Cohousing-L Mailing List: RE: Neighborhood Outreach

[Rob Sandelin (robsan]

Dan Ardoin
Grell CoHousing Group asked:
> Our question for the list is:
>What are some successful and unsuccessful attempts at diffusing negative
>neighborhood reactions prior to building?

At Sharingwood, before the rezone hearing (actually right after the 
rezone signs went up) Shirley, a wonderful, grey haired elder matron, 
went door to door to all of the local neighbors and explained in person 
what was happening.  Took her two weekends to find everyone, she left 
nice neighborly notes on the doors of those who she didn't reach the 
first time and many of them called her.

Perhaps due to the fact she was reminscent of their mothers, even the 
most hard nosed, rednecked, flea bitten asshole country boys which we 
have for neighbors said thank you maam and didn't bother us.  Many 
years later now, some of these folks still think we are a little weird 
and suspicious, but they seem to acknowlege that we are mostly good 
folks doing neighborly things.  The more we have gotten involved in 
local meetings, the schools, etc. the stronger our relationships become.

We have made a successful effort, through our summer open houses, to 
explain to folks that we are not wild-eyed communists, simply folks who 
want to live in a more neighborly way, working together cooperatively 
and helping each other out.  In some sense, WE defined ourselves early 
enough so that the neighbors didn't really get a chance to define us 
first.  If the neighbors are left to speculate, they will not know 
anything, and make up all kinds of weird and untrue things about you, 
which will be hard to erase.  The best strategy is to define cohousing 
in positive terms, early and run it much like a publicity campaign, 
with easy to understand slogans, a simple terms and ideas which even 
6th graders can understand.

Rob Sandelin
Sharingwood