FAQs

FAQ’s
What is CoHousing?
Why do people choose to live in Monterey CoHousing?
Is this a commune?
What types and sizes of units are there?
How are units priced?
I see that the town-homes have tuck-under garages, where do the residents of the Big House park?
How much turnover is there?
What do the monthly fees cover?
How do residents of the town-homes participate?
Where is the managers office?
How are decisions made?
How does the work get done?
Do I get to choose what I do?
What is the neighborhood like?
Sounds great, how can I move in?
Can I have a cat or dog?
How many meetings are there? What are the expectations about meetings?

What is CoHousing?
CoHousing is a type of collaborative housing in which residents actively participate in the design and operation of their own neighborhoods. To find out more google “CoHousing” or look it up in Wikipedia.

Why do people choose to live in Monterey CoHousing?
People choose Monterey CoHousing primarily because they want to know their neighbors. When asked what they appreciate about living in CoHousing, our members often cite casual encounters on site with other residents.

Is this a commune?
No. We have separate incomes, and private individual, self-sufficient homes.

What types and sizes of units are there?
The 7 townhouses range in size from 951 to 1647 square feet, the coop apartments range in size from 348-1554 square feet. Each home has a unique floor plan and number of bedrooms.

How are units priced?
The sale price is negotiated between buyer and seller. This is not a limited equity coop and the Association is not involved in the negotiations of the price. In our experience, townhouses are priced similarly to comparable townhouses nearby, and coop apartments are priced similarly to condos nearby. The fees tend to be higher than traditional condos and townhouses, mostly because of the extensive common space (approximately 6000 indoor square feet sitting on 2 acres) with common facilities in the 1924 Big House and extensive gardens and recreational space outdoors. Also, the fees include setting aside significant reserves for future major expenditures in order to avoid or reduce potential assessments.

I see that the town-homes have tuck-under garages, where do the residents in the Big House park?
There are 5 surface parking spaces on the West side of the Big Building, and a number of spaces along the East driveway. There is a 3 stall garage on the East side. In summer, two of the stalls are for community use for bicycles, lawn mowers, and one is for parking for individuals. In winter, all three are for individual parking. Spaces are assigned according to preferences and rotated if necessary to share access to “desirable” spaces.

How much turnover is there?
Since the beginning, we have had 0 to 4 sales per year, out of the 15 homes. Of the founding households, 7 are still in residence.

What do the monthly fees cover?
Every year the members set the budget. This translates into the fees for the units, primarily based on size. Items in the budget include utilities for the common space, maintenance of buildings and grounds, office supplies, public relations, reserves, snowplowing, waste disposal, etc. Units in the Big House also pay utilities and property taxes through their fees. All fees are discussed and agreed upon ahead of time.

How do residents of the town-homes participate?
Town-home residents participate in the same way as the Big House residents.

Where is the managers office?
There is no manager, we are self managed by choice. We share office equipment in a designated space.

How are decisions made?
Most decisions for the community are made by consensus at regularly scheduled meetings of the Board of Directors (BOD) Decisions may also be made by the BOD delegating the decision-making to a team , crew or individual, as it sees fit, in order to expedite the process.

How does the work get done?
Everyone is a volunteer. If the community wants things done that no one is qualified for and willing to do, we hire them out, or they don’t get done. We hire major snowplowing of the driveways, electricians, plumbers, etc. as needed. We have standing committees (also known as Teams: Finance, Public Relations, Architectural Management and Maintenance, Landscaping, Legal, and Membership) who are responsible for these areas. We have ad-hoc Crews created for a specific project. A recent example is a Crew to evaluate storage space for individuals in the Big Building and develop a proposal to be considered by the BOD. Also, individuals take responsibility for other needed tasks.

Do I get to choose what I do?
Yes. In addition to the Teams and Crews, there is a list of chores. There are guidelines for volunteering for these chores.

What is the neighborhood like?
St Louis Park is a first ring suburb of Minneapolis. Monterey CoHousing is about ½ mile West of the Minneapolis border. Our immediate neighborhood has a mixture of single family homes (of varying sizes), town-homes, condos, and apartment buildings. Several coffee shops, a restaurant, a yoga studio, and a consignment store are in easy walking distance. Within a mile, there are Cedar Lake, and two small shopping areas, which include a grocery store, a drug store, book store, liquor store, and many restaurants We are also about ½ a mile from Highway 100, which gives access to the freeway system.

Sounds great, how can I move in?
To start, come visit, get to know us, get involved, come to meetings, Board meetings, work projects, and social events. These are some of the steps of the Membership Process.

Can I have a cat or dog?
Yes, but not necessarily more than one. All cats are indoor cats. Town-homes may have additional pets.

How many meetings are there? What are the expectations about meetings?
Board of Directors Meetings (BOD) are roughly once a month. (ten per year). Special interest teams and crews meet on varying schedules, as needed. Some meet monthly, some less, some more. There are also Discussion Meetings for those most interested in an issue, and they (often) result in a proposal to the BOD. To make consensus decision-making work, we must discuss our concerns with others. The number of meetings attended varies among individuals.

We expect members to attend BOD meetings, discussion meetings of interest, and Team and Crew meetings when they are on the team or crew or want to give input to that topic.