Cohousing-L Mailing List: retrofitting an existing neighborhood

[mrbouchez06 (mrbouchez06]

Hi
I'm not yet in a co housing situation but considering a semi-retrofit of  
quasi co housing for a neighborhood in southwest florida.  My thought is to  
encourage sharing of various resources from both an economic and  
socially-sustainable community approach.  I'm not sure that my  somewhat-aloof 
neighborhood is 
ready for such drastic change but it's worth a  try.  I'll tell them that 
socialization will prolong their lives and  that might gain me some recruits. 
 
Several areas have crossed my mind as projects to consider.  I already  
converted my front yard from the traditional cookie cutter, "stay off of my st  
augustine grass"  florida yard to a beautiful butterfly garden that invites  
people to stop and chat.  My next thought is to work on a  common  doggie play 
area, possibly in my own side yard as this is a very doggie  neighborhood.  
 
Another idea has sprung from  a present disaster I am dealing with  (the 
death of my irrigation well). It has come to mind that drilling a common  well 
for 
multiple homes to irrigate from makes more sense than everyone dealing  with 
this catastrophe when it occurs (i just replaced my pump to the tune of  1200. 
and have no idea how expensive digging deeper for water will run).   Before 
anyone gets offended at using precious water resources for lawn watering,  let 
me hasten to add that I live in southwest Florida where not keeping one's  
yard up will land you in HOA purgatory (been there/done that) and the state of  
Florida will not come to your rescue.  We have to water  the lawn so the 
approach is to find a way to be more resourceful, more  financially savvy, and 
again, build a sense of community and joint ownership of  our unintentional 
community.  
 
Has anyone out there done a "retrofitting" to some extent like the concept  
of "superbia"?
Has anyone done a common well for watering in a community?  Not  necessarily 
one large well for the whole neighborhood but several neighbors  hooking up 
off one common drilling.
Any input would be appreciated.
In the meantime, living in the land of Sunshine where it never rains though  
we wish fervently that it would.  In fact, I'm just dreaming of a wet  
Christmas even if it were snow!   And i wish that raindrops would keep  falling 
on my 
head.
Tricia



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