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Forming Formed: 2004

Friends and Neighbors

San Francisco, California,

United States

(Prefer a neighborhood with nearby stores, restaurants, cafes, etc.)

San Lorenzo Valley (Brookdale, Ben Lomond, etc.), California,

United States

Portland, Oregon,

United States

(Neighboring houses in town, or planned co-housing)

Basically, the purpose of this group is to live better than we could otherwise, by creating two-plus minimally-coercive “shared neighborhoods,” where we can share company, common areas and resources, and whatever else we may wish too, without being FORCED to share in anything beyond co-ownership, co-management, and commitment to making the interpersonal environment continue to prosper...one person’s fantasy. (This will change as we all co-create the plan to get maximum overlap among our dreams.)

This is to be a group friendly to families and singles, couples, and moresomes, structured formally to include renters, visitors, and owners, and focused on getting the most out of life: extended family; shared child and adult education; shared businesses; non-coercive opportunities for shared meals, parties, and other events; building houses we each dream of (or building towards a future when we'll be financially able to); loud-and-late parties and performances (albeit probably limited to one or two pre-arranged times a month or so, unless we have a separate soundproof place for them), quiet campfire conversations, and general cooperative community with a bunch of other successful, growing good communicators.

Several people have called, hoping that I might 1) have a going concern that they might join, or 2) know of other such possibilities in or near San Francisco. I must unfortunately say that neither of these is yet the case. The real purpose of this listing, which I should have made more explicit, is to gather some people who might together decide to go through the WORK of making this happen (particularly those with resources to contribute—this is not something that will happen through me without some collaborators who are capable of and “into” treating the business side and financing aspects in a serious and corporate-world-friendly way). If anyone finds this listing in general compelling enough that they want to provide an impetus for it as a full co-developer, it will happen. I am awaiting some contagious enthusiasm and commitment. Otherwise, this listing is an indication of a plan and a velleity, and I'll update it when I am able and ready to begin things alone, or to invest a lot of time and effort in providing such contagious enthusiasm to others with whom to do it.

Status: Seed stage - seeking co-founders perhaps, but not "lay" members, yet

Contact:

Evan
San Francisco, California 94118
Phone: +1 (415) 608-0564
Send an Email

Last Updated:10/17/2006

Visitors Accepted

(Come visit us, if just to chat about the plan...)

Visitor Process: Call and email, and see if we'll be around when you plan on coming by. Please forgive me if you're one of the two voicemails I've lost. Email can sometimes be unreliable for anyone, but voicemail is something I try to respond to without fail.

Network Affiliations:

Some minimally-prescriptive group which we hope to found or join, so that we can all feel we're part of the same community, with different campusses and primary-residence locations.

