Draft Planning
Outline September 2023 :
1. Background
In the spirit of the
English Arts and Crafts movement, this design is a work of
art, with an intention to be open and free in the creative
details , dynamic around a fixed, guiding, internally
structural holistic intention.
In 2028 Ron and Judy will
celebrate 50 years of marriage. We are considering and
negotiating as a family the gifting of debt-free working
farmland, pastures, fruit trees and berries, wild woodlands
of fir and cedar, streams and ravines, a couple new and a
few historic buildings in a diversity of environments.
Rural, small town, suburban and city locations where people
have lived and worked with their families and communities
with a diversity of opportunities available for discovery
and creation.
Since 1978, we have
managed, maintained, re-designed and restored places with an
effort and income comparable to that of 2 part time jobs. We
each had another occupation in teaching or art and still had
time to share good times with our family and friends. This
property management was accomplished within our normal
everyday stream of living. Those people who used our
properties helped make our ownership and enjoyment of them
possible. Without the rents they paid, this would have been
impossible.
From experience, we know
the current income and management system is sustainable. Our
plan is to share this working process so, hopefully,
generations of others can together, share and enjoy
affordable housing, essential natural resources, wholesome
food, creative education and discover meaningful
occupations. We believe that the sharing of these properties
will be good for future users. Debt-free in perpetuity means
natural places will remain, farmland and work spaces will be
fruitful, educational and housing resources will be
protected, maintained, become more affordable and be of
truer value in the future. Sharing and saving are essential
loving virtues in nature.
Managing properties
collectively is easier than individually. Making bill
payments or scheduling rentals or maintenance or classes for
a few properties is not much different than for one.
Managing properties collectively is also more flexible and
resilient for a group of users than if each was held
individually. Resources from one property can be used for
maintaining other properties.
As absentee, benevolent
land owners we attempt to put ourselves in the position of
being the servants of our guests. We schedule, clean, and
maintain the properties when convenient for others. They are
guests as each unit is furnished as if it was our home. We
are rewarded by them when they leave the unit as clean as
they found it or leave gifts, improvements and cheerful
comments for our enjoyment and encouragement.
2. Gifting
A gift should not be a
burden. A positive enhancement to the quality of life for
the beneficiary and the grantor. True value is how much an
item is needed in the process of making the life of the user
better.
3. Human Resources
Housing is a necessity of
human life, not an investment which makes housing less
affordable. Affordable housing is an asset that should be
maintained and valued because of it’s use as an essential
resource.
4. Natural Resources
Natural processes are
holistic and life generating. Human processes as part of
nature should be compatible.
5. Educational
Resources
Human educational
experiences are naturally attuned to small group family-
sized non-hierarchical interactions of 6 or fewer
participants.
6. Functions of the
Trust
A For-Profit Perpetual
Trust supports the purpose. In the cases of the intertwined
purposes of affordable housing, creative employment and
environmental protection, the Arts and Crafts Continuum
benefits participants within the Trust as well as the nature
of society outside the Trust.
Trustees are responsible
for seeing that their actions equitably support all
beneficiaries of the Trust. Beneficiaries may be rewarded
through profitable employment, affordable housing,
maintenance of shared facilities, and access to educational
experiences and natural resources. Beneficiaries may include
other supportive, co-operative organizations.
Land Trust Partners would
benefit Trust Beneficiaries by way of agreements to preserve
Trust natural resources in perpetuity. These partners would
benefit from adjacent Trust property being well managed farm
land, educational workshop facilities and affordable housing
for preservation workers and farmers.
Educational Organization
Partners would benefit Trust Beneficiaries by organizing and
managing educational activities including outdoor and indoor
workshop facilities. These partners would benefit from use
of facilities including access to affordable student
housing.
Beneficiaries may profit
from Trustee approved activities taking place on Trust
property as land use and other restrictions allow.
Affordable rental income will strengthen the viability of
the Trust. Resources and donations will naturally flow
toward the Trust as it encourages more affordable and easier
access to creative opportunities.
7. Design Concept :
arts and crafts continuum
A taxable, debt free,
for-profit land/community/housing perpetual purpose trust
providing support for it’s beneficiaries. The beneficiaries
are a collective of Arts and Crafts Continuum
self-organizing workers. Of these, three are trustees who
manage the yearly budget for the collection of Continuum
properties funded by workshops, conservation trusts, gardens
and work spaces, products and affordable housing.
