Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: RE: Coho & LIFESTYLE CHANGES--> Sustainability?

[Rob Sandelin (robsan]

>I'd suggest lifestyle changes to make your site more sustainable.  How about
>if some of the homes are remodeled or added on to have apartments attached so
>that those mortgage payments would be split among more incomes.  They could
>be rented to folks who have similar talents and skills or ones that
>complement what homeowners do, so that you have a mini-village among those
>gorgeous trees at Sharingwood.

1. Its illegal to turn a single family residence into a multi-family 
residence in our zoning area.  Of  course, that hasn't stopped some of 
the homeowners here from doing that. But it points out that we are 
zoned for single family residences and to legally have apartments we 
would have to change the zoning.
2.  It is  really expensive to remodel a house and add things like 
kitchens and bathrooms if the house wasn't designed with that in mind.  
Again, if you are going to do this legally you have to have a building 
permit, and meet building codes.
3. There are population concerns so we limit the number of renters to 
25% of the total owners population.

Lifestyle changes are possible ways to become more sustainable.  
Gardening to raise more food is a lifestyle change.  But, if no one is 
interested in doing all the work a community garden entails, then that 
doesn't happen.  When you have a day job for 9 or 10 hours(required to 
pay the mortgage), community responsibilities(meetings and community 
dinner plus work parties on weekends)  and family responsibilities, 
getting people to commit more time into "sustainable lifestyle" options 
is pretty hard to do.

The trouble with working is that it is so time consuming.  The trouble 
with Cohousing is it is so time consuming.  The trouble with kids and 
family is that they are so time consuming.  So when do we have time for 
a community garden?  Fact is we don't and thus we don't have one.  Yet. 
 Maybe someday.

Rob Sandelin
Sharingwood