Here are some sample cost figures and project milestones
These figures and milestones were drawn up on the assumption that the site would be in the US, therefore any land, legal and some start up or regulatory costs are not applicable in other parts of the world. Bioremediation and other natural systems design would need to be site specific. Grid and public connects to water are US specific. These milestones and figures are presented for reference only but are provided as blueprint for potential planning and staging considerations.
Estimations of First $500,000 & $1,000,000 Spent
(4 June, 2007)
(Revised 6 May, 2012)
The First $500,000
$ 255,000 Buying the first 200 acres
10,000 Move to site and erect a 4,200 sq. ft. greenhouse
15,000 Develop the first well; including legal work for a Public Water System
165,000 First 50 kw wind generator with its connections to the grid,
49,000 Engineering and legal work, and to develop preliminary drawings of first 34 dwelling complex with commercial mixed use.
6,000 Administration salaries
Total: $ 500,000
Milestones at this juncture:
1) Land:
100 acres is purchased for $300,000 (40% in cash, & 60% in equity of NSD shares, Development Rights, materials, etc.)
2) A Master Plan is finished for Mariposa’s clustered development that reduces infrastructure costs 30% to 50%. The basic Master Plan concepts of reducing sprawl, and other energy-saving technologies, is completely transferable to other locations.
3) A Performance-Matrix Zoning system is developed*. This system has been used successfully and is very acceptable to progressive planning departments. It substitutes more flexible and higher standards of environmental design for the traditional rigid zoning rules. Essentially, the developer must provide satisfactory solutions to the problems of traffic, noise, contaminant emissions, dust, etc., and is then allowed a freer hand in locating commercial, office and industrial uses (COI). Thus, the ability to solve the environmental problems connected to the various uses determines where the functional areas may be located. In the Performance-Matrix Zoning system there are rules determining different levels of noxious characteristics, legal structures for governmental review, etc.
4) Legal work is completed for staff contracts, group-insurance, condominium organizations, lease-purchase options, co-housing, group-housing, covenants and deed restrictions, home-ownership programs, co-housing, employee equity-participation plans, covenants and deed restrictions, and leases and lease-purchase options, and several small businesses and manufacturing companies, and the community Utilities and Services holding and management company.
5) Construction equipment and tools adequate to begin construction on the project has been obtained, and company internal combustion engines are converted to hydrogen fuel.
6) Preliminary Design drawings for 25 small commercial and industrial buildings are done.
7) A small hydrogen generation and bottling system, adequate for our needs, and using wind and solar power to provide electricity for the electrolytic process is done.
8) Preliminary design drawings for one 32 dwelling Dyad complex are done. The Dyads are to be built primarily of high-mass earthen, tile, and thin-shell cementitious materials, and they are essentially fire-proof and wind-proof. (Since the village will have a full range of services, and not just be a bedroom community, the dwellings, and other buildings, are expected to appreciate at the rate of about 20% per year, based on a similar project previously architected and contracted by the current NSD management in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Those dwellings appreciated 17% of their initial sales price per year for over 30 years.)
9) 25,500 sq. ft. of construction drawings for Offices, Workshops, and Industrial buildings are done.
10) Construction is finished on eight DU of Residential Qtr.#1, Dyad #1 (9,700 sq. ft.), 4,000 sq. ft. of Commercial and Office buildings, and 12,000 sq. ft. of Industrial, and Public Bldgs., (including Sewage Treatment #1 (2,500sq. ft.), and Greenhouse #1 (2,000 sq. ft.).
The Next $1,000,000
$ 150,000 25 kw solar hot water array, of evacuated glass tubes,
30,000 Conversion of our first company car to hydrogen, including the cost of the system to extract hydrogen from water, using wind &
solar-generated electricity,
250,000 Bioremediation system for domestic sewage for up to 100 (roughly = the cost of a standard septic system for 100 people)
300,000 Construction drawings and specifications for the first 34 Dwelling Units including a water tower
100,000 Site preparation, some grading and swale-building, and includes planting our first orchard, starting a nursery in the greenhouse,
with some delicate food crops. Setting up to train ourselves, and others, how to grow food quickly, in case of natural disasters, etc
50,000 Research in the various areas required for the realization of the EcoVillage.
