Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Dog Run question

[Fred H Olson (fholson]

mark harfenist <mark [at] bellinghamcohousing.org>
is the author of the message below. 
It was posted by Fred the Cohousing-L list manager <fholson [at] cohousing.org> 
because the message included an attachment (RTF) ;      

Note - a bit techy - I finally have access to a running upgraded Mailman
listserv (ver 2.14) which has the ability to filter attachments which will 
eventually eliminate be delays in posting messages with attachments til I
get them reformatted. It'll still be a while before cohousing-L is using 
the new software but it's progress. Fred
--------------------  FORWARDED MESSAGE FOLLOWS --------------------
I'll make a series of presumptions in answering your question.

Town planners are more or less required to address whatever issues you 
present to them.  Including a planned dog run on your submission 
requires them to address the issue, and naturally they don't know what 
to do, since no one has previously offered them this level of detail 
(There are dog runs all over Lawrence, right?  But this is the first 
time they've had to address the issue?).  They are telling you that 
they really don't wish to know about such things; they probably also 
don't want to know about planned gardens, play structures, maypoles, 
clotheslines, etc.  They really don't want to know (at an official 
level) about anything which might be in any way controversial, like 
improved stormwater treatment systems or great big composting bins.  
Don't force them into corners unnecessarily.

Therefore, unless there are specific land-use impacts which you feel 
the need to address at the municipal level in advance (watershed 
issues, fencing regulations, noise levels on adjacent properties), 
leave all that stuff out of your site plan submissions.  In fact, leave 
out anything which will needlessly complicate the lives of your 
planning department; they'll probably do plenty to pointlessly 
complicate things without your encouragement.  Your group can 
maintain?and consense upon?a second, more comprehensive site plan which 
includes all anticipated uses.  This will minimize surprises within 
your membership ("No one ever told me the methane digester was going to 
be right outside my bedroom window!").

I hope that's helpful.

Mark
Bellingham Cohousing

On Monday, January 5, 2004, at 09:21 AM, Casey Morrigan wrote:
>>
>> We seem to have thrown our local planning department a curve when we
>> submitted a plan for approval that includes a "Dog Run".  The city has
>> questions about approving such a structure without any specific
>> information about this as a land use category.  Does anyone out there
>> have any experience with submitting a dog run for approval?
>>
>> Rich Minder, Treasurer
>> Delaware Street Commons
>> Lawrence, KS
>> 785-550-0163
>>
>>


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