise County and having a few houses on a property could raise taxes to shockingly high amounts.