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Formed: 1997 Established: 1999
East Lake Commons CoHousing
Decatur, Georgia,
United States
(Atlanta metro area)
photos courtesy of Village Habitat Design
 East Lake Commons is a cohousing community located five miles (eight minutes) from downtown Atlanta, and several miles southeast of the Little Five Points neighborhood. Completed in 2001, it includes 67 townhomes with 10 rental apartments attached, a 4500-sq-ft common house with classroom, office, playroom, media room, woodworking room, workout room, and guest rooms. A playing field and children's playground surround the common house. About half of the 20-acre site is dedicated to housing and parking on the perimeter; the remainder includes natural woodlands, wildlife corridor, and an organic garden with beehives, blueberry groves, shiitake mushroom logs, and a spring-fed pond. Homes are clustered around pedestrian courtyards and walkways.
Children can run and play with their friends in a safe and nurturing environment; teenagers have supportive role models; and seniors are actively integrated into the community. We are an intergenerational community with diverse religious, ethnic, cultural, and racial backgrounds, and differently abled. What binds us together is knowing and caring about our neighbors.
We manage the community ourselves using a consensus decision-making process. A backup voting procedure is also in place, with each owner getting two votes. Core community values include sustainability, visitability, diversity, affordability, and community.
 
Website: http://www.eastlakecommons.org/
Contact:
East Lake Commons Cohousing
900 Dancing Fox Rd
Decatur, Georgia 30032 United States

Email This Community!
Anne Olson
201 Dancing Fox Road
Decatur, Georgia 30032 United States
Links:
East Lake Commons website
Gaia Gardens: the organic garden at East Lake Commons
Village Habitat Design: Site planning for East Lake Commons
Pimsler Hoss Architects, Inc.: Architectural design for East Lake Commons
Last Updated:8/19/2009
 
Visitors Accepted
 (People interested in buying or renting an available unit are welcome; as are those with an interest in cohousing, organic farming, or other ELC activities.)
Visitor Process: We love visitors. Email us and explain your interest and when you would like to visit. Volunteers are often available to answer questions, assist with tours, and to make contacts as needed. Advance notice is appreciated, especially if guest rooms are needed as rooms are reserved on a first come, first served basis.
Network Affiliations:
Coho/US
Statement of Housing Non-discrimination:
Our community does not discriminate in regards to housing based on race/color, national origin, religion, sex/gender, family status (i.e. having children, not having children, or being pregnant), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, ancestry, source of income, age, creed, personal appearance, political affiliation, HIV infection, military/veteran status, unfavorable military discharge, gender identity or expression, receiving public assistance, or being the victim of domestic abuse.

Population
Members(adults and children):
150
Non-member Residents:
20
(All residents have equal access and are encouraged to participate in all activities. Only owners are counted in the consensus process or HOA votes.)
Open to new members:
Yes
(See website for purchase or rental opportunities)
Government
Decision Making:
By consensus
(With back-up voting procedure)
Identified Leader:
No
Leadership Core Group:
No
Labor and Money
Financial Style:
Members have independent finances
(We share some common space, occasional meals, some tools, etc.)
Open to Members with Pre-existing Debt:
Yes
(All are welcome.)
Labor Contribution:
Expected
(Each adult is asked to contribute 4 hours per month to community projects; however this policy is currently under review.)
Join Fee:
No
Regular Fees:
Yes
(Owners pay monthly HOA dues (currently around $150, depending on unit size) for maintaining common areas, etc.)
Land and Buildings
Suburban
(Our community combines some of the best of Urban (highly diverse, close to neighbors), Suburban (safe, quiet, easy parking), and Rural (organic produce grown on site, and lots of open space) settings.)
Area:
20 acres (8.1 hectares)
(It feels even bigger, because of the surrounding trees and backyards.)
Land Owned By:
The community
(All homeowners own small individual plots; the HOA owns the common land and improvements.)
Number of Residences:
67
(Most are attached fee-simple townhomes. 1 to 6 homes per building.)
Cohousing:
Yes
Food, etc.
Percentage of Food Grown:
6-20%
(Most residents enjoy vegetables and honey from our organic gardens, cost to join CSA (half-share) is $300/year. Individual garden plots are also available)
Share Community Meals:
Rarely
(Sunday meals with potlucks on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Typically 10 to 40 people attend on a given night.)
Dietary Choice or Restrictions:
Other
(Meals are usually vegetarian with options based on individual requests)
Dietary Practice:
Omnivorous
(Wide variation among different households. Lots of vegetarians, vegans, etc.)
Alcohol Use:
Used occasionally
(Responsible use of alcohol is allowed in the Common House)
Tobacco Use:
Seldom used
(Banned from Common House)
Social Factors
Common Spiritual Practices:
No
Which Spiritual Traditions(s):
Sufi
:: Roman Catholic
:: Quaker
:: Protestant/Lutheran
:: Eastern
:: Paganism/Earth Religions
:: Buddhist
:: Eclectic (integrates pieces from many religions)
:: Ecumenical (includes "all religions")
:: Muslim
:: Unitarian Universalist
:: Jewish
:: Other
(Spiritual practices and interest vary widely, from atheism and agnosticism to paganism, hedonism, goddess and nature worship to traditional Christianity, Catholicism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Judaism.)
Educational Style(s):
Public schooled
:: Private school off the property
:: Home schooling
Cohousing Details
Cohousing Status:
Completed
(Check website for sales and rentals.)
Year Completed:
1999
Number of Units:
67
Square Feet in Common House:
4500
(Estimate, not including decks and patios.)
Architect:
Pimsler Hoss Architects, Inc. Site planning by Village Habitat Design www.villagehabitat.com
Developer:
East Lake Commons, Inc., a non-profit corporation which was formed for this purpose. Jack Morse served as president and project manager.
 
 
photos courtesy of Village Habitat Design
Organic garden at East Lake Commons
Pond near the common house
An early site plan
Aerial photo with addresses
Click an image to see it full size.


Become an Editor Current editor(s): cohousing, davidfrayne, AnneOlson
Comments from Directory Readers This community selects which reader comments to display (more info). You can add yours below.
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Comment from Dav on 10/19/2007 (Reader Rating: 3)
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(10 highest, 1 lowest - one rating per user per comment - new rating replaces old)

I just bought a home here one month ago (9/15/07) and I love it! My two boys, ages 2 and 5, are in heaven here, they explore and play with other kids every day. My neighbors are considerate, thoughtful people who want to contribute to the world. Many have advanced degrees and specialised skills (e.g. musicians, massage therapists, carpenters, clowns).

There is a good mix here of people who want to be sociable and interact and do things as a group, and people who prefer to calmly observe and maintain their own private space. Finding a balance between the various levels of voluntary and mandatory participation, work, and cost sharing is a lively discussion item at the moment, and probably always has been. :)

Knowing my neighbors has a big positive impact on my quality of life. And now I have pretty amazing neighbors!

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