Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Daytime use of the Common House

[Zukrow (Zukrow]

John Major asked about daytime use of the Common House during week-days and
the possibility of it being used by a family to home school their kids, thus
avoiding adding on to their own unit.

Here at Valley Oaks Village (Chico, CA)  we have been moved in for 4-10
months and  our common house has been completed for about 6 months.  So we're
still getting organized and things are still evolving.  Although the common
house is not used as much during week-days, it is still used.  We have a
cooperative day care system in use here and the kids are in & out of the
Common House all day.  They mostly use the kids room, but also other parts.
 We have committee and task force meetings, as well as occasional meetings of
other groups in the common house during the day.  Anyone who lives here can
sign up to use the space for meetings provided they are present at all times,
take responsibility for their guests, and don't advertise the event.  Cooks
generally start cooking at about 3pm, but people have done prep work
throughout the day or the night before.

I'd say having one family use the common house regularly for home schooling
would be practical only if it didn't preclude others from using it as well.
 Will there be multiple rooms, so that they could use just one?  I think it's
very important for all community members to feel comfortable being in the
common house at any time.

Monica Zukrow
Valley Oaks Village, Chico CA
(Probably many of you have never heard of us since I think I am currently our
only subscriber & I am mostly a lurker.  We are 100 miles north of Sacramento
with 28 homes on 5 acres.  We have 2 homes still for sale, as well as 2 lots.
 Chico is a wonderful college town and our community is 1/2 block from the
second largest municipal park in the US.  For those of you in the East, we've
had spring for weeks already.  It's sunny & in the mid-60's, and all the
almond trees are in blossom.)