Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re:Supreme Court Decision

[Buzz Burrell (72253.2101]

Mike asked:

> ... the part about the Supreme Court decision --
>do you have any more info about the zoning law decision - re group homes?
>This case  could be of high interest to communities and coop folks
>nationwide.

When I saw a little blurb that the Supreme Court struck down a local ordinance
prohibiting group homes, my ears pricked up just as Mike's did.  So I tracked it
down - turns out, this ONLY applies to official Group Homes, meaning state
supported retirement or DD homes.  It does not apply to us (most of us anyway).

In case you are wondering what we are talking about - there is an outrageously
difficult law in many places, such as this one, that prohibits more than 3
unrelated adults from living in any dwelling unit.  Really.  That means if two
couples, who don't happen to be married, buy a house together, it is illegal for
them to live in it.  They do enforce it here.  Needless to say, this little
ordinance, passed in progressive, liberal, politically correct Boulder,
Colorado, is the direct antithesis of the housing goals of affordability,
community, light living, and low impact.

I think it's the reaction to regulations like this that swept the Republicans
into office (but that's a rant for another time).

As an added example, while I and I presume most everyone certainly appreciated
and agreed with Mike's comments  <<... But if people used composting toilets,
recycled grey water into gardens and had no bluegrass lawns, an extended family
could/would use less water ...>>  I must point out those things are also
illegal.  Composting toliets - possible.  Dump the water from your bathtub into
the garden?  Not in Colorado;  greywater cannot go above ground.  (I should tell
Rush Limbaugh about this and see what he does with it ... ;-)   If you put a
bucket under your drainspout and collect rainwater off your roof, that is also
illegal in Colorado.

On that cheery note, I also observe that some people are doing these things
anyway, others are working to change the laws, the Times They Are A Changin',
and it has finally gotten warm and sunny here.

Buzz Burrell
Boulder