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This great article ascertains that demographic changes are the main catalyst driving the return of the multi-generational housing trend. Sidekick Homes are one of the solutions to meet this increasing housing need.

Have you thought about your own family dynamic changing now or in the future?

http://pewsocialtrends.org/pubs/752/the-return-of-the-multi-generational-family-household

Labels: Housing Trends, Multigenerational, Sidekick Homes

Sustainable and Eco-friendly thinking has surpassed trend status and has become a way of life for many of us. Have you made the switch in any of your habits or in the way you live? Consider these simple ways to encourage longevity of the planet and support sustainable living

1.) Get moving. Walk instead of driving. Walking will help keep you fit, save you money and reduce carbon emissions in the atmosphere. Use public transport when you have to travel or start a carpool with neighbors.
2.) Insulate. Insulating your home will quickly pay for itself in lower heating bills. Find out about grants in your area towards installing new or thicker insulation made with green materials.
3.) Repurpose. Restyle, recover or makeover furniture that is no longer to your taste before throwing pieces away. Learn how to make slipcovers for furniture from a library book or the Internet, or invest in a staple gun to easily recover headboards or reupholster dining chairs painted to suit your new look. Use your imagination and save a bundle.
4.) Buy loose. Choose unpackaged foods and goods whenever possible. Not only is this usually a much cheaper option than branded goods, it saves on all that unnecessary packaging. Select the refillable, reusable container over the disposable, throwaway one.
5.) Become an arborist. Plant a tree or several if you have the space in your yard. Better yet, plant fruit trees and you can enjoy the produce as they clean up carbon dioxide from the air.
6.) Detox your space. Use eco-friendly cleaning and disinfecting products or make your own from the recipes at http://www3.pei.sympatico.ca/galavoie/ENVIRO.HTM. Seventh Generation also offers an affordable line.
7.) Go by way of the biodegradable. Try to use recycled and natural products whenever possible. Avoid plastic as much as possible, as it accounts for a large amount of landfill waste. If you must buy plastic containers look for those with a label 1 or 2. These are much easier to recycle than those numbered 3 to 7.

Labels: Eco-friendly, Sidekick Homes, Sustainable Living

Two thirds of the boomers would prefer to live in a rural location or a small town, according to recent surveys by the National Association of REALTORS.

Young adults leave town after high school or within a few years to seek work in a larger city with a stronger job base and greater career opportunities. Some rural towns have changed and survived by finding livelihoods other than agriculture. Perryville, Missouri, my hometown, has been able to entice small industries. Madison, Georgia is rich in southern history, Eureka Springs, Arkansas has grown around the big business of Christian “Passion Plays”, and other rural towns have the good fortunate to be located near attractive scenic areas.

Active Adults is a term commonly used to describe people over 55 who have lots of living left in them. They are healthy, productive and energetic. Where to retire now that the kids are gone, is paramount in people’s minds. Historically, as many as 50% of people move to a new home sometime in retirement. The desire to stay near the familiar is powerful, but is eventually outweighed by the promise of adventure, and an easier, relaxed lifestyle.

Active Adult Communities are specifically designed to offer the fun, adventure and the new relationships with like-minded people that young retirees want. Sun City in Arizona, created in the 1960’s, continues to attract thousands of active adults in communities around the country. An active adult community typically has something for everyone, sports galore, fitness and wellness services, and special interest clubs for any interest.

Small towns can offer all of this in a more authentic package. The people are friendly and they include children and young adults, as well as others our own age. Most of us nearing retirement age enjoy the spirit of young people and the inspiration they give us to enjoy each day. Look outside your big city, small towns still abound within a short drive of the city. One of those may be the perfect Active Adult Small Town.

Labels: Active Living, Senior Living, Sidekick Homes, Small Towns

Denver’s new zoning ordinance is nearly complete after several years of hard work by citizens and staff. The code is a form-based model, a revolutionary approach introduced by Peter Park, Manager of Community Planning and Development. There remains much to review and debate before the City Council adopts the code by their vote in Feb. or March 2010.

One of the early promises by the Blueprint Denver Committee at the outset was to include Granny Flats, officially known as Accessory Dwelling units, or ADUs. These small homes would be allowed in the backyards of single-family homes for the purpose of housing Denver’s rapidly aging population, at little cost to the city. Family incomes could also be supplemented by renting an ADU, or they could be used as guesthouses, Nanny Quarters, or studios.

The code drafters have included ADUs, in the written book in several single-family zones, but those particular zones are only shown on the proposed zoning map for 13% of the total single-family area in the city, according to the Denver planning office. This give and then take policy is ultimately unfair. On one hand, the city can tell citizens that want ADUs that they are written into the zoning book in many zones, and on the other hand they can tell the opposition, that ADUs will not be allowed in their neighborhood. I admit that the planners are in the middle of neighbors having a disagreement, but can our council people continue to play this game or will they do what’s right and give every single-family property owner the same opportunity.

