That鈥檚 changing later this fall, when bulldozers break ground on a 35-house development conceived and led by Dean Weaver 鈥�89. With relatively little experience as a developer, Weaver focused more on the property鈥檚 opportunities rather than its challenges and jumped in with both feet.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know better. It seemed like the right thing to do 鈥� so I just did it,鈥� says Weaver, who learned the hard way that securing planning and zoning approvals for an unconventional idea on an unwieldy site can be a long and tough process. 鈥淗ere I am three and a half years later.鈥�

Weaver鈥檚 goal for Collicello North 鈥� named for Collicello Street, which runs through the property 鈥� is to recreate the feel of an old, traditional neighborhood where different kinds of people can be united by an affection for the place and the people who live there. (Weaver uses the traditional pronunciation with a soft 鈥渃,鈥� 鈥淐olli-sello,鈥� although some in the neighborhood say 鈥淐olli-chello.鈥�)

He hopes the mixture of detached homes and townhouse-style units will attract buyers of different ages and budgets. Most of the houses will face a central green area, with parking relegated to alleys in the back, a decision designed to encourage residents鈥� sense of 鈥渂eing connected, being community,鈥� Weaver says. The master plan also includes a small amount of mixed-use space for commercial or office use.

Sustainability is another important part of the concept. The homes will be on the small side relative to the American norm, ranging from 900 to 1,800 square feet and emphasizing living space quality over quantity. Each house will come with a 3-kilowatt聽solar array on the roof,聽allowing homeowners to generate much of their own electricity.

Kirsten Parmer 鈥�93, director of marketing at , emphasizes its location within walking distance of 91短视频 and downtown Harrisonburg, and a connector path leading to the planned biking and walking trail.

鈥淚 believe that our culture is waiting for this,鈥� says Weaver. 鈥淚 think we鈥檙e primed and ready for it.鈥�

After college, Weaver worked in construction for a while before starting an irrigation company. Housing development is a more recent interest that he鈥檚 pursuing in his role as special projects manager at Blue Ridge Architects, a company in downtown Harrisonburg led by Randy Seitz, class of 鈥�87.

With design work handled by Blue Ridge Architects (which is also ), Weaver will manage construction of Collicello North through another company he started with Seitz, R+D Building Systems. He hopes to set a close-knit, collaborative tone for the project, beginning with financing, development and design and continuing throughout construction. Making things as welcoming as possible for small contractors 鈥� e.g. minimizing paperwork and paying every two weeks 鈥� figures into his desire to 鈥渄o my part in living in a nice community.鈥�

Weaver feels confident that enough others want to live in the kind of nice community he has in mind that he鈥檒l be building out Collicello North on spec, rather than waiting for individual lots to sell.

鈥淚f I build it, they will 鈥︹�� he says, before trailing off with a chuckle. It鈥檚 probably bad karma for a developer to say something like that, he admits.

Regardless, he is about to build it, and hopefully they will come. If all goes according to plan, construction on Collicello North will be finished less than two years from now, and community at Collicello North will have just begun.

Sponsored by the, the event encourages students to learn about farming practices while gaining important information on how to live and farm sustainably.

鈥淔ood and Farming week provides 91短视频 students the chance to engage area farmers, enjoy locally grown foods and even learn methods for preserving and preparing foods, skills that will last a lifetime. said , professor of at 91短视频.

Baking bread 鈥� Monday at 6 p.m., Cedarwood, second floor kitchen

Learn the art of making and baking bread from , associate professor of . No bread baking experience needed. If you plan on attending, contact Melinda Norris at melinda.norris@emu.edu. Bring bread pans and mixing bowls if you have them.

Fall harvest local meal 鈥� Tuesday at 5 p.m., Dining Hall

Enjoy a fall harvest meal courtesy of Pioneer Catering and the . The film, “The True Cost of Coal,” will be shown at 8 p.m. in the , presented by the Beehive Collective.

Local Farm Tour 鈥� Wednesday at 5:30 p.m., meet outside University Commons (front entrance)

Tour Avalon Acres farm.

Farm life on the quad 鈥� Thursday at 6 p.m., Thomas Plaza (in front of Campus Center)

Pay a visit to our campus chickens and take an edible garden tour with SFI.

Earthkeepers “Parklet” 鈥� Friday from 5-8 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m.-noon, at Northend Greenway

Come see what Harrisonburg would look like if parking spaces were turned into parks.

91短视频 Earthkeepers

Earthkeepers鈥� mission is to act in and around the 91短视频 community to encourage, simplify, and implement environmentally friendly practices, such as recycling, composting, reducing waste, and monitoring water quality in the Harrisonburg area.

Earthkeepers club members also participate in many other events and activities throughout the year, such as hiking trips, field trips, and organizing guest speakers.

For more information on Food and Farming Week, contact 91短视频 students Melinda Norris at melinda.norris@emu.edu, or Josh Kanagy at joshua.kanagy@emu.edu.

Groff, a senior at 91短视频 (91短视频), began an internship earlier this winter with the , a bike-pedestrian trail that would link the Park View area with downtown.

Phase one of the 1.6 mile trail would begin near Eastern Mennonite School (just east of 91短视频) and end at the intersection of Main and Washington Street. A potential second phase would go tie in further downtown.

“The Greenway will also help people meet one another in public spaces, and strengthen this community,” said Groff. “It will also hopefully lessen people鈥檚 need to drive cars for short trips in town and help lower聽pollution.”

Thinking green

Groff learned of the Greenway through conversations with other bicycle enthusiasts at . The conversation sparked Groff’s interest, but it was a conversation with Tom Benevento, lead organizer of the Greenway, that sold Groff on the project.

Benevento explained to Groff how the Greenway fit into his concept for an internship–a larger vision of peacebuilding, extending into areas of human health, quality of life and creation care.

“Hearing about how it will help so many more people than just 91短视频 was particularly helpful in piquing my interest,” said Groff. “Promoting walking and biking helps people get active and out of the house.”

A green valentine

Groff, who is in charge of promotions for the Greenway, was encouraged by the standing-room only turnout at a Feb. 14 meeting with city council members. While funding for the project was not finalized, Groff said the over 150 people who showed support for the Greenway emphasized the importance of the trail to the city.

“As Tom [Benevento] said in his presentation, all kinds of people were represented that night from infants to seniors; people from Park View and 91短视频 to others from all over town… Such widespread representation really drove home the point that this is a project that people really care about and is important to people from all over Harrisonburg.

“This path will make it easier and safer to get out and about and experience everything Harrisonburg has to offer.”