Though a primary impetus for starting the community is to prepare for societal meltdown in the United States, those involved in the community look at this more as an opportunity to finally live the way they've been dreaming and talking for years. In other words, this is not an interim, transient condition, but it is to be a model for more enlightened living, both with the land and with each other. The community will aim to be off-grid as much as possible using sustainable techniques.

His home in Eagle Mountain, which was sold on Oct. 28, 2009, was rolled over via a 1031 exchange to help secure the land for the community, as well as for some building materials for a replacement home in the community, relying on the community to provide labor for the balance of the value.

In the News

Communities > Safe Haven Villages >
We made it to 'Best Places to Live Off the Grid' - Our intentional community project, Safe Haven Villages, is being featured at MSN as one of ten "Best Places to Live Off the Grid". I think it was our mention of "wanting to power the community with something more exotic than just solar or wind, such as cold fusion" that got us on that list, even though we don't have any official dwellings yet. (MSN; December 26, 2011)

Utahns creating a sustainable, off grid community

By Gina Barker, Deseret News
Published: Friday, Aug. 13 2010 12:33 a.m. MDT

SPRING CITY, Sanpete County — Heaving the flat slate stones into place along a low wall, James Torgersen seems comfortable in the wilder reaches of Sanpete County.

. . . Safe Haven founders will have to convince Sanpete County officials that non-traditional amenities like dry mulch toilets are safe alternatives to septic tanks, and they'll need to come up with enough money to buy the necessary water rights for the 18-home project they envision.

In the meantime, they're buying water rights for four homes and waiting to present a minor subdivision plan for the project's first phase. And they've been hard at work building the structures that don't require permits.

"This is an evolving project," said community member Sterling Allan. "We're trying to do as much as we can now."

The goal for the community is much larger than that. Torgersen hopes to incorporate as many sustainable techniques into the community plans as possible. Whether it's collecting rainwater, building greenhouses or using solar energy, Torgersen hopes to turn the wild property into a place where people can come to practice total self-sustainability.

. . . "People like me research the building codes and find out how to do things the right way," Torgersen said. "We can build all these legally."

The system isn't meant to support sustainable living practices, he said. Even freely collecting rainwater wasn't possible until July 1 under Utah law.

Now, Safe Haven residents will have to convince state and county officials that filtering the water with sand and charcoal is acceptable.

The Allans and Torgersen are hoping to change the way legislators and Americans think about modern life and what is sustainable.

"Let's simplify," Torgersen said. "We've gotten way too complicated."

Originally posted by sterlingda
The dynamics of the community are something you would find in a reality series; and in fact, we have a reality show that may do a few segments on our project.