RE: BIG Co-housing. Who Loves It? Who Hates It?
From: Eris Weaver (eriswsonic.net)
Date: Sun, 26 Mar 2006 10:24:12 -0800 (PST)
Lion said: 
> The nearest actual co-housing project is about 12 miles from 
> me in Cotati, called FrogSong. It is a small town main street 
> development with storefronts on the street level (which are 
> not associated with the co-housing) 

I must correct you here. Our community OWNS that commercial building and
it is a source of income for us. One of our members is paid to manage
the business. One of the spaces is used as office space for the
businesses of three of our members.

> What is the reaction to co-housing proposed on this scale? 
> Both positive and negative reactions are welcome, but I 
> anticipate more negatives, so to follow-up... What needs to 
> change before it approaches your threshhold of acceptability?

One thing that is important in cohousing is the ability to know
everyone; making decisions by consensus requires a deep level of trust,
and a manageable number of people participating. Our 30 units include 52
adults, which I believe is close to the upper limit that can work
together in this way in any practical manner. I suppose that a large
building such as you are describing could work as cohousing if each
floor or wing of 25-30 units functioned as its own community with each
one sending representatives to a federation of some sort. But 100 units
couldn't function in the way that we do, I don't think.


Eris Weaver
FrogSong, Cohousing in Cotati, CA



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