Oakleigh Meadow Cohousing, response
From: Lynn Dixon (ld61069gmail.com)
Date: Wed, 8 Aug 2018 18:45:17 -0700 (PDT)
On Aug 7, 2018, at 12:50 PM, T G <triciamill9 [at] gmail.com> wrote:

...Just Wow!

R
esponse to T-G:

It is unfortunate that
you believe that because we are
moving forward with the project
it
means that we "have no empathy for the existing community"
and "no understanding" of  concern about safety on the street. That is
simply untrue.
Our children and elders will be walking and riding bikes on Oakleigh, as
well as each of us. Safety is also very important to each of us. And, we
have no desire to be in conflict with neighbors.

I have spoken one-on-one to various neighbors who share your concern, who
didn't want to hear my compassionate response unless it included a plan to
change the design of the development entirely to something that our members
- 1 - could not afford, nor -2- feel comfortable maintaining on our own as
a smaller group.

I understand that hearing from other people who were opposed to having a
denser development on their street (a cohousing project) where there had
been only single family homes, who ended up being glad to have the
development as neighbors later, doesn't feel helpful to hear. But I would
never have continued with the project if I had not been in touch members
and neighbors in other cohousing communities who shared that fact with me
repeatedly, very early on. Many expressed the importance in having 24-32
households for a strong, healthy community that can maintain their own
property, while avoiding some of the social difficulties that can come up
in smaller groups. And all described difficulty with some level of
opposition, that in the end disappeared to be replaced with appreciation.
I don't share those things to be dismissive of anyone's concerns. I share
them because those are the facts that I discovered in my research very
early on in the project.

I have been told by more than one person who is opposed to the project that
although they know it will get built, they had to fight it however they
could. I get it. And if it was more than technical errors on the part of
the City (notification mailing errors), something legally wrong with the
plans themselves, it might make sense that it has been tied up so long.
Instead, the very negative feelings some people have have been needlessly
drawn out for years, for the most part- due to mailing address errors .

Just think - it could have been limited to 2 years of legal process with
hard feelings, been built, and we could be 3 years into solutions. Instead,
we've got 6 years of being stuck here due to mailing errors, which I do not
believe is what anyone was truly worried about. Again, I'm not trying to be
dismissive of feelings of opposition or concern. Just wondering how helpful
it has been to drag it out so long, when it will be built in the end. Does
that make it safer? Better?

Thanks to all who contributed to the conversation!  Tricia- you are welcome
to reach out directly to OMC with further questions or concerns, but I
don't have more to add to this thread right now.

Lynn Dixon


On Aug 7, 2018, at 12:50 PM, T G <triciamill9 [at] gmail.com> wrote:

Wow!!! This whole thread is quite astounding. Not a single person has been
able to have any empathy for the concerns of the existing community.
Cohousing communities choose to have parking on their perimeter because
they want a car free community where their children can cross the street to
a neighbors safely, not have the noise of cars pasing by their front porch,
etc. YET you are all unable to understand that the existing neighbors are
concerned about the additional traffic that will come with 28 new homes at
the end of their street??

I have read numerous public comments from this group and none of them
voiced any concern that this was a cohousing community. The exact opposite,
in fact. Many stated their initial excitement at this happening.

I thought I was interested in cohousing, but the total lack of any empathy
towards others has turned me away.

I will seek other more accepting forms of community. In addition. People
may want to look up the origin of the word NIMBY before throwing it around
as an insult.

Just Wow!
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