Cohousing-L Mailing List: Zoning patterns

[Joyce Thompson (revjat]

Cohousing colleagues, we need help!

We are Placitas Sage, a developing senior cohousing community in Placitas,
New Mexico.  Placitas is a rural/suburban unincorporated area 10 miles
north of Albuquerque and about 40 miles south of Santa Fe.  We have found a
wonderful 11.8 acre site in the foothills of the Sandia mountains and
planned to build 20 800-1200 sq.ft. units, but we have just learned the
county zoning board is treating us like a *subdivision* and limiting us to
only 11 housing units -- restricted to 1 house per acre, like most of the
rest of the area.  That number is too small, both for community and for
financial purposes, for our community.

Have any of you persuaded a zoning board in a *rural* area to change the
zoning for cohousing from a subdivision, allowing more dense clusters of
housing units (condos/casitas) along with a common house and shared
land/garden, etc.?

Unlike urban areas, our water will come from wells, and septic systems will
handle sewage.   This seems to be an unusual model for cohousing.  Have any
of you created cohousing in a rural area with these kinds of systems?

We have a good group of committed people, but we face many challenges,
especially zoning and water supply issues, before we can proceed.  Any
suggestions you can offer will be most appreciated

Peace, Joyce Thompson
Placitas Sage Cohousing