Most Long Island community associations have a House Rule that prohibits homeowners from hanging their laundry outside to dry on a clothesline.
Most Board Members in these communities would be dismayed to learn that, in community associations in other parts of the country, such rules are being eliminated — either by popular demand or legislation.
Yes, clotheslines are making a comeback!
Condominiums and homeowners associations, mostly in the south and southwest, are recognizing that air drying saves energy (and money). And saving energy is becoming enough of a priority, especially among millennials, that people are willing to overlook the clothesline and clothespins in the backyard. While our New York climate may not lend itself to year-round air drying, the same push for a return to clotheslines may be heard here as well in the not-too-distant future.
Other energy-oriented technologies are starting to gain momentum in local community associations. Solar energy panels, previously a non-starter for most Boards due, in large part, to aesthetics, have become more streamlined and less obtrusive. Homeowners are becoming more aggressive in their requests for permission to install solar panels on their roofs, both for energy- and money-saving purposes. There is also a bill pending in the New York State Legislature that would require community association Boards to allow the installation of solar panels on the roofs of individual homes. It hasn’t been passed (yet), but it is a sign of the times.
The increased presence of electric cars has also resulted in homeowner requests for the installation of charging stations in common area parking lots or on the exteriors of homes.
Most people (community association Board members included) tend to prefer the status quo and are adverse to change. That is probably the main reason why clotheslines, solar energy panels, and electric charging stations are all still relatively rare. There are legitimate objections, or at least concerns, about having a neighbor’s undergarments flapping in the wind, solar panels voiding a roof warranty, or about who should bear the cost of installing charging stations. But are these issues reason enough to halt movement toward a more energy-conscious and environmentally responsible society? Time will tell, but Boards may want to start discussing how to incorporate new technologies into their community before they are confronted by demanding residents or federal, state or local legislation.
