Cohousing-L Mailing List: Fwd: Quick question

[Allison tom (allison.tom]

> Hello all,
> 
> Some weeks ago I wrote asking for comments and experiences about working
> with and without experienced project managers in developing a community and
> going through the stages of land search & purchase, design, construction and
> community building.
> 
> I received a number of comments to the tune of "this doesn't exist in one
> person/organization."  Thus I was able to learn just how unusual the
> services offered to our community are.  I also heard from a good number of
> people urging us to work with the most experienced consultants we could
> find.
> 
> Elizabeth Magill's wonderfully-worded email gave me a delightful snippet for
> the introduction of my report to my group, and really helped my group think
> carefully about all the things we didn't know! "Professionals know the stuff
> that we don't even know that we don't know." (Thanks for this!)
> 
> Others helped me realize the importance of careful and thorough due
> diligence.  
> 
> I conducted a brief research project gathering information about other
> communities' experiences working with our consultant and with members of
> another Vancouver community that did not work with our consultant.  Your
> comments helped me formulate my interview questions and gave me a great
> background for asking about & understanding the whole process.  
> 
> I'm pleased to say that we learned such positive things about our consultant
> that our community was able to move easily and unanimously to agreeing to a
> services contact with Ronaye Matthew and her company CDC Canadian Cohousing
> Development consulting .  She will be providing assistance with community 
> building, land search & purchase, construction supervision and support and 
> move-in
> services.  We feel very lucky to have such deep and complete experience to
> guide us as we move forward with our process.

> http://www.cohousingconsulting.ca/about.html
> 
> We now have 20 committed equity households and are on a roll!  
> 
> So, these services do exist, even if they are rare. And, it's well well worth 
> the time and effort to conduct your own careful research on the history of 
> any professional you are contemplating working with.
> 
> Thanks again for your help,
> 
> Allison Tom
> Little Mountain Cohousing
> www.littlemountaincohousing.ca 
> 
> 
>