Blue Ridge Cohousing
BRC's Main Consensus Decisions
Consensus decision making at Shadowlake Cohousing
A meeting in Shadowlake
Village in Blacksburg, VA
Monticello, a Charlottesville Virginia landmark
Monticello, home of
Thomas Jefferson, in
Charlottesville, VA
  1. We will strive to build 25 to 35 houses.
  2. Shadowlake Village will be a mentor community to BRC.
  3. By default, BRC will adopt the same rules, and ultimately, operational structure,
    as Shadowlake Village (SLV).  This includes rules, bylaws, committee structure
    and how to make consensus decisions.  Variations to these rules will be
    spearheaded by the Rules Committee but agreed by all members.  Once a
    year, there will be a formal annual review of all rules.  This will be allow
    members to learn the rules, buy-in to them, and suggest changes; however,
    members can suggest changes at any time via the Rules Committee.  If we are
    unable to consense on a rule change, the default is to stick with the existing
    rule.
  4. Although our committee structure will follow SLV after we our built, our initial
    committees are:  Project Committee, Membership Committee, Rules
    Committee, and Finance Committee.
  5. There will be no outdoor cats in the future BRC neighborhood.  However, the
    group agreed that exceptions to this rule will be considered on a case-by-case
    basis.
  6. In order to keep costs down and simplify the development process, BRC will
    build houses all at once rather than use the lot development model.
  7. In order to keep costs down, we will prohibit customizations and limit the
    number of floor plans.  
  8. Our neighborhood will be within 20 minutes of the Charlottesville border.
  9. We will follow a consensus process for decision making.
  10. Our community meal schedule will include three optional common meals a
    week as well as informal dining options such as meal swapping.
  11. The composition of our common house includes the same rooms as the
    common house at Shadowlake Village Cohousing as well as offices and a
    large multipurpose room.
  12. BRC allows dogs, but there is a dog policy.
  13. There will be no conventional fireplaces in BRC homes.  Only modern
    woodstoves with catalytic converter that don’t pollute will be allowed.  We may
    include a conventional fireplace or woodstove in the common house.
  14. For the sake of affordability and lower environmental impact, and to encourage  
    greater use of the common house, the cap on unit size will be 1800 square
    feet.  This includes all finished and unfinished space inside the house but does
    not include porches, decks and attached or detached sheds.
  15. Long distance membership.
  16. Full member activity requirements.
  17. There will be common house laundry facilities and laundry lines.
The following are decisions the Blue Ridge Cohousing group has made
regarding how our community will be formed and structured:
Children play at
Shadowlake Village