Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re:Working with developer or using dev.consultants/possible site

[Peter Scott (ps]

Sharon Villines wrote:

> ... You need a developer. You are embarking on a multi-million dollar
> real estate project. ... As bad as a developer can be, no developer is worse.

Strong words. I guess I too have felt at times that the inherant pressures of
self development on a group are somewhat extra to the whole idea of cohousing,
ie a balance of private and public life. Self development tends to subject a
group to a very long, very intense colaberative process which Katie has refered
to in the past as the most expensive personal growth workshop of your life. (or
words to that effect).

I certainly doubt that self developed is a way to save money, as you can easily
blow the amount of the  developers profit margin on the groups learning process,
and the general discipline area of desires v budget.

Instead of a developer we ended up with quite a full complement of managers and
consultants instead of a developer. This includes:-
(a) 3 paid members liasing between consultants and the group
(b) The services of a large project management firm
    - quanity surveyor (feasibility, costings, bank drawdowns)
    - project manager, (time/program, overseer of contracts, bulldog)
(c) architect and engineer (overseeing quality)
(d) site works contractor (siteworks and oversight of whole site)
(e) building main contractor (houses)

I cant put an exact cost on these professionals time right now but the first two
are probably around 2-4% of the value of our houses in all. We certainly couldnt
have done it without them, despite the usual faults we might find.

I guess for me, in contemplating this route, youd have to really want to learn
property development, thats what it boils down to...and work together and lean
on each other closely in the process. This may help build a very strong group
(which it has in our case IMO) which can only be an asset for living together
later. I could also see the potential for it getting really messy and just plain
altogther too much work and stress.

Perhaps it depends on your definition of self empowerment, and your desire to
depart from standard construction. No developer (in my sight) would ever  have
built the houses we did (rammed earth, rain tanks, solar heating etc), and yet
we have paid for such a great "product" with a slightly higher cost (in the
short term). A developer will more likely be the champion for keeping to a tight
construction budget and quality of materials could well suffer. Over the myriad
decades i think in balance we will look back and say yep it was all worth it!

Shelly, I would suggest that if you do opt to go with the developer, then a key
thing will be the attention you pay as a group(with help) to assembling your
design brief.(program). You may also not have the luxury of the few months it
took us to do this, so start asap. With regard the groups bond forming process,
Id suggest that there is rather more than enough working bees, research, and
promotion and marketing activities to bond any cohousing group!
--
Regards,

Peter Scott
Auckland New Zealand
Phone +64 9 832 4004 / 025 6240154
* Earthsong Eco-Neighbourhood  <http://www.ecohousing.pl.net/>
* EcoVillage Association NZ <http://www.converge.org.nz/evcnz/>


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