Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Need help - zoning

[Ann Zabaldo (zabaldo]

Hello Ty!

I'm very interested in what you're doing to come up with the Cohousing zoning 
ordnance.

Cohousing is transparent legally and financially as either a condominium, a 
homeowners association or a co-op. We have not found it necessary to come up 
with a customized zoning ordinance just for Cohousing. 

Although I'm sure there are a few areas in which a Cohousing ordinance would be 
useful for instance,  in the designation of the common house and kitchen which 
sometimes causes problems because the fire marshal wants it to be a commercial 
building. This subjects the kitchen to all kinds of inspections and 
requirements that go beyond the pale of what Cohousing uses this facility for.  
I'm sure other people could come up with a few other places where Cohousing 
doesn't quite fit the current zoning ordinances. But I think that they are not 
so great. And I'm wondering if The time and effort to write and get approval on 
a Cohousing ordinance is worth the process? 

I know that liberty Village Cohousing in Frederick County Maryland had a zoning 
ordinance written and approved and on the books and it was later rescinded by 
the next conservative board of supervisors. 

The real issue is making financing for development easier. And if getting a 
zoning ordinance will do that for you (and all of us) then that's a good 
reason. But we never had problems getting financing here in the Washington DC 
area as we are to financing institutions "just a condo."

So I'm very interested in how your Cohousing ordinance would be different than 
the multifamily zoning ordinances that are already on the books in  practically 
every other county in the US?

Good luck with what you're doing. I'm sure all is on this list are eagerly 
awaitIng to help and to see how this initiative turns out for you. 

Ann Zabaldo
Takomavillage Cohousing
Washington DC

Sent from my iPhone
All typos ... curtesy of Siri  :-)

> On Mar 21, 2017, at 11:45 AM, Ty Albright <tmalbright [at] verizon.net> wrote:
> 
> 
> Hey Cohousers - can you tell me:
> 
> 
> 
> 1). I need actual examples of what zoning (land use) designations other
> municipalities / cities have used to allow cohousing.
> 
> 2). Do you have suggested language to describe the zoning land-use that
> would allow cohousing - but also be broad in scope to allow cohousing like
> developments?
> 
> 
> 
> I'm working with the City of Denton Texas on a tiny house village for
> homeless veterans - we have explained to them the benefits of cohousing and
> how we plan to use "cohousing like" strategies for design and resident
> formation - the city is supportive and has offered to develop for approval a
> new "Cohousing" land use designation.  If this is successful it could be a
> home run for cohousing elsewhere - people could point to Denton Texas as an
> example where municipalities are recognizing cohousing.
> 
> 
> 
> The lead for the land use / zoning group is preparing a proposal for city
> approval - and has asked for help to identify what other municipalities /
> locations have done.
> 
> 
> 
> If you can share any feedback / actual examples that would be much
> appreciated - thanks
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Ty
> 
> Ty Albright Project Management
> Little Red Hen LLC
> 214-336-7952
> <mailto:tmalbright [at] verizon.net> tmalbright [at] verizon.net
> <http://www.linkedin.com/in/tmalbright> www.linkedin.com/in/tmalbright
> 
> 
> 
> _________________________________________________________________
> Cohousing-L mailing list -- Unsubscribe, archives and other info at:
> http://www.cohousing.org/cohousing-L/
> 
>