Cohousing-L Mailing List: Motels and Cohousing

[Mmariner (Mmariner]

King Collins said:

>Some of us have pondered the idea of buying a old motel (I think of a
>typical layout with the oval drive) and transforming it while living in
>some of the units. I really like the idea of "modular units."



Some cohousers (in Arcata, CA, right?) *are* converting a truckstop or a
motel or something and already renovated the main building. How's my memory?
 Hope those folks reply to Kings' post. 

BTW, a few of us in Boulder entertained converting an apartment court which
had been a motel many years ago.  The conversion scenario was to combine two
or three tiny units, then add a story above the existing units.  Never
happened, but an interesting exercise in creative thinking.  The luscious
location prompted us to consider it.  The land costs deterred us.

The challenge of converting almost any existing structure to cohousing can
stimulate the imagination.  I highly recommend it for the benefit of the
planet as well as an exercise for human ingenuity.  

Personally, I *would* seriously consider converting a motel.  A few ideas
checking into my wayward mind:

-  Perhaps motels in small towns bypassed by an interstate would be
inexpensive and farther away from the highway noise.  

-  With a typical motel on a typical motor slum boulevard, you'd probably
want to purchase adjacent property  to control what kind of neighbors you'd
have.  Also, if the motel buildings were built up against the property lines,
you'd want land behind them to use for parking outside the typical oval or
"U" shape.

-  Some motel offices might make a good common house starter.  Close to ideal
if there was a restaurant included!

-  You could remodel the motel one wing at a time.  Cohousers could live
temporarily in the wings not under construction.

-  The front part of the motel might be used for office/commercial space --
where the traffic noise wouldn't be so intrusive.

Gee, sounds great, let's do it.  Trouble is the motel business is too
lucrative here in Boulder, CO.  Have to check out other places in the
vicinity.  Out on the eastern plains they'd be cheap, I'll bet.

Mike M