Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Google Maps

[Tim Mensch (tim-coho-l]

Sharon Villines wrote:
> I wonder if anyone has tried using Google Maps to look for property  
> for cohousing?
>   
I have--or at least Google Earth. :)

Problem is the photos can be 7+ years out of date, so if you're looking 
in a hot area--like Boulder, CO--what looks like a vacant lot may 
actually be completely built up by now. Alternately, the land you find 
may be a park, or a detention pond, or otherwise zoned incorrectly--so 
it can lead on a lot of whild goose chases.

Google Earth gives you the ability to measure dimensions of plots of 
land, among other things, so plots that are too small I can reject out 
of hand. One still needs to look up the actual zoning and owner and 
other relevant details, but you can at least get leads that way.

Tim

--
Tim Mensch

Currently at Wild Sage (Boulder, CO): http://www.wildsagecohousing.org

Founding member of Tumblerock, a Boulder, CO area community in its forming 
stages: http://tumblerock.org