Frog Pond Commons

Amy Thurmond joined the Citizen's Task Force for Frog Pond in May 2014 with the idea that this beautiful farming community could be developed into something better than the usual subdivision: 

more enjoyment less work.

Residents could help each other own chickens and harvest fresh produce from the garden.

She was inspired by her neighbors Pam and Joe Leitch. In 2005 they sold their 5 acres on Frog Pond Lane and bought in North Portland an old

farmhouse on 4 acres and the
adjacent outdated apartment
complex. Working with Rick Gustafson and Kim Knox of Shiels Obletz Johnsen, the 37 apartments were “green” renovated, and the farmhouse

turned into the community
house. Groundbreaking for Columbia

Ecovillage was July 2008, and by
2009 all 37 units had sold
in one of the worst economic and real estate downturns Oregon has
experienced. When Amy visited Columbia Ecovillage in 2009 she was smitten by the bike shed, where a kid exchanged a small bike for a bigger bike as needed, the tool shed where expensive tools were shared and not duplicated in each persons garage, the beautifully appointed guest rooms in the old farmhouse, the common kitchen with all the fancy gadgets that are hard to justify for one household but perfect when you are sharing, the deluxe chicken coop, breathtaking fruit orchard, manicured vegetable garden, and the attic filled with costumes for dressup donated from all the households!