Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Consensus in cohousing

[Fred H Olson (fholson]

 "Laura Fitch, A.I.A." <lfitch [at] krausfitch.com>
is the author of the message below. 
It was posted by Fred the Cohousing-L list manager <fholson [at] cohousing.org> 
because the message included HTML ;      PLEASE do not post HTML, see
   http://csf.colorado.edu/cohousing/2001/msg01672.html  and
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Pioneer Valley Cohousing (nine years old) still uses consensus for major 
decisions.  

Becky Schaller wrote:

>I wrote this message on Monday and today is Wednesday and I haven't heard
>anyone give a direct answer to my question.   So I'm interpreting that to
>mean that no one who is a  member of an older community  (people living in
>the community for five or more years) still use consensus for major
>decisions.  
>
>>
>>
>>I'd like to know how decision making within cohousing communities has
>>evolved as people in the communities become more settled.
>>
It has evolved.  We have less community meetings (every other month - 
non in the summer).  More is decided by committees based on interests 
(kitchen committee, landscape committee, etc.) and we use a decision 
board and email  quite a bit.  We are expected to use consensus within 
the committeee structure.  Committees are expected to inform the larger 
community if decision seems important enough.  If it is then questioned, 
it will go to whole community for consensus.  Basically after 9 years we 
have built a lot of trust which makes consensus pretty easy.  We 
certainly have questioned it at times, and used it poorly - but I think 
most of us think it has served us well and would not abandon it at this 
point.

>>
>>
>>When you answer, would you also say how many households are in your
>>community.  
>>

32

>>I'm wondering if the size of the community also has something to
>>do with this.
>>
I think we would feel like a big condo complex if we didn't have self 
management and consensus.

>>
>>
>>
>>Thanks,
>>Becky Schaller
>>Sonora Cohousing
>>Tucson, Arizona
>>
>
>
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-- 
Laura Fitch, A.I.A.
Principal Architect

KRAUS-FITCH ARCHITECTS, INC.
110 Pulpit Hill Rd.
Amherst, MA  01002
413-549-5799
413-549-7918 (fax)

lfitch [at] krausfitch.com




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