Cohousing-L Mailing List: Cohousing in Santa Barbara...NOT! (yet)

[Gary D. Shapiro (garyes]

O wise ones of Cohousing-L:

I am the email contact for the mythological "Cohousing Santa Barbara" group.

People email me from time to time wanting to know what's happening here, or 
wanting to know if there are any units available. Usually I answer them a week 
or two later, saying that nothing is happening, but as soon as something does, 
I'll let them know about it. In the meantime, I've gathered quite a collection 
of email addresses, and a few phone numbers. 

But apparently this is not enough to make Cohousing happen in Santa Barbara.

Here are some issues:

1. I'm not volunteering to be (part of) the main driving force to make 
Cohousing happen here. No one else has, either, but then again no one has been 
asked to be such a force.

2. Real estate costs here are obscene.

3. Suitable sites for building are scarce.

4. Some think a group should get together and decide it wants to live in real 
community, then go out and make it happen. Others think a small group should 
find a site, then get people who are serious together and start a group then.

5. Retrofit vs. new development. 

6. What should I do?

a) start a local email discussion list, get everybody who's inquired via email 
on it, and say "Discuss amongst yourselves."

b) email everybody on the list and ask who wants to drive this thing

c) email everybody on the list and convene a meeting.

d) punt


Please reply to the list. Thank you and hugs.

--
Gary D. Shapiro   garyes [at] iname.com -- permanent but sometimes flakey
                  garyes [at] home.com -- subject to change without notice