Population Adult Members: 2 (Two people interested in forming, with many friends who may be interested when we actually start joining to buy land/property) Child Members: 0 (1 toddler --- our son is here, as of Mar 2005) Non-member Residents: 0 (But we'd wan't the opportunity for non-members (and just-plain-visitors) to stay for some time) Open to new adults: Yes (And non-member participants (, visitorsprovisional mamebers, etc)) Open to new children: Yes (And non-member participants (, visitorsprovisional mamebers, etc)) Gender Balance: 50% M 50% F (Yep-, that's me: a relatively-male-identified bio-male, albeit born and raised in San Francisco. (The %-age change when The Boy arrives, in 2005)) (Although we'd like a daughter, too, eventually...) Ethnic Diversity: 0% identify as 'non-white' Age Focus: (Obviously, not)	Government Decision Making: Other (Communication-centric, and consensus / win-win based, but with option to vote and to vote by proxy--- we'll make up an explicit fairer version of parliamentary/judicail rules as we see fit, so that people can participate in every little decision, or delegate some decision-making as their time and interests allow.) Identified Leader: Yes (Only until there are other's interested in leading instead (or with). I'm the "promoter/promulgator" until then.) Leadership Core Group: Yes (It will, certainly: leaership in each functional area (land ownership/legal/traxes, common-area and shared resources, shared business center, rental, membership, and visitor policy, etc.) The core group in each will be determined as necessary, but the main core group will just be those who agree (or are hired by all members) to be the ongoing communication and governmental hub.)	Labor and Money Financial Style: Other (We will contribut to a fund for expenses (common-area cleaning, repairs, common-area-share of property taxes, etc), according to agreed upon amounts or formulae (e.g. according to amount of total property owned, etc). Income sharing will be open to any sub-goup which wished to commit to doing so, and members/residents may be hired from) Open to Members with Pre-existing Debt: Yes (But that would have to be legally proscibed from adversely affecting grop interests. Of course, this presupposes the level and character of such debt is problematic to begin with. (If you are paying off a mortgage, that's good, not bad, no?)) Labor Contribution: (Only a minimum of 1-4 meetings a year, probably, with ability to participate electronically of telephonically for those not there.) Join Fee: Yes (There will be a fee -- a small amount for the then-current members to defray costs of application, and joining paperwork management.) Regular Fees: Yes (See income sharing: only by prearrangement, except for general shared-area-upkeep fees (which we intend to keep minimal). We intend for people here to be able to live happily on minimal incomes and with minimal expenses, if they're able to do so elsewhere. (I.e if they have the skills/desire to do so w/o freeloading). If there are common-areas items that are)
Land and Buildings Other (Smaller shared place in the city (San Francisco), with more of a room-mates or dormitory feeling, and main homes in a green and beautiful area within 2 hours drive. Further "shared-membership" co-housing in Portland and Europe, at least (so you can stay as a "vising out-of-town-member" in the guest rooms or sublets of the other community when you are travelling/vacationing.) Land Owned By: Community-controlled land trust (For common-area land. (Could be an LLC....) Private houses might be separately owned (with covenants and restriction to ensure community continuity without minimising potential individual's homes' retale values)) Number of Residences: 4 (4-50 or so, in the ultra-long term... Plus a visitors dorm, common area, etc. ?) Cohousing: Yes (Modified, in that it would not necessarily be built as a single plan.)	Food, etc. Percentage of Food Grown: 6-20% (Some residents will doubtless opt to grow some of their food (and or to share growing together), and they and others may choose to buy some food from them.) Share Community Meals: Rarely (ALL??? Nope... Although I wouldn't be surprised if a "Thursday night dinner" group evolves (as a separate subgoup for those who want to share the work), or if there was a monthly or quarterly meal that MOST came too.... and maybe a yearly campout-and-festival period when our sisters/brothers from overseas would be welcome and we'd bond more intra-capus-wise (and when those of us who travel too much to be really connected to the day-to-day neighborhood could re-connect with the community).) Dietary Choice or Restrictions: Diet is up to each individual (Shared cooking groups could share restrictions, and vegans could share separate utensils ort whatewver, as they sought fit.) Dietary Practice: Omnivorous (We'd proably all admit that we'd like to eat relatively healthily, but many will want occasional (or frequent) meat, I would guess...) Alcohol Use: Used Often (By private individuals in their pribvate homes. And in "Club/Bar room in common building). But public drunkenness and other such behavior would be frowned on.) Tobacco Use: Used Occasionally (Permitted in ways that (1) absolutley minimised ancy chance for ANY seccond-hand smoke inhalation by other's who haven't chosen to enter smoking areas. (I.e. in private homes or clubhouse smoking areas, or outdoors at specific times and in specific areas far from places wind is likely to bring the smells into shared areas))	Social Factors Open to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and/or Transgender members: Yes (Of course! And any other groups you can think about.... it's not group membership, but behavior that counts, and only behavior that effects other members. (We seek to enjoy diversity accross ages, genders, preferences, religions, incomes, backgrounds, etc.) The more different kinds of people, the more there is to learn. (But if we end up starting with a bunch of white yuppies and hippies, that's OK, too... as long as there's nothing to prevent that from changing in the future).) Shared Spiritual Path: Yes (The only common path would be the sanctity of individual explaoration, and not geting in the way of peoples self-determination (i.e. all religions welcome, but no "hardcore" proselytising except with permission, in pre-arranged discussion groups, when asked questions, etc). Christians, Pagans, "No-Names," Agnostics, etc. welcome) Which Spiritual Path(s): Native American :: Buddhist :: Paganism/Earth Religions :: Eastern :: Protestant/Lutheran :: Emissaries :: Quaker :: Roman Catholic :: Hutterian Brethren :: Sufi :: Jewish :: Unitarian Universalist :: Muslim :: Ecumenical (includes "all religions") :: Eclectic (integrates pieces from many religions) :: Other (And church of the Sub-genious, or whatever...) Educational Style(s): Private school at the community (Eventually, perhaps... I'd like to form a nursery-through-college shared education facility for those interested... (E.g. at least a play room and crafts/science "lab" for shared use by those unschooling or home-schooling students and their parents and friends))

Become an Editor Current editor(s): evan

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