A Pair of Trustees
(Trustee 1 and Trustee 2 ) are assigned by the Grantors who
are contributing the debt-free income producing properties.
The participants who Steward the properties are
Beneficiaries. They each occupy One Unit Share for work
and/or residency. Trustee 1 and Trustee 2 are Beneficiaries
and each have One Unit Share. All unattached personal items
are the property of Trustee 1 and Trustee 2 and managed as
they see fit including allowing the Trust to use them as
resources. Trustee 1 and Trustee 2 are responsible for
finding, selecting and collaborating with Trustee 3, also a
Beneficiary holding One Unit Share. Trustee 3 also holds a
yearly management contract and is responsible for planning,
budgeting and maintenance of properties and facilities.
Trustees are responsible for meeting the needs of all
beneficiaries as best they can, so they may all be free to
live their lives more easily. Trustee 1 and Trustee 2 each
name their replacements. If one of these two Trustees is not
available to serve, the two remaining Trustees agree on a
new Trustee. Trustee 1 and Trustee 2 are responsible for
overseeing and approving the Management Process decisions
made by Trustee 3. The Management Process includes all
planning, budgeting and maintenance of continuum properties
and facilities. This process is open to all Beneficiaries at
small group continuum property meetings.
Use or value of each Unit
is considered One Unit Share. Trustees may occupy One Unit
or receive taxable income as part of the management process
for One Unit. Each Unit is flexibly scheduled yearly and on
a monthly basis or less as land use restrictions allow.
Living Units, Commercial
Units and Farming Units are scaled equitably so they roughly
have the same value of use. They provide space and resources
to address the needs of each Beneficiary balanced with the
needs of all Beneficiaries. Any inequities which might arise
would be negotiated and settled at the annual dispersal of
profits and in budget planning. This scaling equitably
process allows Units to be scheduled, planned and managed
more easily. Trustees are encouraged to be open to a future
of possibilities this Trust will create. Improvements and
additions to properties must only be by debt free methods
including a savings account and donations to preserve the
affordable and resilient aspects of this Trust.
To this end, the Trustees
are encouraged to oversee scheduling educational activities
for the benefit of the Arts and Crafts Continuum as
resources allow.
8. Educational
Activities
Philosophy, Nature, Arts
and Crafts Workshops :
An introduction to the
arts and crafts continuum philosophy, planning, organization
and implementation
Other Relevant Subjects of
Nature, Arts, Crafts and Philosophy to be encouraged:
Nature
Gardening Farming Forestry
Arts Music Crafts Handcrafts Cooking Carpentry
Philosophy
History
9. Educational
Environment
Indoor and Outdoor
locations.
Creative Small Group (6 persons or less).
Onsite
and At-distance sessions.
Task based, self-guided
educational process.
Participants sharing knowledge with
participants.
In a state of praxis. Theory in Practice
re-creating the Theory.
Sessions are community
projects which help maintain or improve the resources of the
arts and crafts continuum.
Educational/residential
facilities are multi-purpose and residential in scale
including workshops, barns, storage, utilities as allowed by
land use requirements.
Monthly affordable housing
guests would have the opportunity to engage with local
residents and organizations, propose focused workshops with
like-minded guests and residents.
Associated Community
Components :
Retail, Office,
Agricultural and Residential
Draft
Outline 2/21/2022 (2021
income/cost figures are for planning purposes only)
Sharing linked resources
enables participants to reach goals more easily. Funds for
maintenance and improvement expenses are available through
the management of a group of affordable rental residential
properties which are enhanced by and in return benefit
agricultural/housing activities.
Affordable furnished
Housing Rentals are flexibly based on 25% of income . All
utilities and housing costs are included. The management
process encourages those with a rate lower than 25% to
support the Trust through donations of goods, services or
property.
Farming costs of
$500/$1500/month for land use and RV/tiny house sites can be
offset with part time employment at $25/hour or more
(depending on experience) for residential maintenance and
farm improvement work. Taxable farm production income is
managed by the farmer. The affordable, variable land use
rental rate is linked to this farm income.
