Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What exactly is cohousing?

A: Cohousing is a form of intentional community. People who plan

     live in cohousing work closely with their neighbors to design their

     community – often including design of the site and common

     amenities, landscaping, community policies and governance

     methods – and, once living in cohousing, continue the ongoing

     work of building and maintaining the community itself. 

     Physically, cohousing communities often differ from other

     communities in that they are intentionally designed and built to

     foster and reinforce regular, daily interaction between community

     members.  So, parking is usually built on the perimeter, with

     primarily pedestrian activity within, and houses are built fairly

     close to one another, or attached (as are ours, in buildings

     holding four or five units each). And, most cohousing

     communities include a substantial “common house” (including

     dining, recreational and other spaces) which is jointly owned by

     the community's members.

     For more information on cohousing, visit www.cohousing.org.

Q: What are some of the important features of  

     cohousing?

Q: What are the demographics for Stone Curves

     cohousing?

A: The Stone Curves community includes small children, teenagers,

    young adults, adults and senior citizens. Our make-up includes     

    single people and families. Our youngest residents are age 1 or 2;

    the oldest, in their 70's. People living at Stone Curves include

    college students, professionals, trades people and retirees. Our

    neighborhood encompasses variety in spiritual and political

    outlook, and in sexual orientation. In short, Stone Curves is and

    always has been a community of diversity, one in which we aim to

    both foster and honor the diversity that is part of living in the

    world.

Q: What are the Stone Curves living units like? Do

     they include kitchens, or must I do all my cooking

     and eating in the Common House?

A: Every housing unit in Stone Curves is a fully-equipped private

    residence, with a kitchen, one or more bedrooms, one or more

    bathrooms and living areas. Units range in size from a one-

    bedroom home of roughly 680 square feet to a four-bedroom unit

    of nearly 1700 square feet. At Stone Curves, as in other

    cohousing neighborhoods, residential units are designed to allow

    independent living, but to allow and encourage the opportunity for

    significant interaction with one's neighbors.

Q: How does the Community Meal Program work?

A: Sharing meals is a vital part of any community, cohousing or

    otherwise. At Stone Curves, a professionally-equipped kitchen,

    and a dining room capable of holding fifty or so, plus a nice-sized

    Common House courtyard, make it possible to hold meals for

    seventy or more.

    As of this writing (November, 2006), there are several meal

    programs in place. A once-weekly meal club includes

    approximately fifty members; at a typical meal, perhaps thirty or

    forty participate. A twice-weekly meal club has roughly thirty

    members, with twenty or so participating at each meal. Sunday

    dinner potlucks are held every Sunday on which eight or more   

    community members express an interest; and a special Birthday

    Potluck is held once monthly. Other all-community meals may be

    scheduled and organized by community members any day the

    Common House dining room is free. A well-designed system is in

    place for handling the accounting of meal expenses and charging

    them to individual homeowners.

    Each of our five villages shares occasional meals, potlucks and

    celebratory gatherings. And, all of this doesn't even include the

    many spontaneous meals that community members share on a

    regular (though unpredictable) basis!

Q: Is there a work or participation requirement of

     living in Stone Curves?

A: Most cohousing communities have a structured work requirement

    for its members; often, an acknowledgment of and commitment to

    this requirement are a prerequisite for purchasing a home. At this

    time, while Stone Curves has no formal work requirement, the

    community places a high value on the participation of its

    members. As a self-managed community (we have no paid staff),

    there is ALWAYS an abundance of opportunities to pitch in and get

    involved. Those who participate in this way often report that

    working closely together with others is an especially gratifying

    way of connecting and feeling a strong sense of community.

    As of fall '06, the Stone Curves Membership Team is exploring the

    establishment of a more formalized “participation expectation”

    policy, with the results of this to be put in place sometime over

    the winter.

Q: How does the community's work get done?

