Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Reducing parking spaces

[R Philip Dowds (rpdowds]

Minimum number of parking spaces per unit is usually controlled by local 
zoning; typically, no law sets a maximum (ceiling). Meanwhile, most HOA or 
condo enabling legislation requires that the unit deed be very clear about 
rights and amenities come with the purchase of unit.  Typically, a unit owner 
will be promised one deeded space.

At Cornerstone, a funky urban location, each unit deed promises one on-site 
parking space ... But does not say where.  Our two common off-street lots are 
peculiar shapes, and it's not easy to say how many parking spaces there are, 
really -- but on the whole, we probably have 3 less spaces than units.  This 
works out OK, because we have some non-driving seniors and other non-car-owning 
residents -- and because there is plenty of on-street parking.

Be forewarned (as I am sure you are) that the American nuclear family tends to 
own two cars, especially in non-urban locations.  No matter what your cohousing 
philosophy and rules are, this will be hard to change.  We now live in a 
country where there are more registered passenger vehicles than there are 
licensed drivers.

RPD

Sent from my iPad

On Jun 19, 2013, at 2:13 PM, Doug Hanvey <hanvey [at] gmail.com> wrote:

> 
> Our forming community would like to minimize the number of parking spaces
> per unit.  We've been thinking of ways to discourage on-site parking (we
> live in a bike-friendly town near a bus stop). One idea was to charge
> residents for the use of parking spaces. Does anyone have any experience
> with this, or suggestions for other unique ways of reducing/discouraging
> car use, and thus minimizing the need for parking spaces?
> 
> 
> 
> Doug Hanvey
> 
> Bloomington Cohousing
> 
> Bloomington, Indiana
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