The Right to Dry: A Green Movement Is Roiling America

[question everything]

The Wall Street Journal

The Right to Dry: A Green Movement Is Roiling America
Clothesline Has Neighbors Bent Out of Shape in Bend; An Illegal Solar Device?
By ANNE MARIE CHAKER
September 18, 2007

BEND, Ore. -- It was a sunny, 70-degree day here in Awbrey Butte, an exclusive neighborhood of big, modern houses surrounded by native pines. To Susan Taylor, it was a perfect time to hang her laundry out to dry. The 55-year-old mother and part-time nurse strung a clothesline to a tree in her backyard, pinned up some freshly washed flannel sheets -- and, with that, became a renegade. The regulations of the subdivision in which Ms. Taylor lives effectively prohibit outdoor clotheslines. In a move that has torn apart this otherwise tranquil community, the development's managers have threatened legal action. To the developer and many residents, clotheslines evoke the urban blight they sought to avoid by settling in the Oregon mountains. "This bombards the senses," interior designer Joan Grundeman says of her neighbor's clothesline. "It can't possibly increase property values and make people think this is a nice neighborhood."

(snip)

Nationwide, about 60 million people now live in about 300,000 "association governed" communities, most of which restrict outdoor laundry hanging, says Frank Rathbun, spokesman for the Community Associations Institute, an Alexandria, Va., group that lobbies on behalf of homeowners associations. But the rules are costly to the environment -- and to consumers -- clothesline advocates argue. Clothes dryers account for 6% of total electricity consumed by U.S. households, third behind refrigerators and lighting, according to the Residential Energy Consumption Survey by the federal Energy Information Administration. It costs the typical household $80 a year to run a standard electric dryer, according to a calculation by E Source Cos., in Boulder, Colo., which advises businesses on reducing energy consumption.

(snip)

Ten states, including Nevada and Wisconsin, limit homeowners associations' ability to restrict the installation of solar-energy systems, or assign that power to local authorities, says Erik J.A. Swenson, a Washington, D.C.-based partner at law firm King & Spalding LLP, who has written about the policies. He says it's unclear in most of these states whether clotheslines qualify as "solar" devices. Only the laws in Florida and Utah expressly include clotheslines.

(snip)

The Awbrey Butte Architectural Review Committee "appreciates your desire to make a difference for the cause of global warming," responded Brooks Resources Owner-Relations Manager Carol Haworth. But she pointed out that homeowners agree to the rules before they buy their homes, "and therefore the ARC is required to uphold those guidelines as they now exist." The letter more sternly asked "that you discontinue this practice by July 9, 2007, to avoid legal action which will be taken after that date."

(snip)


Facing the threat of legal action, Ms. Taylor has in recent days resorted to hanging the laundry in her garage, with the door open slightly. But she says that denies her laundry the direct benefits of the sun and the fresh mountain air. She is thinking of moving to a less-restrictive neighborhood.


URL for this article:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119007893529930697.html (subscription)

[alarimer]

1. I hate those kinds of homeowners associations

All kinds of stupid rules with what you can and cannot do with YOUR OWN PROPERTY. It makes me want to go buy a cabin the woods somewhere where no one will care if I don't mow my lawn.

[mike_c]

2. how easy some folks' senses are to bombard....

sheesh

[Redneck Socialist]

3. "It can't possibly increase property values..."

"Joan Grundeman says of her neighbor's clothesline. "It can't possibly increase property values and make people think this is a nice neighborhood."

People like that should be slapped. Hard.

Ms. Taylor...She is thinking of moving to a less-restrictive neighborhood."

Damn right.

[Zookeeper]

9. "Nice neighborhood."

It all depends on one's priorities, I guess. If I saw a neighborhood with no clotheslines, but lots of Hummers or Escalades parked in front of three and four car garages, with every house painted some variation of beige, I wouldn't consider it a "nice" neighborhood.

I love my little 50's-60's neighborhood. There are upscale houses, run-down houses, a few Chem-lawns, lots of yards that are full of trees and less than perfect lawns. We have a few backyard clotheslines (including mine) and many beautifully landscaped yards. Front yard perennials and a neighbor with a small plot of corn and tomatoes next to the street. Our neighbors are courteous, quiet and considerate. Kids can safely roam around. There is an annual neighborhood Labor Day Picnic at our park, an annual garage sale and a Christmas party.

I guess Joan Grunderman wouldn't consider my neighborhood, "nice."

[supernova]

4. Sister, niece and hubby

and their kids live in a covenant-restricted community that doesn't allow clotheslines. It's a very pretty place with upper income folks, large houses, couuntry club w/ tennis courts, pool, landscaped yards. I don't know what people are going to do who want to go green. It'll sure be interesting to hear about.

Glad I live in the country. I'm the boss.

[bunkerbuster1]

5. Here's what people do, actually--

they get elected to their boards and they change the stupid covenants.

It's not rocket science. I imagine there will be some nasty battles over this in the years ahead, but I'm also sure that common sense--i.e., permitting people to air-dry their clothes--will win out in lots of neighborhoods.

[supernova]

6. You know that and I know that

but historically the people who tend to be interested in running for and being on these boards, typically aren't the commonsensical type. ;-)

[bunkerbuster1]

7. Yep, you get all kinds.

I could bore you with stories... but maybe I'll post a new message to the Lounge, one-a-these-days.

[Canuckistanian]

8. The Joan Grundemans of this world are in for a rude shock

With the coming of the energy crunch, people aren't going to have the luxury of worrying about "offending their neighbors" with a clothesline.

And I even doubt that figure of $80/year. When I calculated the cost of a dryer, it was well over $100.

[Karenina]

10. ...

:rofl:

[PDenton]

11. This is just an example

... of how the average American suburbanite's values conflicting with the needs of sustainability. Can we just kill off the suburbs once and for all in a final solution and get it over with? Oh well.

I think clotheslines would be a good way to dry white clothes, because it doesn't matter if the sun bleaches them. Other than that, I like driers. Plus here in Florida, stuff doesn't always dry outside, if you know what I mean. The state flower is mildew, or might as well be.