Putney Commons
is a small, cooperative neighborhood of diverse individuals, sharing friendship and support while living independently in an ecologically responsible community, making decisions through consensus.
Our small scale enables a relatively relaxed and manageable climate for working together, for setting common goals and agenda, and for getting to know and care about what’s important to each member.
Our community currently includes 9 households and 12 members. Every home has a 5-star plus energy rating. We meet monthly or bi-monthly to discuss our common concerns and make decisions by consensus. Typical issues might include: maintaining our trails; coordinating the annual harvest luncheon; planning next year's budget; and outreach to neighbors.
Though secluded and quiet, the Commons is just a few minutes’ walk from Putney Village. We enjoy a view of the New Hampshire ridgeline, and Sacketts Brook flows past our lower meadow, where deer and wild turkeys browse.
Our mission, vision, & history
We participate in consensus decision making, believing that everyone owns a part of the truth and that consensus leads to the strongest decisions.
Anne Fines, an educator in Putney for over forty years, imagined living in a small community within the village, vital within itself and contributing to the life of the town. As she shared her vision with others, a small group came together. Over time, they sought a property with three criteria: south-facing, easy access to the village, and relative privacy. Eventually they found 11.4 acres with a south-facing field, just off Main Street.
In the next stage of planning, Chip Greenberg, local architect; Michael Wells, general contractor and builder; and Adam Hubbard, landscape architect joined in the project. We developed a site plan with three clustered units of three homes each, leaving wild the remaining eight acres of woods. Rick Derrig, a local excavator, cleared the land, saving topsoil for future use in the common garden, carefully placed to maximize sunlight.
With six owners now building, two clusters rose in the meadow, each sharing a single concrete foundation. Every interior design expresses a unique collaboration involving the owner, the architect, and the builder, but all the homes have a common façade. The owners developed a Book of Commons with guidelines for the community, based on consensus decision-making.
Who we are
Putney Commons is a community of 9 households and 12 members. We are a former Peace Corps volunteers in West Africa and educators at the Experiment in International Living; teachers of mathematics and classical literature; an early childhood educator; a retreat leader, writer, and educational consultant; an international policy analyst for USAID; an editor for multilateral institutions in Washington, DC; instructors at the School for International Training and cofounders of the Vermont Insight Meditation Center; a research scientist; a scholarly publisher; and a project manager at the Environmental Protection Agency. We are brought together by our love of Vermont and our collective desire to live intentionally, economically, and in harmony with our pastoral ecosystem.
Putney commons today
As an owners’ group, we are open to people of all ages. Our members include couples and individuals, both working and retired. Our life includes grandchildren who run in the meadow and neighborhood dog walkers. We work together in a large fenced vegetable garden, with plots available for owners and neighbors. We collaborate to plant, compost, and harvest our own produce.
We all lead independent lives and have no hierarchical structures. Our business meetings operate on consensus, which works well for us. As a small cooperative housing community, we enjoy an unhurried pace and time to hear everyone’s point of view. Our meetings are held monthly for 1 to 2 hours, depending on our agenda.
Our houses
The initial six homes were built in 2007-2008, a seventh in 2015, an eighth in 2022, and our ninth and final house was completed in the summer of 2023. The location of our units was planned to maximize the wildness of our remaining eight acres. Each home’s interior is owner designed. All are single story, super-insulated, and have 5-Star plus energy ratings. The clustered homes have external walls composed of 6″ SIPS (structurally insulated panels) and a shared firewall in a link room, about 8’ x 10’. Current homes use this space in a variety of ways: for a study, a laundry room, instant hot water and HRV ventilation system area, or as a large walk-in closet/storage area. Sources of heat vary – radiant heat floors, electricity, propane – but do not include wood burning. Four homes have added photo-voltaic panels on their roofs, a fifth belongs to a solar farm. Two units are fully electric and use heat pump technology. Our super-insulated homes utilize an air circulating system (HRV) to bring in fresh air from outside. In winter, the air is warmed and circulated in the house. Passive solar orientation invites the sun’s warmth in winter, and 3-foot roof overhangs help to retain coolness in summer. There are no basements, but garages include a 4′ x 14′ storage room.
Town of Putney
Putney township is a thriving community of some 2,800 people, blessed with abundant fresh water, wetlands and forests. Home to four independent schools and one public school, Putney has a high percentage of young students and teachers among its population. Perhaps most unusual is the extraordinary level of citizen participation, visible in Putney’s food coop, public library, food shelf, community garden, and other organizations.
Supporting and guiding the township’s development are an outstanding group of elected, unpaid public officials. These men and women serve on the Selectboard, on various commissions, and in the volunteer fire department. Many of Putney’s older buildings and homes are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as is Putney Village. U.S. Route 5 and Interstate 91 both pass through the town, which is accessible from Interstate 91 at Exit 4.
Putney is currently participating in a program sponsored by the Vermont Council on Rural Development that brings community members together to identify and prioritize goals and develop action plans for the future of the town. The Our Future Putney initiative runs from November 2022 until January 2023.
