Cohousing-L Mailing List: RE: Density vs. privacy

[Rob Sandelin (Exchange) (Robsan]

Sharingwood Lot development model:

*How many units do you have on how many acres?=20
17 units on 9 acres currently. Another 12 planned for 5 acres(phase 2)

*How close are the houses to each-other?
Varies from 15 feet to 30 feet or so. I have never actually measured.

*How far is it from the farthest unit to the common house?

The furthest of the planned phase 2 units will be about 400 ft?  Again I =
am sort of guessing without actually measured.

*What is the greatest distance between your two furthest-from-each-other
houses?
About 600 feet.

*Do you have porches and are they used for socializing? (or for =
storage!?)
Many houses have porches but not all.  Those that are Covered get used =
more for socializing than those that don't.

*Do you suffer from too much community and wish for more privacy?  or
*Do you have too much privacy and wish you were closer together?

I find the community vs privacy mix to be just about right for me.  When =
I want more community I go out front, when I want less I stay inside or =
go out back. My family sometimes does not attend community dinner and =
eats at home in order to have more family time.

*Do you have a range of options for people that want to be close in in =
the
middle of things, and some units more private?

Well, kind of.  Some houses are right next to the commons and others are =
not, however folks choose their lots before we all agreed where the =
commonhouse would go and so to some degree, those who choose lots and =
built houses close to the commonhouse have little choice about being in =
the middle of things.

*If so, is that a problem?

Its never been discussed or come up in any conversations I have been =
part of.  Of course its a major problem now because the commonhouse is =
under construction and so those who live closest bear the greatest =
amount of construction disruption.

Rob Sandelin
Sharingwood