Deb Stephens wrote: <snip> ... are there any successful intentional communities that have the problem of too many members for the size of their land and community goals? <snip> , but I never see these ICs telling people they're all filled up and not to apply. If it does happen, what do you do? Wait for someone to die? Ask your least favorite members to leave so you can get others you like better?
Expand the land base? What is your strategy?
Deb Stephens wrote: <snip> I am especially interested in the possibility of an IC expanding its property to accommodate new members. What do you do if there is no land nearby for sale? Have you considered splinter groups or more properly, a kind of annex or sister site that works with the original community but is separate from it physically?
http://www.lafayettemorehouse.com - Fifty years of research into pleasurable group living
George Lafayette wrote:Our community experienced huge growth from 1968 until sometime the early 1980s. It began initially by purchasing a three story multi-family house in downtown Oakland, CA on January 1, 1968, then purchased other houses in the same Oakland neighborhood. About four years later the group purchased a house in a rural town about 20 miles away. The rural group was fortunate in that it was able to, over the next ten years or so, purchase four of the adjacent houses and some adjacent acreage. Later the group purchased two adjacent houses in Hawaii.
The adjacent rural houses exist today as a single 23-acre community, http://www.lafayettemorehouse.com. The original urban multifamily house is another group, http://www.oaklandmorehouse.com. The Hawaii Morehouse doesn't have a website. Legally these are separate entities, but in practice, the groups behave as a family.
Deb Stephens wrote: <snip> ... are there any successful intentional communities that have the problem of too many members for the size of their land and community goals? <snip> , but I never see these ICs telling people they're all filled up and not to apply. If it does happen, what do you do? Wait for someone to die? Ask your least favorite members to leave so you can get others you like better?
Expand the land base? What is your strategy?
We've tried most of the above except telling people to go away. We've packed more people in per room - fewer single rooms - we've bought new properties both adjacent and non-adjacent, and some people have gone on to start their own groups.
Deb Stephens wrote: <snip> I am especially interested in the possibility of an IC expanding its property to accommodate new members. What do you do if there is no land nearby for sale? Have you considered splinter groups or more properly, a kind of annex or sister site that works with the original community but is separate from it physically?
As mentioned above, we've expanded both adjacent and non-adjacent. There are pros & cons to each.
Taz Jones wrote:Hi Deb,
I'll bet there are some interested friends or couples at the eastwind commune right down the road from you! Lots of awesome people, some of whom want to stay near the commune but maybe would like to be down the road and a little more independent. If you haven't already, consider getting ahold of them, seems like a good fit to me. If you were to want to visit them, which I'd recommend, they definitely want to be emailed or called in advance. Hope that helps-GP
Deb Stephens wrote:Thanks for all this information George. I am curious about what happened when you tried packing people tighter as well as what the pros and cons of the adjacent and non-adjacent properties may be. Would you mind elaborating on those? Thanks!
http://www.lafayettemorehouse.com - Fifty years of research into pleasurable group living
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