Neighbors concerned about the impact of ADUs on their property have mentioned the following issues: overcrowded street parking, Design compatibility with existing homes, shading of adjacent yards, lack of open space, poorly managed rental units, noise created by young student renters, the increase in neighborhood population. These are legitimate concerns, and most can be managed by regulations that address each particular concern. If a homeowner cannot comply with the regulations, then they cannot build an ADU in their backyard.

The day has finally arrived; our book is now officially published. Judy Schriener and I have had our heads immersed in the details for the last several months, capping off more than two years of research and writing, and now it’s time to step back and review our work. Although there have been radical changes in the housing market recently, those changes must be viewed in the context of the powerful changes the Baby Boomers have been responsible for over the last 64 years since they began to come upon the scene. And they aren’t done yet!

We reviewed our work late in 2009 to see what had changed in the marketplace that we needed to include in the book and found only the obvious; the market for housing was dangerously depressed. The dreams and wishes of Boomers hadn’t changed. Yes, new home purchases are being delayed and smaller homes may be considered, but the housing preferences of Boomers have not fundamentally changed. We acknowledged the extraordinary market conditions but felt our book was solid in its reporting on the lifestyle choices of Boomers.

You can find the book on Amazon.com and other national retailers. You can also go directly to the publisher, McGraw-Hill Construction. We hope this book will find its way to reference shelves in Architectural offices, in Development Companies, in Schools and on your shelf as well. As the subtitle says, “it’s a guide to design and construction”.

Mike Kephart AIA

In a couple of weeks I plan to return to Andros Island in the Bahamas for a week of fishing with a few friends, as I try to do every year. We fish in pairs with a guide to help locate our primary prey, the bonefish. The following is something I wrote two years ago on my way home from our annual trip to either the Bahamas, The Turniff Islands off the coast of Belize, or Ascension Bay on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.

Saltwater flats are neither sea nor land. Life there includes water creatures from sharks to shellfish, plus diving pelicans and other flying predators, who compete with the barracuda and sharks for fish, especially the bonefish. Sting Rays occasionally shake loose the sand covering their bodies, move away from our approaching feet, and again nose into the bottom to hide from the sharks. Seemingly unafraid, a larger Manta Ray drifts slowly by. The rising tide draws dark schools of bonefish from the depths onto the flats in search of crabs no longer protected by the shallow water. Bonefish appear from nowhere pushing a nervous mound of water in front of their advance, or pause, tails in the air, to search for crustaceans in the sand. They sense danger from everywhere and, at the least provocation, disappear as quickly as they appeared. A lone dark fin above the water traveling quickly in a straight line traces the passage of a single permit, the elusive fish’s mirror-like body invisible, except for that fin. A loud splash means death for something and a meal for a barracuda. The ever-present wind, a friend at my back and a foe in my face, conspires with the low angling sun to render my target either invisible or impossible to reach with a weightless fly. With luck, a fly placed in front of the moving fish and retrieved in slow jerks will catch the attention of one in the school. A bump on the line is answered with a solid pull, a slow rising of the rod tip, and line screams from the reel. Sharks gather and the barracuda wait to see how tired the soon to be released fish may be. Time passes quickly, and all too soon the fish follow the falling tide, and I am left alone with the crabs, the setting sun, and the wind, finally at my back.

Accessory dwelling unit legislation can be in your city and your neighborhood, but it will take some time and energy on your part to deliver the message to your neighbors and city officials. The city of Arvada, Colorado introduced new legislation a year ago and had their ordinance in place within a year with little to no fuss. The following is a six (6)-point process we recommend that you follow to ensure your best chances of success.

1- Build your story. You should read everything you can on the pros and cons of backyard cottages. We believe you will find that the idea is very family friendly. It’s where family meets neighborhood that needs care in crafting. If opposition develops they will become students of the history of ADUs as well and it’s best to be able to address all real problems.
2- Find an advocate on the city staff. Young planners are often the ones who write these ordinances for consideration of their superiors and politicians.
3- Find an advocate on the City Council or Board of Commissioners who will be willing to carry the legislation to the rest of their peers for consideration.
4- Talk to neighborhood leaders. Actually this should be done before anything is written or submitted for review to the city. Your neighbors are your friends and you should engage them in the drafting of the details of the ordinance. If you fail to take this step you risk making enemies of the very people who will benefit from this legislation.
5- Start with a good model code. Use the AARP model which is on their website, or use a local one from a neighboring city if their experience was positive.
6- Don’t rush it and be certain that everyone is heard. Misunderstandings on the subject are common and should be clarified.