Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Need Zoning Law Expertise

[David Heimann (heimann]

Hi Phil, Melanie, and others,

	And don't forget mobile/manufactured homes, which can be anything 
from small ones on "postage stamps" to large ones on large grounds, and 
can be either rented, owner-occupied, or owner-occupied on a rental lot.

        They can be the "missing middle" Melanie mentions.

Regards,
David Heimann
Jamaica Plain Cohousing



Date: Sun, 31 Mar 2019 06:39:54 -0400
From: Philip Dowds <rphilipdowds [at] me.com>
To: Cohousing-L <cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org>
Subject: Re: [C-L]_ Need Zoning Law Expertise
Message-ID: <97415FD5-89D0-4808-9F16-FBD1A4190C2E [at] me.com>
Content-Type: text/plain;       charset=utf-8

Our topic here seems to be basic construction archetypes:
  ?  Single family homes on single family lots: The American dream.  At least 
as far back as the Homestead Act of 1862, or even the Articles of Confederation.
  ?  Apartment buildings:  Occupied by renters (I am guessing that?s in the 
definition of ?apartment?).  Maybe crammed with non-English-speaking, 
non-citizen, financially stressed parents having many kids overloading the 
local school system?  Maybe?
  ? Townhouses and row houses:  Low rise walk-up.  Each dwelling with its own 
front and back door, not accessed via a common corridor system.  More likely to 
be occupied by owners?  Tendency toward ENL owners?
  ? Not actually mentioned, but perhaps centrally important:  Condominiums.  
They sometimes look like apartment buildings, but they are occupied mostly by 
resident owners (we think).  High rise?  Not the best choice for families with 
pets, kids, and financial flexibility?

I think it?s inevitable and inescapable that we all have speculations about how 
construction archetypes connect to various cultural and socio-economic 
attributes.  But my hope is that these speculations do not render us immune to 
evidence.

Thanks,
Philip Dowds
Cornerstone Village Cohousing
Cambridge, MA

mobile: 617.460.4549
email:   rpdowds [at] comcast.net

> On Mar 29, 2019, at 12:10 PM, Melanie Mindlin <sassetta [at] mind.net> wrote:
>
> The new buzz word in housing around here is ?the missing middle?.  Most cities 
> are lacking housing that falls between single family homes and apartment 
> complexes.  Single family homes promote sprawl and the new ones are out of 
> reach financially for many people.  Many neighborhoods and many people don?t 
> want to live in apartment complexes.  Providing the missing middle is a big 
> topic in Oregon and includes strategies such as duplexes to fourplexes, 
> conversion of single family homes into multiple units, accessory dwelling 
> units, cottage housing and more.  Maybe you can use this trend to support your 
> project.
>
> Good luck,
> Melanie Mindlin