Cohousing-L Mailing List: cohousing equal access - equal opportunity?

[Thomas Lofft (tlofft]

  Sharon Villines wrote:

[This is something developing communities need to think carefully about. AND 
write down your reasoning so new residents will know from the outset the whys 
and what fors. Living in Cohousing has taught me why condos are designed 
identically. It's very hard to apportion unequal facilities fairly - and who 
knows what fairly is. If you put in 20 storage spots for 40 units there will 
eventually be conflict and frustration. 20 bicycle parking spots for over 40 
bicycles.

Having small units and large units promotes diversity. Unequal access to 
storage or parking is more like some units having kitchens and others not.

Design for equal access.

Sharon]
 
Aside from identical design, we have to face an unequivocal law of our being: 
the same place may never be occupied by more than one person, vehicle or 
dwelling at the same time. 
 
We often recognize that we have unequal abilities and therefore provide for 
Handicapped Access parking spaces as well as many other more expensive 
accessibility accommodations which are equally cost shared by all the other 
purchasers of the common elements. 

Otherwise, how do we apportion unequal numbers, sizes, or locations of 
facilities? Often, it is by "first invested gets first choice"---- the 
principle being recognized in this criterion is that the persons invested first 
are taking the greatest risk. Accordingly, they also may get first priority in 
selection of the unit they desire, the parking space they acquire,  or their 
choice of other limited availability or preferential choice opportunities. And 
once they have that right, they may convey it as a negotiable opportunity to 
any other party of their own choice. 
 
Tom Lofft