Klonoar, you make some very good points, I'll address them one at time:
"Need 10k enrollees. . ."
We are just getting off the ground and have planned on a 60% attrition rate; however, we will readily admit this may be optimistic. To that end we have raised our goal to 50,000 enrollees (people signed up through the website). Our initial plan called for 4000 units at 2.5 occupants per unit. In creating the website we have created a higher targert to account for attrition. We have changed the wording on the website to reflect this ambiguity. We have allotted one year for this phase of the project.
"we need to spin up a little marketing campaign to get people to sign off on it. Alas, this isn't a feel good movie, so we're going to give this a nice... six months (being pretty generous here)."
We have allotted a year for this phase.
"hey guys, you all also need to be pre-approved for loans"
This can happen in parallel with marketing campaign and will take approximately one year with the help of a strong volunteer base.
"Step three begins when we get a board to actually approve all of this. There's really no guarantee this part will work; that said, if it does, we're saying 1.5 years for all of the basic setup."
This is what the "marketing campaign" is for. Of course there is "no guarantee" we will get approval. The re-zoning alone will add $200 million to the value of the land and will not be granted without strong public support. As noted elsewhere, we have allotted one year for this phase of the project.
"Step four, huzzah! We're building homes... for another 1.5 years. Can't live here just yet! No worries, though, we've got a super high speed build process... hey, wait, you're not listening, are you?"
Snarkyness aside, we are listening. . .and have just launched the site, so please give some slack. We are proposing to use Variable Density Aggregate (foam concrete) poured in form with windows and plumbing intact. The VDA will act as insulation, fire proofing, as well as an earth quake tolerant structural exterior. We anticipate building 4000 homes, including infrastructure, in 12-18 months.
"Speaking of the people behind this, who are they? There's absolutely no information on this site explaining why you should ever bother placing some level of trust in the efforts spearheaded by these people."
Point well taken, we will be putting up bios on our new "About Us" page.
The "who we are" bit definitely needs to be front & center, and if you don't have enough people with serious & relevant credentials, it's important to get more on board.
As a very small start, are any of you currently living in a house like the ones you're proposing? Have lived/are living in one of the many eco-villages around the world? Helped found any of them?
I love this kind of idea -- but it's one of those kinds of things that explodes in complexity when you get beneath the surface. Don't listen to the naysayers, generally -- but listen very carefully to the ones who have experience/expertise you're lacking, and get started sooner rather than later on attacking the problems they foresee.
"Need 10k enrollees. . ."
We are just getting off the ground and have planned on a 60% attrition rate; however, we will readily admit this may be optimistic. To that end we have raised our goal to 50,000 enrollees (people signed up through the website). Our initial plan called for 4000 units at 2.5 occupants per unit. In creating the website we have created a higher targert to account for attrition. We have changed the wording on the website to reflect this ambiguity. We have allotted one year for this phase of the project.
"we need to spin up a little marketing campaign to get people to sign off on it. Alas, this isn't a feel good movie, so we're going to give this a nice... six months (being pretty generous here)."
We have allotted a year for this phase.
"hey guys, you all also need to be pre-approved for loans"
This can happen in parallel with marketing campaign and will take approximately one year with the help of a strong volunteer base.
"Step three begins when we get a board to actually approve all of this. There's really no guarantee this part will work; that said, if it does, we're saying 1.5 years for all of the basic setup."
This is what the "marketing campaign" is for. Of course there is "no guarantee" we will get approval. The re-zoning alone will add $200 million to the value of the land and will not be granted without strong public support. As noted elsewhere, we have allotted one year for this phase of the project.
"Step four, huzzah! We're building homes... for another 1.5 years. Can't live here just yet! No worries, though, we've got a super high speed build process... hey, wait, you're not listening, are you?"
Snarkyness aside, we are listening. . .and have just launched the site, so please give some slack. We are proposing to use Variable Density Aggregate (foam concrete) poured in form with windows and plumbing intact. The VDA will act as insulation, fire proofing, as well as an earth quake tolerant structural exterior. We anticipate building 4000 homes, including infrastructure, in 12-18 months.
"Speaking of the people behind this, who are they? There's absolutely no information on this site explaining why you should ever bother placing some level of trust in the efforts spearheaded by these people."
Point well taken, we will be putting up bios on our new "About Us" page.
Thanks for your response.
-The Omega Project Team