Master Plan
While Camphill Village has created an exceptional home and community for a great many people, it has done so in the most frugal and modest ways. Limited resources and an immediate need for space have sometimes resulted in buildings that are functional but less than ideal in their use of space, energy, and accommodations. The majority of buildings were constructed at least 40 years ago; many are very tired and several need quite significant attention.
The resulting master plan addresses issues of pedestrian safety, accessibility, creativity, health, functionality, economy, ecology, and spirituality – those issues which drive the community every day. The full plan for the village spans a period of 15 years, and thus has been divided into two phases to make the degree of change manageable and to give the Village an opportunity to absorb new activity with the least disruption. Phase I of the plan for Camphill Village includes these key features:
- Renovate existing houses to accommodate safety issues, ensure structural integrity and functionality, abate water damage, and generally improve the livability of Arbutus, Aspen, Farmhill, Hickory, Rock Maple and Tamarack.
- Change the access and traffic flow to slow traffic for the safety of the Villagers, improve pedestrian walkways on the property and to assist those who need clear sight lines to navigate between their homes and work places. This new traffic flow will also help preserve and protect the land of Camphill Village.
- Create a thriving work center with new buildings for The Healing Plant, Stained Glass, Candlemaking, and the Weaving workshops and two new spaces for potential new workshops. We plan to build a new Sugar House for producing Maple Syrup and build a covered extension of the Sunny Valley Barn.
- Construct a new, one-story administration building that more properly accommodates the increasingly complex, day-to-day operations of the Village and its hardworking staff.
- A new medical center will bring all medical services and therapies into one space.
- Improve the sustainable and natural environment that is a hallmark of Camphill Village by adding stormwater control, better water and sanitary service (including water in every pasture and garden), underground electric service, and other infrastructure improvement that mirror the values of preserving and protecting the land.
- Enhance the Village Green to create a “marketplace” and promote a greater level of social interaction for the village and commerce for visitors. Plans for the Green include a new building for a larger Café and a designated space for The Village Library and Coffee Shop. The existing Village Green Building will be renovated to accommodate the existing Co-op and a new visitor center within the Gift Shop, an often-visited center of sales for the proudly handmade products made in the village.
Together, these elements offer much to improve the quality of life in Camphill Village, go far in ensuring that the Village thrives for many more decades, and contributes to its sense of responsibility for its own land and the Earth.