European idea of cohousing planned for downtown area
Hollister’s latest housing innovation isn’t such a new concept,
but rather a European idea imported and adapted for here.
Cohousing projects originated in Denmark and incorporate a
dynamic of community living in the sense that they are
family-oriented neighborhoods in which group members give input on
the initial design of the neighborhood plan and share a common
space, while maintaining their normal homes.
European idea of cohousing planned for downtown area
Hollister’s latest housing innovation isn’t such a new concept, but rather a European idea imported and adapted for here.
Cohousing projects originated in Denmark and incorporate a dynamic of community living in the sense that they are family-oriented neighborhoods in which group members give input on the initial design of the neighborhood plan and share a common space, while maintaining their normal homes.
The project is unique in that it balances privacy and community in a very original way, according to Neshama Abraham Paiss, who is developing the project with DuBois Development in Hollister.
The idea is that people own their own homes, plus as part of the homeowners association, they own a share of community land, which is usually developed for a clubhouse or community garden. Therefore, people act as a group, possibly cooking and eating together, but still maintaining their independence.
The other unique thing about the developments is that they may include a common house. The common house is designed for use by everyone everyday. Typically, it is 3,000-5,000 square feet and includes a gourmet kitchen and a dining room as well as whatever else the residents see fit to install. Previous projects have included guest rooms and home theaters.
The individual homes are entirely self-sufficient and include all the amenities of a typical townhouse including bedrooms, kitchen and bathrooms, but with the amenities of the common house as well.
“Our hope is that this will be a ‘close-knit neighborhood’ where people would know their neighbors more than in a typical environment, but at the same time still have their own space,” Paiss said.
There are currently 85 such communities around the United States, 20 of which are in California. Nearby communities include Santa Cruz, Pleasanton and Cotati.
The 2.5-acre site on which DuBois is hoping to develop is located at 40 Monterey Street, at the corner of First and Monterey streets in the downtown core of Hollister. The land is bordered by Park Hill on two sides and is within walking distance of downtown Hollister. The site is zoned for residential medium density and is already part of Hollister’s General Plan for residential development.
“What we’ve found in the previous neighborhoods is that people get to know their neighbors beforehand. They make decisions with their neighbors beforehand and practice running their homeowners association more so than in a typical environment. Additionally, they have the added safety of knowing who their neighbors are.
Each development is unique, and since the homeowners help create the plans for it themselves no two are alike. Most of the projects try to be very environmentally sensitive and are usually very energy/water efficient. The buildings are clustered on the property to help increase the amount of open-space shared by all.
There was a development orientation Friday, Jan. 27 and Saturday, Jan. 28. The timeframe for the project is three to five years from now.
The development timeline is contingent on the lifting of the city of Hollister’s current sewer moratorium and the city’s building permit allocation process. Homes are expected to cost between $250,000 to $500,000 depending on the features of the common house (club house), size of the homes, and amenities on the land – such as swimming pool and landscaping.
