Re: home-based offices as safety risk to children
From: Jeanne Goodman, JP Cohousing (goodmanjjpcohousing.org)
Date: Tue, 16 Nov 2004 20:40:41 -0800 (PST)
Dear Shelly,

In our community a home-based business became very important to me rather 
early in our development stage as my last place of employment offered me an 
opportunity to start my own business (read 'laid me off'.)

I definitely lean toward the thriving village -- flow line of that argument. 
Having heard that commonhouses are often under utilized, our shared offices 
are directly below our commonhouse, but with an entrance directly in front 
of the parking lot. I imagine that our members who use the office will 
coffee, dine, and break in the commonhouse, but that their guests will not 
easily go into the commonhouse unescorted.

Office visitors will have access to the office space via the intercom 
entrance and then will have no more and no less access to the rest of the 
community than anyone walking thru our property.

As the mother of two children who has grown accustomed to the semblance of 
safety that suburbia has afforded, this feels like the right balance. I 
would much prefer that the community have too much activity for safety 
problems.

Jeanne Goodman
JP Cohousing, Boston
Where we only have one unit remaining: a 4-bedroom that would be great as a 
home office!

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Shelly DeMeo" <shelldemeo [at] comcast.net>
To: <cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org>
Sent: Monday, November 15, 2004 1:38 PM
Subject: [C-L]_ home-based offices as safety risk to children


Hello--

Our group is grappling with the decision of whether or not to allow 
home-based businesses.  There are two very distinct points of view on this 
issue.  One side (actually only one or two households) wants the cohousing 
community to be a safe, residential community where one doesn't have to 
worry about strangers walking near our children.  The other viewpoint is one 
of a thriving village, where people flow in and out of the community all 
day.  This side argues that it is actually safer this way, because it 
provides more eyes watching during the day, as opposed to an empty community 
during work hours.

We have many businesses that want to open including yoga studio, art 
classes, home-schoolers, landscape architects, violinists, etc.  The hot 
button item tends to be the therapy offices  Surprise! We have a lot of 
therapists in this community and a few of them would like the option to 
provide therapy in their home.  The opposing households feel this is a 
distinct threat to the children of the community.

I am sure others have struggled with this issue.  Our group would appreciate 
any advice on how to reach consensus on this issue.  Comments on real life 
cohousing offices, safety, and kids would be helpful.

Thanks.

Shelly DeMeo
Rocky Hill Cohousing
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