Schools
The Grammar School Independent day school, preschool through 8th grade, with a nature-based curriculum.
The Greenwood School Boarding and day school for high-potential boys, grades 6-12 with language-based learning challenges.
Landmark College The nation’s leading college for students with learning disabilities.
Oak Meadow Provides a flexible, progressive education for independent learners in kindergarten to grade 12.
Putney Central School The town’s pre-K through grade 8 public school, adjacent to a 164-acre forest used for school activities and by town residents; and a public swimming pool.
The Putney School Independent progressive boarding and day school, grades 9-12, with a working farm, that emphasizes creativity and cooperative learning.
Arts / Literature
Putney Public Library An outstanding educational resource on Main Street.
Next Stage Arts A nonprofit performance venue that creates opportunities for collaboration among artists, audiences, and educational and arts organizations.
The Yellow Barn Music Festival Classical music performances by outstanding students and internationally acclaimed teachers, who spend the summer in Putney, immersed in study and performing concerts.
Putney Craft Tour Oldest continuous craft tour in the country, an open studio event that occurs every Thanksgiving weekend, with free access to prominent Vermont artists and craftspeople.
Sandglass Theater Renowned theater company that combines puppets with music, actors, and visual imagery. Sandglass productions tour internationally and they present workshops and annual festivals in Putney.
Health / Medicine
Putney Family Healthcare, part of the Brattleboro Memorial Hospital physician group, focuses on wellness and prevention.
Alternative Medicine includes licensed naturopaths and specialists in acupuncture, physical therapy, massage.
Putney Cares Barn Art as well as exercise classes: yoga, folk dancing, weight lifting. Special occasion meals and events for seniors.
Businesses and organizations serving the community
Putney Fire Station Non-profit fire department that responds to both fire and EMS calls.
The Putney Food Coop One of the country’s oldest co-operatives (est. 1941), dedicated to making local organic food available to the public. 2012 winner of the Bowers Fund Award for Cooperative Excellence.
Putney General Store Vermont’s oldest general store (est. 1796). Open 7 am–7 pm daily on Main Street.
Putney Mountain Winery and Spirits
M & T Bank, Putney branch
802 Credit Union, Putney branch
iPutney.com Online hub of event listing and community postings.
West Hill Shop A welcoming place for cyclists and skiers; sponsors annual cyclocross race, time trials, and weekly rides.
Restaurants
The Gleanery
The Putney Diner
Mockingbird Tavern
. . . and many more!
Frequently asked questions
How can I indicate my interest in buying a house when one becomes available?
Putney Commons has an on-going vetting process for persons interested in being in a pool for priority referral to owners/heirs when a house is ready to change hands. Owners are asked to give priority consideration to these vetted candidates during a 90-day period before putting the house in the hands of a realtor. We are committed to finding members who truly want to live in community and own an energy-efficient, small, single-story home.
Our vetting process follows these steps:
A phone conversation with our vetting coordinator (she is tasked with responding to inquiries), arranged in advance by email.
A visit to Putney Commons and a tour, including the interiors of several homes, brief meetings with several owners, and a walk across some of our land.
Attendance at one monthly meeting, via Zoom or in person, to get to know us and how we work by consensus.
If you are still interested, we will ask you to submit a brief biographical statement along with answers to our core questions. Both documents will be shared with our members.
We will check in with you annually to confirm your ongoing interest.
When a house does become available, we will arrange a special in-person meeting for you with our members.
Fully vetted candidates will be referred to the seller of the unit; these individuals will have priority bidding on the unit before it is publicly listed for sale.
We invite you to contact us if you want to start the vetting process.
What sort of people are you seeking?
People of all ages interested in living in a friendly green neighborhood in Putney village. In our experience, consensus decision-making supports and strengthens our ability to work collaboratively.
Our Book of Commons v.5 spells out our intention in living together on this land. Members share responsibility for stewardship of our land and homes. We continue to evolve, influenced by our members’ particular interests and talents.
What does it cost to live at Putney Commons?
a) Our current homeowners fee of $255 monthly covers the following: insurance on external structures; road maintenance; external building maintenance; landscaping, mowing and vegetable garden expenses; snow plowing; trash and land maintenance; publicity; and a reserve fund.
b) Each owner also carries a standard condominium insurance policy and pays Putney town taxes of approximately $7,000 per year [as of 2023]. Our current homes vary in size from 1100 to 1500 sq.ft. Property tax adjustments may be granted based on income.
c) Five of the nine homes rely on solar panels connected to the utility grid; these accounts receive credits for a surplus of electrical energy. Vermont’s net metering system encourages customers to generate their own solar energy credits.
d) The fourth category of expenses is for water & sewer, town services that average $240 per quarter, and propane if desired. (Currently three houses are all electric.)
How can I arrange a visit to Putney Commons?
Please fill out our contact form below to contact our vetting coordinator. We would look forward to hearing from you!
Contact us
For more information about our community, please fill out the form below: