​The following is what we consider to be some minimum expectations of community members, whether they are owners or renters. Each of these responsibilities comes with the rewards of creating connection with other community members and making Nyland a better place to live.

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Identify Yourself as a Community Member.  Self-selection is the only way we have found to let people join our community.  There are no interviews and no selection committees.  If you choose to live here, it is expected that you will participate in community affairs in a way that works for you and fulfills the expectations of our agreements.  

 

Abide by our Agreements. We gather to discuss problems and look for the best solutions, then turn those solutions into agreements that we all abide by. Please read the full text of these under the Agreements menu tab.

Follow our Processes. Since we all live together as part of a community, changes that can affect others must first gain approval through Nyland's Decision-Making or Design Review processes. Whether you want to add a deck to the back of your house, upgrade the playground area, put in speed bumps, or make a change to one of our agreements, it is important that everyone who might be affected by your actions be informed about your proposal and be afforded the chance to give quality feedback. Since we live so close to one another, something as simple as planting a tree can cause conflict as it grows and blocks a neighbor's view. The goal is not to stop you from what you would like to do, but to encourage you to talk with your neighbors; to help you think through your project and to help guide you towards a plan that increases harmony with your neighbors. 

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Commit to Resolving Conflicts. One of our fundamental agreements is to talk with each other directly about any issues we have. In the standard neighborhood, you might call the community enforcement officer, the HOA president, or even the police if a neighbor has a barking dog, a loud party, or an untidy lawn. But at Nyland we know our neighbors and we care about their well being. So a simple conversation is often all it takes. If that does not work, we have facilitators that can help settle a dispute or work with the community to come to an agreement. 

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Contribute according to the Participation Guidelines.

Nyland is run by us. In order to maintain our community, we have organized ourselves into six main work groups with specific responsibilities, called "Community Action Groups" or CAGs: Land, Common House, Well-Being, Tech, Fun, and the Board of Directors.  Each community member is expected to join at least one CAG, as well as to participate actively as individuals in maintaining our common resources and amenities.

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Ask yourself if you would enjoy participating in the community work necessary to keep Nyland running. 

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Ask yourself if you are comfortable following our community processes and agreements.

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You may want to review our formal legal documents and bylaws.

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Join us for a community meal. While there, ask lots of questions to help you better understand if Nyland would be a good fit for you. We are a friendly bunch and are always happy to chat about our experience living here. 

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Join us for a land work day. This is a great way to get a feel for what living at Nyland is really like. It is a great opportunity to chat with and get to know some residents while helping us pull some weeds.

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Join us for a community meeting. This will give you a better sense how we discuss and make decisions. Since Nyland is focused on building community, we don’t just vote based on personal preference. Instead we try to listen to all voices, consider everyone’s needs, and find the best solution for all individuals and the community. This can often be very challenging and takes a community mindset to accomplish. You can read more about our processes here