Re: thought needed on zoning problem | <– Date –> <– Thread –> |
From: Jeff Zucker (jeffreyzcableone.net) | |
Date: Sun, 5 May 2002 18:14:02 -0600 (MDT) |
Jill Robinson wrote: > The Greenfield, MA cohousing project was instigated in part to preserve > an > historic farm from commercial development. There is a big movement > afoot in the town to rezone this farm from rural residential to > commercial in order to build an office park with some light industry. > Members of the > cohousing group find themselves in the position of arguing why an office > > park, which would bring tax revenues to the town, is bad while a > cohousing community, which would drain fiscal resources from the town, > is good. > > The argument being used against our proposal is that a 'subdivision' of > residential homes costs a town roughly three times more than it brings > in > in revenues. The costs are primarily for schooling the children of the > community, but also include police & fire protection, snow plowing, etc. > > Any thoughts or countervailing arguments that cohousers have to support > our > case would be appreciated. What we've come up with so far are: > 1) Cohousing communities generally require much less in the way of > police intervention that the average neighborhood. > 2) Cohousing neighborhoods are designed to have a diverse mix of > residents' ages, from single young people through families to elders. > Because of this the number of children in the community is often less > than > that of an average subdivision. > 3) For cohousing communities here in the Pioneer Valley of Western > Massachusetts, 1/3 to 1/2 of the children attend private schools or are > home schooled. > 4) People who live in cohousing are generally very civic minded. In > the Pioneer Valley Cohousing Community in Amherst, MA, there are nine > adults presently serving on the elected Town Meeting, out of 36 > households. Many others serve on boards of directors or volunteer in > organizations. > > We are giving a public presentation to the Greenfield Town Council on > Tuesday, May 7th. Please send your comments to Tad Montgomery: > tad [at] shayset.com or at work: (413) 774-7248. > Tad, If you are able to provide a mixed use neighborhood within the current or future zoning, you may be able to not only satisfy both of the objectives mentioned above, but also provide a very rich live/work environment for the residents. Jeffrey L. Zucker A.I.A. Zucker Architecture 282 Jacob Lane Prescott Az. 86303 (928) 445-8531 _______________________________________________ Cohousing-L mailing list Cohousing-L [at] cohousing.org Unsubscribe and other info: http://www.communityforum.net/mailman/listinfo/cohousing-l
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thought needed on zoning problem Jill Robinson, May 4 2002
- Re: thought needed on zoning problem Jeff Zucker, May 5 2002
- Re: thought needed on zoning problem pattymara, May 6 2002
- Re: thought needed on zoning problem Fred H Olson, May 6 2002
- Re: thought needed on zoning problem Fred H Olson, May 6 2002
- Re: thought needed on zoning problem Fred H Olson, May 7 2002
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