Re: Zoning codes and cohousing | <– Date –> <– Thread –> |
From: R Philip Dowds (rpdowdscomcast.net) | |
Date: Wed, 28 Sep 2016 08:26:03 -0700 (PDT) |
Conventional zoning is focused chiefly on architectural attributes and land use. Cohousing is a residential land use characterized by lifestyle, not by architecture. The big problem is that many communities strongly favor single family housing — that is, one dwelling unit on one “lot” bounded by an imaginary line recorded at the registry of deeds. It’s usually much harder to find affordable land zoned for multi-family housing built in a duplex, row house or apartment format, and “owned” pursuant to condominium law. But and however, if your jurisdiction allows for condominium ownership, and you can find land zoned for multi-family at a suitable density, you can usually build cohousing. In most cases, no regulation prevents a condo association from co-owning and co-managing a common pool, playground, putting green or clubhouse. The clubhouse can certainly include all kinds of amenities like a child’s play room, or community kitchen and multi-purpose room. “High end” condo communities celebrate these features in their marketing programs. Once you build your row houses with a clubhouse, or your garden apartments with a community room, your jurisdiction should be taking very little interest in how you live your life with your friends and neighbors. Yes? Or, do I over-simplify … ? Thanks, Philip Dowds Cornerstone Village Cohousing Cambridge, MA > On Sep 28, 2016, at 10:05 AM, Sharon Villines <sharon [at] > sharonvillines.com> wrote: > > > >> On Sep 28, 2016, at 7:05 AM, Fred-List manager <fholson [at] cohousing.org> >> wrote: >> >> I recall seeing some zoning codes for 2 municipalities somewhere about >> cohousing. I would like to find them again. They might have been on >> here. Does anyone recall these? I am involved in a 10 year zoning >> re-write for my city and volunteered to get these to a decision >> maker. > > I Googled "cohousing zoning ordinance.” Brings up 17,400 results including > messages to this list and documents on the cohousing.org site. Very > interesting topics. > > “sample zoning ordinances” gets many results. I included two below that will > give you language and definitions. They will also help you talk to zoning > officials and sound knowledgable. > > Many code examples: > http://www.generalcode.com/codification/sample-legislation > > PDF on how to write a zoning ordinance > http://www.planningandlaw.com/uploads/How_to_Write_a_Zoning_Ordinance.pdf > > Wikipedia and Google are my first stops in researching (most) topics. > > Sharon > ---- > Sharon Villines > Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington DC > http://www.takomavillage.org > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > Cohousing-L mailing list -- Unsubscribe, archives and other info at: > http://www.cohousing.org/cohousing-L/ > >
-
Zoning codes and cohousing Fred-List manager, September 28 2016
-
Re: Zoning codes and cohousing Sharon Villines, September 28 2016
- Re: Zoning codes and cohousing R Philip Dowds, September 28 2016
-
Re: Zoning codes and cohousing Sharon Villines, September 28 2016
Results generated by Tiger Technologies Web hosting using MHonArc.