Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Philadelphia Co-Housing

[Blaise J. Tobia (tobiabj]

Greetings to the CoHousing-L group. I have been a reader of this
fascinating online correspondence for more than a year, but this is my
first post. (Although I did directly mail Fred Olson to let him know how
much I have appreciated his efforts.)
 
I have been interested in CoHousing for many years--ever since coming
across the first edition of the book not too long after its
publication--both theoretically as an important social development and
concretely as a desirable living arrangement for myself and my wife. I
have posted calls for other interested parties in the Philadelphia area on
various electronic and non-electronic bulletin boards, without too much
response, and have also held many informational sessions at my church,
which has a progressive membership that might be interested in an
intentional-community project.
 
Almost incidentally, I eventually discovered a group that had been in
formation for over a year--the Cherokee Homeowners Association--that was
planning to build 25 homes and convert a stone barn on a wonderful nearly
10-acre site on Cherokee Ave., next to Philadelphia's Cresheim Creek, and
had decided that its project was indeed CoHousing, even though they had
begun the process before discovering the CoHousing movement.
Unfortunately, the site was withdrawn from sale. This was a strong blow to
the group, but a number decided to stay together to search for an
alternate site. It became quickly apparent that the surviving group was
about equally divided into two factions--one which wanted to stay with the
idea of a large, open site that could be designed and built, even if this
meant moving a considerable distance from the "home" neighborhood of most
of the members (Mt. Airy/Germantown--a neighborhood which is progressive,
integrated, and home to a great food co-op), and another that preferred
identifying a site consisting of existing structures in the Mt.
Airy/Germantown area--a plan that would have the additional benefits of
greater completion speed and much greater affordability.
 
In order to preserve the overall group in the face of this division, the
decision was made that "Cherokee Homeowners Association" would become an
umbrella group for the Philadelphia area, promoting CoHousing in general
and sponsoring and providing support to specific site-development groups.
Thus, we who are interested in an existing-structures project in Mt.
Airy/Germantown have become the first site-development group within C.H.A.
(which may change the meaning of its acronym to "CoHousing Association"
now that the original reason for its name is gone!). We have identified a
wonderful potential site currently on the market, consisting of several
large houses and outbuildings around a central garden area. It is already
divided into numerous apartments--although there might have to be some
reconfiguring for larger apartments for large families--and everything is
in top shape.
 
We are hoping as well that a new-construction site in upper
Roxborough/Shawmont will be getting underway soon, and we have recently
informally linked up with a group seeking to do a project in Lambertville,
NJ (on the Delaware River directly opposite New Hope, PA).
 
If anyone is interested in further information about any of these three
potential projects, please e-mail me directly (remember not to just
"respond" to this post!) or call or write.
 
Blaise Tobia
tobiabj [at] dunx1.ocs.drexel.edu
home phone: 215-387-9706
home address: 3410 Baring/Philadelphia PA 19104