Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: NIMBY opposition

[Liz (liz]

On Jan 11, 2007, at 11:02 AM, Fred H Olson wrote:
> Congratulations Catya and Mosaic.  BTW could you explain the two  
> names:
> Mosaic Commons and Camelot Cohousing is one a former name or do  
> they refer
> to different aspects or something?
>
> Do you suppose someone (You Catya?) could write up a detailed  
> summary of
> your NIMBY (?) experience and what you did that seemed to work /  
> not work
> in over coming this problem.

I do think that some of us at Mosaic would like to write up what  
happened. Some of what we'll need to do is FIGURE OUT what happened-- 
we pretty much thought we were not going to hear such great news last  
night. (I woke up several times convinced I had made it all up!)

I will say that part of what succeeded, I suspect, is that we did not  
take on the Nimby's directly, but rather kept focusing on what was  
best for the town. Finishing with the final appeals and figuring out  
exactly what the dynamics were that affected the new turn of events  
will take some time.

On the names question: Camelot Cohousing and Mosaic Commons cohousing  
are two independent cohousing groups which bought land in Berlin, MA  
together. We are building two separate, but complementary and  
cooperating, communities, just a short walk from one another, on a  
small part of a 60+ acre lot.
We applied for a single comprehensive permit under the name Sawyer  
Hill. Each community has 3 members that sit on the Sawyer Hill board  
and make decisions about our common interests.

-Liz
(The Rev.) Elizabeth M. Magill
Mosaic Commons
Cautiously waiting for abutters to react in Berlin, MA.