Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: language or experience help needed to persuade Planning Board that 6 unit max per building

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

On Dec 10, 2009, at 6:15 PM, Liz Ryan Cole wrote:

> Can anyone point us to experience and/or language that will help us.
> We are building in a rural area, in a town of 1800 people, near a
> village center. Almost all homes in town are single family.  We know
> that we have a better chance to build less expensive homes if they
> don't have to be stand alones.

I don't have exactly what you are asking for but my advice is not to  
emphasize cheaper. The reason the town is zoned single family and  
limits multi-household buildings to six is, in all probability, that  
they don't want the "kind of people" who need inexpensive homes.

Find out what the town board values -- open land, architectural  
awards, professional people, whatever.

Just make yourselves look as much like them and their ideals as  
possible. And how much you will add to their tax base. Don't talk  
about how many children you have because they will hear "more school  
taxes."

Sharon
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Sharon Villines in Washington DC
Where all roads lead to Casablanca