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July 20, 2010
Three Arrows, a Co-op That Loves Its Committees
The New York Times
by Susan Dominus
Congratulations, Bruce Ratner! You're now the poster child for undemocratic development projects!
Hi, Jen and David — it’s your Realtor, Sasha, calling. I don’t want to clog your voice mail, but I just found a summer property at Three Arrows that I absolutely think you should see. Actually, it’s not a property. Don’t call it a property. They hate the word “property.” They call it a site, and what you really buy is the house on it. The land itself is owned by Three Arrows. It’s a co-op, like in the city, only it’s in Putnam Valley, N.Y., up past Peekskill.
Anyway, it’s got great lake access just for members and their friends, but it’s not a club. Three Arrows is not really clubby — definitely not country-clubby, I mean. Think socialist, not socialite. A bunch of actual socialists started the place nearly 75 years ago: “Cooperative living at proletarian prices.” Those old lefties were pretty good branders, it turns out.
...A majority vote of the membership can overturn any decision — direct democracy in action, they like to say (try putting that in the brochure for Bruce Ratner’s newest development!).
Posted by eric at July 20, 2010 9:27 AM