Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: to build fences or not to

[Steve Faber (steve]

How to summarize what seemed like days of conversation on this topic......

Our urban group never contemplated putting up fences for security reasons 
and had adverse reactions to anything that would make our little village 
appear gated.  We are located in a fairly high crime area but the density 
and increased "eyes on the street" cover some of the groups safety concerns. 
There is a compound-type condo development in our city that has high brick 
walls surrounding it, with all the units facing inward.  Just add a moat, 
and you have the best defended castle in the city.  Most of group pointed 
this compound out as something we wanted to avoid.

So the fence question became more of a discussion on internal privacy and 
screening.  There was obviously a continuum here.  Generally, I think folks 
in cohousing really value their privacy, but also realize the compromises 
they are making.  Our group eventually settled on a design that allows for 
some side-to-side screening so that people can sit outside in their 15 x 15 
backyard and not see their immediate neighbor.  (We have shared front 
porches, so people can use that route to borrow an egg)  The fences will 
decrease in height (step down) as they approach the common pathways.  We 
will not allow people to build 6 ft fences inside the development.  We will 
also be working on some social policies about where people are "off limits" 
for interaction.  Anyway, hope it helps.

Steve Faber
Newberry Place


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "suzanne hirsch" <ecohouse2001 [at] yahoo.com>
To: "Cohousing-L" <cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org>
Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2006 9:21 AM
Subject: [C-L]_ to build fences or not to


> Hello, I am part of the cohousing group in NYC. But more from a 
> psychological perspective/inquiry, I was wondering if any communities out 
> there have dealt with the question of whether or not to build fences 
> within and around Cohousing communities, and if folks can expound on deas 
> for, against, or somewhere in between on that matter.
>
>  Suzanne Hirsch
>
>
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