A: We have in place a variety of teams that organize and carry out

    the work that must be done. The Green Team holds responsibility

    for landscaping. A Maintenance Team keeps on top of the ongoing

    repair and maintenance of our common amenities. The Process

    Team develops and implements improvements to our decision-

    making and policy development processes. The Membership Team

    addresses membership issues, community outreach and this web

    site. The Finance Team manages our finances, including regular,

    ongoing expenses and the distribution of the community's Profit

    Share funds. The CHIC (Common House Interiors Committee)

    Team addresses the maintenance and policies of the Common

    House specifically. As needed, other sub-teams are created

    beneath these teams to handle specific issues. And, a

    Neighborhood Council, comprising one representative from each

    Team and one representative from each village, considers and

    processes community-wide policy.

Q: I have concerns about privacy. What kind of

     privacy may I expect if I choose to live at Stone

     Curves?

A: Each Stone Curves living unit is designed to provide its occupants

    with the normal amount of privacy any of us would expect in an

    attached, single-family home. But, as in a condominium or

    apartment complex, living units are located close to one another,

    so regular interaction with one's neighbors is a regular part of

    day-to-day living.

Q: Describe the “common areas” versus the “private

     areas”.

A: The community's common areas include the entire 3800 square

    foot Common House and all its interior and exterior spaces, the

    Community Garden, the two parking lots, the children's play

    area, the large common green at the center of the site, the

    swimming pool and workshop (both in development), the village

    plazas and all the walkways between units and villages.

    Private living space includes one's individual housing unit. Each

    unit includes a front and back porch (or balcony); first floor units

    include a back yard, and homeowners have the option of

    enclosing their back yards if they choose.

 Q: Is Stone Curves an “eco-village”?

A: While Stone Curves is not, strictly speaking, and “eco village”, it

     has a strong commitment to preserving and honoring the land of

     which it is a part. Substantial efforts have been made to create a

     neighborhood that honors the earth and its beings. Significant

     resources have been invested in water harvesting, native desert

     landscaping and permaculture. And, many more activities are

     planned to reinforce this commitment. Additionally, there is a

     significant value placed on resource conservation, recycling and

     re-use. You'll be amazed at how many things you don't need to

     own when living in cohousing! For more information, visit the

     “environmental focus” page of this web site.

Q: Does the community own guest rooms?

A: Stone Curves is fortunate to have three well-appointed guest

    rooms in its Common House. These rooms may be reserved and

    utilized by community members for their guests, family or friends

    who are visiting Tucson , for as long as two weeks consecutively.

    There is a modest fee for their use.

Q: What's the Common House like?

A: The 3800 square foot Stone Curves Common House is a source of

     enormous pride for our neighborhood, and the center of a great

     many activities. It includes the following:

•  a professionally-equipped kitchen

•  a dining room of approximately 400 square feet, with seating for

    as many as fifty to eat at one time.

•  a fully furnished living room, with a television and piano and

    comfortable seating

•  the three guest rooms mentioned above

•  an office with several internet-connected computers, a fax and

    printer

•  a laundry room with three washer/dryer units, available for use by

    community members 24 hours a day, for free

•  a children's play room

•  a library with several hundred volumes, comfortable seating and

    a fireplace

•  a craft room

•  a fitness room

•  a teen room

•  a large courtyard (recently landscaped as of November, 2006)

•  a balcony with a fireplace and a magnificent view of the Santa

    Catalina Mountains

Q: What is the relationship of Stone Curves to the

     wider neighborhood?

A: Stone Curves takes an active interest in surrounding

    neighborhood, which has a strong, active neighborhood

    association, the Limberlost Neighborhood Association. In fact,

    some of our founding members have been active in LNA for years

    or decades.

Q: What about safety and security?

A: Traditionally, cohousing neighborhoods are among the safest, as

    neighbors take note of suspicious activity and report it to one

    another. In this regard, Stone Curves is no different. However,

    being located in north-central Tucson , AZ , we are, unfortunately,

    subject to the rigors of city life, including the inevitable incidents

    of crime. Since the fall of 2004, several cars have been broken

    into and contents stolen (though there have been no actual auto

    thefts), and occasional thefts of property have been reported

    within the community. There have been no physical assaults on

    community members.

    In the winter of 2005-06, the community considered its security

    situation through a series of meetings in which many members

    participated. The decision was made to install electronic security

    gates on both parking lots; they will be installed in the fall of

    2006. Once installed, the gates will be closed (with each

    household having a remote control to open them) from

    approximately 10:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. each night.

Q: How can I get involved in Stone Curves?