REAL ESTATE IN THE NAPA VALLEY
Living in a commune may be in your
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hinking about a commune may conjure up visions of peace signs, daisies and barefoot partially-clothed children running around with perhaps barefoot partially-clothed adults as well. Or, perhaps a commune brings to your mind a fortress with razor wire fencing, surveillance Burt Polson cameras, firearms, stockpiles of MREs (meals ready to eat) and living “off the grid.” Today, some people are finding themselves isolated as well as unemployed, and lacking a social support system. I know several families who make considerable sacrifices to ensure their children receive a quality education in a socially constructive atmosphere while being kept safe. With tongue in cheek, I tell these families, “You should start a commune.” We laugh and move on. With school going online for the near future, some parents tell me families are hiring laid-off teachers to conduct classes in their home or garage for a close-knit group of students, like a one-room schoolhouse from long ago. Whether you have an egalitarian mindset, looking to build a more profound sense of community, or for a system of convenience, some form of a commune along the spectrum may be desirable and possibly a part of our future.
FUTURE
Dreamstine
the same roof one step further. The intentional design is to have your own living space, but communal kitchen and gathering areas. Bringing together residents with the same values and visions I would think this would be an optimal setting to bring together students and teachers for the “oneroom schoolhouse.” In a cohousing environment, the managed community has a clear vision, goals, and tasks, with each resident having expectations to pitch in whether cooking COHOUSING meals, gardening, or teaching Taking pocket neighborhoods the children. one step further, Chapin describes cohousing as multiple pocket “IT TAKES A VILLAGE” neighborhoods in clusters with a The truism, “It takes a village,” common area or building. is actually an African proverb that Similar to an apartment com- means that for a child to grow in plex where apartments contained a safe and healthy environment in various buildings surround a tit takes a community of people POCKET NEIGHcommon area, building, pool, or to interact with them. It does not BORHOODS gym, but this is where the simi- mean someone else is responsible ‘Pocket neighborhoods’ is a larities end. for raising your child. term coined by Ross Chapin, Cohousing takes being under You may have preconceived
28 | DISTINCTIVE PROPERTIES
architect, and is a cluster of homes with a shared common area. Sometimes called micro-neighborhoods, this could be an approach to use for existing neighborhoods. Pocket neighborhoods are single-family homes configured in clusters allowing for an increased sense of community. There are not necessarily common buildings or the sharing of chores and resources, but rather the creation of common areas to foster interaction between neighbors.
ideas about what a commune encompasses. Taking the cohousing idea one step further, you could move in the direction of a more closeknit community on a remote 40 acres living off the grid, farming the land, with all the animals you need to sustain your community. There is certainly nothing wrong with being self-sustaining, living off the grid, or having a 10-foot fence surrounding your compound. Still, my hunch is that pocket neighborhoods and cohousing environments are our future and just makes sense. Burt M. Polson is the CEO of ACRESinfo.com, a commercial real estate brokerage company and CEO of StoneMarkerInvestments.com, a private equity real estate fund. Call him at (707) 254-8000 or email burt@ acresinfo.com and burt@stonemarker investments.com. AUGUST 2020
