A State of Anticipation
Aside from the work to begin in Sumas this coming week (more information at the bottom of the page), we are still anxiously awaiting permits for each of our Telegraph Townhome, Mateo Meadows, and Custer projects. We have, nevertheless, found a variety of ways to be productive over the last month.
Sheds For Sale!
Last week we began the construction of a shed model to be placed in the garden center of our store. The 6×10 ft. base model has plenty of room for all of your lawn and garden tools, but can be customized to suit your needs and design preferences in terms of size, color, and more.
They are made to order by our talented team of regular volunteers and will be available for purchase at our store as soon as the model is complete.
AmeriCorps Tiny Homes
Woodworking Projects
In designing a project that would help us teach new volunteers some of the basic skills they will need on our construction sites, we’ve now combined two previous iterations—a planter box and a folding table—into one. Thanks to the help of RV Care-A-Vanner Tom Hinkle, who ran his own commercial woodworking business for 30 Years, we have crafted two lovely planter benches to be sold at our store. Tom, our first Care-A-Vanner of the year, is visiting us from central Oregon.
When constructing these, volunteers have the opportunity to learn how to use new tools such as Miter saws, table saws, cordless drills and drivers, random orbital sanders, a pneumatic stapler, and even a jig for drilling pocket holes. At the same time, they gain the ability to take measurements and make precise cuts, square the assembled boxes and benches, and more, all while enjoying the satisfaction that comes with building something from scratch. As we continue to produce and sell these benches, we will be using Douglas fir and western red cedar planks which were harvested at the Telegraph Townhome site (to make room for Phases 1C and 1D) and milled by one of our volunteers.
Sumas
As of Monday, we are officially the owners of a single-family home on Front Street in Sumas. This home, constructed by our affiliate decades ago, fell victim to the historic flooding of the Nooksack River in 2021. We plan to begin water remediation work on site this week.
We are undecided as of yet what we will build here, but rest assured we will continue to use our climate resilient construction methods. By building 2 feet above the base flood elevation and to Passive Home Standards, we can be sure that the home we build will be comfortable, cozy, and safe even as the weather patterns of the Pacific Northwest intensify. Stay tuned as we explore how we can best utilize the property to provide affordable housing to this part of the county.
