Cohousing-L Mailing List: zoning - rural clustered

[Liz Ryan Cole (lcole]

Hi.  I think the issue of zoning changes for all of us in those "rural 
residential" zones (in which 3 or 5  or 10 acre zoning is the current model) is 
one where we can help each other.  William Cerf created a separate zoning 
dicussion group but it may be better to keep this topic on this larger group. 
(William what do you think?)

In Lyme, NH we (Pinnacle Project) own 120 acres.  It is zoned rural residential 
with a 3 acre minimum, but there are other restrictions (road frontage, 
wetlands, slope, etc) that limit the MacMansions we would build (if we can't 
get the zoning permissions we want we have to protect ourselves from financial 
loss) to 7. No limits on how big each of the MacMansions could be or how many 
people live in them, so long as they have one kitchen.

We are working with a zoning consultant right now to draft some language our 
Zoning and Planning Board can bring to town meeting to allow us to build one 
Great House  (18 private condo suites - 18000 sq ft with an additional 7000 
feet of shared living space).  If anyone has any model language or can point us 
to any resources we would really appreciate it (and I am sure other cohousing 
projects would too). thanks.  liz

Liz Ryan Cole
www.PinnacleProject.info
lcole [at] vermontlaw.edu
home 802.785.4124