Cohousing-L Mailing List: common storage

[Judy (BAXTER%EPIHUB]

I've been asked to ask more about storage.  We are wondering how other groups
have dealt with common storage space for non-kitchen items.  This would include
at least:  dollies, ladders, snow and lawn care equipment, various tools (i.e.
wheelbarrow, rakes, extra tables and chairs, lawn chairs, building supplies,
paint, lightbulbs, toilet paper...   

Right now, we have 3 old very leaky garages with some of this stuff, which we
will tear down, and no private garages.  Our new townhouses will have private
tuck-under garages, and the group may rent 1 or more, at least that might be an
option, but there is also high demand for renting such covered parking from the
residents of our "mansion" ( you must realize that it's really nice after 2
feet of snow to not have to dig out your car).  

So the question is, especially for you cold climate cohousers, what kind of
common storage is needed on a per household bases.  

As I write this, I think - another question - how much of that stuff is it
reasonable to plan to store in individual garages  ( I E rob stores the ladder,
david stores the rakes, nancy stores the lawn chairs, etc).  

By the way, - my carpet is in - doesn't seem too stinky, and it's beautiful. 
My neighbor said last night,  " it used to look like you lived in a basement,
now it looks like a penthouse".  I take that to be the impact of the speckley,
off-white, quite light carpet, since I have only 1 window ( and two, high up,
skylights) in the living room.  We'll see how it goes.  If you saw slides of my
space at the conference, it looks different now!

Judy Baxter, Monterey Cohousing Community, (MoCoCo)
Twin Cities Area, Minneapolis/St.Paul Minnesota
e-mail: baxter [at] epivax.epi.umn.edu