RE: private use of commons
From: Alexander Robin A (alexande.robiuwlax.edu)
Date: Fri, 1 Oct 2004 14:54:55 -0700 (PDT)
The one disturbing thing I hear in your post is the "not willing to
discuss it" aspect. If that is true (and I have no reason to believe
it's not) that is very troubling. We are fortunate at EC that this kind
of problem hasn't arisen at least since I've been here. For instance, we
have a community garden, but it is maintained by some wonderfully
dedicated volunteers. The community pays for plants, seeds, etc. but all
get to pick and enjoy. Common facilities are approved and paid for as
capital projects by the whole community.

Robin Alexander
Eno Commons Cohousing
alexande.robi [at] uwlax.edu


-----Original Message-----
From: Lynn Nadeau [mailto:welcome [at] olympus.net] 
Sent: Thursday, September 30, 2004 10:43 PM
To: cohousing L
Subject: [C-L]_ private use of commons

RoseWind Cohousing, Port Townsend WA. (24 households, built and running 
for years now). 
On our 9 acre site, about half the land is in commons, including the 
common house and its site. There is a large central field, and various 
"local commons" areas which are among the home sites, ranging from 
walk-through/view-through areas between homes to pocket-park areas. 

My vision of commons use has always been that it would always and only
be 
for community projects, equally accessible to all members. A trend is 
emerging which I find disturbing. Is this "privatization" or simply an 
efficient way to get more happening on the commons and satisfy various 
members? What do you think? 

Example 1: Chickens. A group of about 10 decided they wanted to have 
chickens here. The community supplied a surplus wooden tool shed for the

coop, and a plot of common land on the central commons, where the
chicken 
group built a fenced run around the shed. The chicken club pays for the 
food and materials, cares for the hens, and gets the eggs and occasional

meat. We're all free to "enjoy" the chickens, but they are in effect a 
private club: to join you need to pay. 

When they proposed this, last spring, to get the proposal through it was

framed as a pilot/demo project, with reevaluation for feasibility as a 
budgeted community project, this fall prior to budget setting. Now it 
turns out they really want it to stay a club, and are not willing to 
discuss it. We were left with either deciding to do away with the 
chickens (which would have been foolish, as they are starting to lay now

and the project is going well) or allow them to continue for another
year 
as is. Nobody wanted 30 dead chickens on their conscience, so it passed.


Example 2: Garden. We have a sizeable deer-fenced vegetable garden on
the 
central commons. As an interim way of using it (I thought) we have had 
individual patches farmed by members for their own use or giveaway 
decisions. This year, a group of families decided to pool their patches 
and pay one member for 40 hours a month of farm work, plus they pay a 
monthly fee, like a CSA, and then get vegetables for that. Some 
additional families, who didn't have plots, have joined the paid plan. 
Could the whole community pay the farmer and get the benefits? The
farmer 
is adamant that this could never work and that he wouldn't have anything

to do with it. No discussion.

Example 3: The most private. A member household, having used all of
their 
5400 sq ft lot for their house, gardens, storage, etc, is requesting to 
put up a 10x20 Costco tent-like shelter for a workshop on the commons 
adjacent to their house. Dad is a carpenter who has wanted a shop here 
for a long time. Nominally, the shop is for their young-adult son to 
learn building skills. They say temporary, but speak of 18 months. The 
family is a mainstay of the community, and everyone wants to be 
supportive of one of our few 19-year-olds. Presented as a way of showing

support for youth here, it's hard to say no. But putting an entirely 
private, closed off, tarp building on commons feels inappropriate to me.

Does everyone now have an equal right to put on commons a greenhouse, 
bicycle shed, workshop, garage, etc? Would that be good or bad for 
community?

Those who advocate such private and semi-private use of commons see it
as 
logical, efficient, and satisfying. Much quicker and easier than group 
process: the most extreme advocates of this approach hate all meetings 
and consider group process burdensome, irksome, and ineffective. Even a 
single discussion circle and proposal at one meeting. 

Does satisfying individual needs rank high as building community? To be 
happy here, I need to do what I want, where I want, when I want? If I 
can't, you are squashing my spirit, my creativity, and the community
will 
suffer? 

In what ways have communities let individuals use the commons for
private 
or semi-private projects, and how has it affected your group?

Lynn Nadeau, RoseWind Cohousing
Port Townsend Washington (Victorian seaport, music, art, nature)
http://www.rosewind.org
http://www.ptguide.com
http://www.ptforpeace.info (very active peace movement here- see our 
photo)
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