Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Common House Bang for Buck

[Peter Scott (ps]

re:

> ... I'm wondering whether anyone's done any study on the financial impact of a
> common house.  Often it's presented as an inexpensive way to have an evening
> meal....
>
> ... Any accountants out there who have worked out cost/benefit stuff for
> common house features?

IMO the classic problems with Cost Benefit Analysis would apply here:  ie: many
positive externalities,  many difficult to measure qualitative benefits, many
long term beneifits basically negated by high discount rates etc.

> Has anyone considered or done a cohousing/commercial partnership with a
> restaurant?...

I do agree the space needs to be well utelised. Has anyone come to arrangements
with residents to lease common spaces during day / quiet periods? Some kind of
small catering / cottage industries comes to mind. Would planning restrictions
be related to landuse generally (in which case they are lightening up a bit
generally, with the onset of 'mixed use compact cities' ), or more to do with
fire / safety / access etc?

--
Peter Scott
Waitakere Eco-Neighbourhood Cohousing Project
Auckland New Zealand
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WENCP website <http://www.energywise.co.nz/cohouse/cohouse.html>
EcoVillage and Cohousing Assoc of NZ <http://www.converge.org.nz/evcnz/>