Colorado Lake Cooperative, formerly Lakeshore Estates, Inc., was originally established as a commercial mobile home park in 1969. But the transition from commercial to resident-ownership didn’t happen overnight. In 2007, the residents purchased the park and became the second resident-owned community in Oregon. And we retained the name Lakeshore Estates. In 2017, with the help of CASA of Oregon and ROC USA, Lakeshore Estates, Inc., refinanced its mortgage and reorganized as a cooperative, becoming Colorado Lake Cooperative and a member of the ROC USA network on April 11.
Now, our resident-owned community (ROC) is not only a successful business but also but also a thriving neighborhood.
The process of the resident-owned community buying the land beneath our neighborhood brought this community closer together. Not only do we know far more of our neighbors than ever before, but we look out for one another, too. And with no outside landlord to report to, we’re the envy of other nearby manufactured home communities.
Our Member households elect our Board of Directors, which works with a property management firm and also appoints various volunteer committees to help with special projects, celebrations, community improvements, and more. The Board submits a budget every year, and the entire Membership votes on it and any changes to the rent before the budget becomes official. We’re running the business that is our community on our terms, by our rules, for the betterment of ourselves and our neighbors.
Colorado Lake Cooperative is a well-established community in Corvallis, Oregon, for people who enjoy convenient access to the city and also want to be close to an abundance of outdoor activities. We sit just 4 miles from downtown Corvallis and 30 minutes from the McDonald-Dunn Forest. Colorado Lake Cooperative is an ideal spot for adventure seekers who love to hike, bike, swim, kayak, and bird-watch. Located just five miles from Oregon State University, we are centrally located to countless amenities.
Corvallis is known not only for its access to outdoor activities, but also for its abundant options for restaurants, wineries, and breweries.
Free bus service in Corvallis can get you around easily to grocery stores, movie theaters, library, museums, art galleries, and a seasonal farmers market. If you prefer to leave your car at home, a bike path near the entrance to our community provides a pleasant ride all the way into town. Ready for a day at the beach? Newport is only an hour’s drive west.
For bigger-city action, Portland is about 80 miles north with a shuttle available at various hours throughout the day from downtown Corvallis. It also stops at Portland International Airport or the Amtrak station, with a stop in our capital city of Salem. And Eugene, home of the University of Oregon and the Oregon Ducks football team, is only a 45-minute drive south.
Colorado Lake Cooperative sits in the heart of the Willamette Valley, a rich agricultural area providing some of the best food and wine in the country. Weather in our valley is ideal, with mild temperatures year round. Winters are wet and rainy, with snow a rare occurrence. But the many warm, dry, sunny days of summer more than make up for winter’s clouds.
With abundant national forests and Mt. Hood a short distance to the east and the Pacific Ocean a short distance to the west, our family-friendly community is truly situated in the most ideal location. There’s a lot to do and a lot to love.
The fact that our long-time residents have been living in our community since well before it became resident-owned, some for 20 years or more, is testament to the comfortable lifestyle and surroundings provided here. Off the beaten track yet close to everything, even our more recent residents can agree that our affordable, resident-owned and resident-operated manufactured home community is unique.
We welcome you to come see for yourself.
