Sandywoods Farm

Sandywoods Farm - A Residential Arts & Agricultural Community

PROJECT UPDATE: December 30, 2010:

All fifty rental units at Sandywoods Farm have been leased, but our on-site property management company, Phoenix Property Management, is continuing to accept applications for possible future vacancies. To be placed on the Sandywoods waiting list, please contact the rental office at 401-816-0802 to request an application form. For more details, please visit www.sandywoodsfarm.org.

PROJECT UPDATE: January 27, 2010:

We will begin accepting applications for the Sandywoods Farm rentals at the beginning of March.

We will be sending out an e-announcement to inform you of the procedure for submitting applications. Thanks for your phone calls and emails. It’s wonderful to know so many of you are truly interested in the project and in becoming residents of the community!

Today feels like Spring and things are hopping out at the Farm. So much activity!! In fact, the first walls of the Community Building are going up today! This centerpiece building is located on Muse Way, our “Main Street” next to the three mixed-use buildings and when complete will house a commercial kitchen and plenty of room for meetings, dinners, classes and performances (we’re putting a stage into this building just for this purpose). In the mixed-use buildings, workers are plastering, painting and tiling in both the retail spaces and the one-bedroom rentals located on the second floor. These second-floor units will be the first to be made available for occupancy, with a move-in date perhaps as soon as May. We will keep you posted!

Thanks for your continued interest!

PROJECT UPDATE 10-22-09:

Tiverton, RI. The development is assuredly underway! In June we hosted our groundbreaking and seed-sowing ceremony. The clearing of the site and construction of the roads immediately ensued transforming the usually quiet landscape into a hub of construction activity. As of last week, the first buildings were up!

As these buildings are completed, retail spaces will be made available and we'll begin actively talking to prospective residents about the use of those spaces. Slated to occupy at least one of the retail spaces is an art gallery which will eventually provide resident visual artists exhibition space and retail sales opportunities.

The community center which will house many of the Farm’s daily activities is in the process of being built. Included in the design of the community center is a commercial kitchen facility which will be made available for light-scale food production and tie in nicely with the agricultural aspect of the community.

The 50 planned residential rental units are in various stages of construction and will become available for occupancy sometime in 2010. We will begin accepting applications for those rentals early next year.

Also in the works are plans for two shared studio buildings. One of the buildings is extant and currently used by a ceramics artist, but its future use will be determined by residents. (An existing wood-fired ceramics kiln will be available for use by residents.) The second planned studio building is in the design phase. Part of the cost of this building is covered by an Economic Development Grant, but very soon we will be recruiting volunteers to help with its construction. So if you’re interested in helping out, or know someone who might be, let us know.

As you can see we are busily moving forward!

Ground Breaking and Seed Sowing Celebration
for
Sandywoods Artist & Agricultural Community

Monday, June 29, 2009
10:00am

Join us for music and refreshments on
Sandywoods Farm, Tiverton, RI
end of Presidential Drive to farm road

RSVP to 401-846-5114 or respond below

PROJECT UPDATE 6-15-09:

We acquired the property in May and immediately started construction on the roads!! The first buildings will be under construction by August. We are on schedule to begin occupancy in Spring 2010. Buildable lots are now available for sale with two lot sales already pending!!

PROJECT UPDATE 1-28-09:

Church Community Housing Corporation is pleased and excited to announce the achievement of two major development milestones for the Sandywoods Farm project.

In January, the project received all permitting approvals from the Town of Tiverton that are necessary to move the project into the construction phase of development. Additionally, Rhode Island Housing Mortgage and Finance Corporation's Board of Directors approved the necessary $15 million financing package.

With these approvals in place CCHC is moving to acquire the property and start construction of the roads in the Spring of 2009. We are excited to see years of strategic planning finally be realized. Please keep checking back to this page for additional updates!

DEVELOPMENT DESCRIPTION:

Sandywoods Farm's development combines farming activities with housing for working artists and their families as well as commercial space to sell farm products and galleries for art exhibitions. The project includes a wind turbine and solar water heating, which will reduce living costs for residents further while offering an environmentally conscious housing choice in Rhode Island.

The Sandywoods Farm Plan has four parts. 20 acres are slated for 50 rental units and related community facilities, including a community building and studio/gallery space on the first floor of three buildings with residential units above. 24 market rate, single family house lots will occupy an additional 12 acres of the site. Two of these lots will be sold through CCHC’s Land Trust program, which allows homebuyers to purchase the house without the land, saving considerable cost. Approximately 29 acres of the site will be used for farm land and the remaining 111 acres will be dedicated to open space.