Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Smoking Policies

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

On 23 Nov 2011, at 1:59 PM, Mabel Liang wrote:

> I found two articles on the web showing that condo associations are indeed
> instituting such bans.
> 
> http://www.boston.com/realestate/news/blogs/renow/2010/11/are_condominium.html

> Smoking is permitted in a unit, however, if it is restricted to a single room 
> that has been equipped with an association-approved, self-contained 
> air-treatment system.
> 
> http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090127/NEWS/901270307/-1/NEWSMAP

> The condominium association is debating a smoking ban for its 143 units in 
> response to complaints about secondhand smoke migrating into hallways and 
> neighbors' units in the two- and three-story buildings on Old Colony Way.

The key here is that these are buildings that quite probably have common air 
exchange systems. The buildings I'm familiar with in Manhattan are 
multi-storied and have exhausts in the bathrooms and kitchens. These common 
vents join all the units in a stack. Odors can go from one unit to the next 
when there are downdrafts (or something like that) or the odors are strong. 
They can also go through the spaces where outlets are installed in walls on 
both sides, but those are easily filled.

I had to ask a neighbor downstairs not to burn incense in his apartment because 
it came right into mine. He had no idea.

If a cohousing community used a similar design, it would also be a problem. 
These buildings were over 50 years old.

Sharon
----
Sharon Villines
Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington DC
http://www.takomavillage.org