15,000 Administration, (estimated = 11.3% of the total project cost)
65,000 System to convert garbage to methane, to electricity plus soil additive
40,000 “Black Box”, of as yet unknown, but necessary, legal & other expenses
Total: $1,000,000
Estimations of First $500,000 & $1,000,000 Spent
(4 June, 2007)
(Revised 6 May, 2012)
The First $500,000
$ 255,000 Buying the first 200 acres
10,000 Move to site and erect a 4,200 sq. ft. greenhouse
15,000 Develop the first well; including legal work for a Public Water System
165,000 First 50 kw wind generator with its connections to the grid,
49,000 Engineering and legal work, and to develop preliminary drawings of first 34 dwelling complex with commercial mixed use.
6,000 Administration salaries
Total: $ 500,000
Milestones at this juncture:
1) Land:
100 acres is purchased for $300,000 (40% in cash, & 60% in equity of NSD shares, Development Rights, materials, etc.)
2) A Master Plan is finished for Mariposa’s clustered development that reduces infrastructure costs 30% to 50%. The basic Master Plan concepts of reducing sprawl, and other energy-saving technologies, is completely transferable to other locations.
3) A Performance-Matrix Zoning system is developed*. This system has been used successfully and is very acceptable to progressive planning departments. It substitutes more flexible and higher standards of environmental design for the traditional rigid zoning rules. Essentially, the developer must provide satisfactory solutions to the problems of traffic, noise, contaminant emissions, dust, etc., and is then allowed a freer hand in locating commercial, office and industrial uses (COI). Thus, the ability to solve the environmental problems connected to the various uses determines where the functional areas may be located. In the Performance-Matrix Zoning system there are rules determining different levels of noxious characteristics, legal structures for governmental review, etc.
4) Legal work is completed for staff contracts, group-insurance, condominium organizations, lease-purchase options, co-housing, group-housing, covenants and deed restrictions, home-ownership programs, co-housing, employee equity-participation plans, covenants and deed restrictions, and leases and lease-purchase options, and several small businesses and manufacturing companies, and the community Utilities and Services holding and management company.
5) Construction equipment and tools adequate to begin construction on the project has been obtained, and company internal combustion engines are converted to hydrogen fuel.
6) Preliminary Design drawings for 25 small commercial and industrial buildings are done.
7) A small hydrogen generation and bottling system, adequate for our needs, and using wind and solar power to provide electricity for the electrolytic process is done.
8) Preliminary design drawings for one 32 dwelling Dyad complex are done. The Dyads are to be built primarily of high-mass earthen, tile, and thin-shell cementitious materials, and they are essentially fire-proof and wind-proof. (Since the village will have a full range of services, and not just be a bedroom community, the dwellings, and other buildings, are expected to appreciate at the rate of about 20% per year, based on a similar project previously architected and contracted by the current NSD management in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Those dwellings appreciated 17% of their initial sales price per year for over 30 years.)
9) 25,500 sq. ft. of construction drawings for Offices, Workshops, and Industrial buildings are done.
10) Construction is finished on eight DU of Residential Qtr.#1, Dyad #1 (9,700 sq. ft.), 4,000 sq. ft. of Commercial and Office buildings, and 12,000 sq. ft. of Industrial, and Public Bldgs., (including Sewage Treatment #1 (2,500sq. ft.), and Greenhouse #1 (2,000 sq. ft.).
The Next $1,000,000
$ 150,000 25 kw solar hot water array, of evacuated glass tubes,
30,000 Conversion of our first company car to hydrogen, including the cost of the system to extract hydrogen from water, using wind &
solar-generated electricity,
250,000 Bioremediation system for domestic sewage for up to 100 (roughly = the cost of a standard septic system for 100 people)
300,000 Construction drawings and specifications for the first 34 Dwelling Units including a water tower
100,000 Site preparation, some grading and swale-building, and includes planting our first orchard, starting a nursery in the greenhouse,
with some delicate food crops. Setting up to train ourselves, and others, how to grow food quickly, in case of natural disasters, etc
50,000 Research in the various areas required for the realization of the EcoVillage.
15,000 Administration, (estimated = 11.3% of the total project cost)
65,000 System to convert garbage to methane, to electricity plus soil additive
40,000 “Black Box”, of as yet unknown, but necessary, legal & other expenses
Total: $1,000,000