Greenbelt Housing Co-op Passes Non-Smoking Directive
GHI housing co-op members give their board the nod to come up with a proposal that would allow them to decide row by row to deny smoking.
Photos
Greenbelt Homes Inc. (GHI) members voted in favor of paving the way for the creation of non-smoking rows in their housing cooperative. At GHI’s recent annual membership meeting, voters authorized their board of directors to develop such a proposal.
After debate and amendment, members voted that they would have the last word on whatever proposal the board developed and that a row’s non-smoking designation could only come about through the unanimous agreement of members on that row.
The ball is now in the board’s court.
“I’m sure that they will take it up shortly, “ GHI General Manager Eldon Ralph said in an interview on Monday.
GHI Board Vice President Bill Jones said he is likely to bring up appointing a task force at the board's next meeting on Thursday.
In March, a row of cooperative members on Ridge Road's 13 Court started the drive to create smoke-free housing, row by row. Court members Judy Bell and Linda Curtis eventually collected 52 members' signatures and won the right to take up the issue at GHI's annual meeting.
Their petition read:
"We, the membership, direct the Board of Directors of Greenbelt Homes, Inc. to develop and implement a policy that would allow members of an entire row of units to revise their Mutual Ownership Contracts to indicate that smoking inside these units is not allowed."
But at Thursday’s meeting, members complained that the “develop and implement” language did not give them the final say. So they voted to approve both a primary amendment striking the word “implement” and a secondary amendment inserting “to develop a proposal for consideration by the membership.”
Bell also prevailed with her own amendment to add the word “unanimously” before “agree to revise.”
The final motion passed by a yes vote.
The approved motion states:
"We, the membership, direct the Board of Directors of Greenbelt Homes, Inc. to develop a proposal for consideration by the membership that would allow members of an entire row of units to unanimously agree to revise their Mutual Ownership Contracts to indicate that smoking inside these units is not allowed."
GHI members may not have hold their breath until next year’s annual meeting to say yeah or nay to the board’s proposal. It could wait until then, but the proposal may also be presented to members in a special meeting, Jones told members on Thursday.
Beverly LOng
4:45 pm on Tuesday, May 22, 2012
I do not smoke but I would not agree to this. What would happen when the unit is sold? only allow a non smoker? This would really appear to be discrimination. I can not say in 3 or 5 years that there might be a need for someone to smoke somewhere in my unit
Bailey Henneberg
5:18 pm on Tuesday, May 22, 2012
At this point it appears that whatever happens, will happen row by row. So some rows would remain non-smoking. Regarding your question, the policy has not been written yet, but the direction it is heading in seems to be that even when sold, smoking would not be allowed in the unit.
Kate Phelan
7:34 pm on Tuesday, May 22, 2012
It would be great to know that smoking neighbors cannot move in on either side of you after you buy a unit. However, the idea of discrimination is interesting. I look forward to learning whether this policy is legally possible.
Bonnie Schrack
9:05 am on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
If it were to be considered discrimination, wouldn't there be legal problems with hotels designating non-smoking rooms, not to speak of laws banning smoking in restaurants? These are not seen as barring a particular kind of person, a "smoker," but as prohibiting a behavior, smoking. Discrimination should only be an issue if being a smoker were an innate, unchangeable characteristic of a person. Despite its being a difficult addiction to break, people can and do change from smokers into non-smokers.
AndThenAgain
12:40 pm on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
BS, above, describes public accommodations; GHI is residential, therefore, a private accommodation.
This reduces to a question of occupancy rights and member rights: fair use of one's abode versus the right to be free from nuisances and possible harm from one's neighbor. Legally it is complex, and it speaks to core rights in conflict.
Magnetic
8:47 am on Thursday, May 24, 2012
The situation at Greenbelt is tragic indeed. Why is there a need to declare rows of units as smokefree? Why is this question not asked of those who want such a policy? There are obviously those who irrationally believe that there is a “hazard” and, yet, is right on the heels of a court case (i.e., Schuman) indicating that there is no demonstrable evidence of so-called “smoke drift”, let alone evidence of “hazard”.
We are witnessing a neurosis/bigotry bandwagon effect. The incessant, State-supported, antismoking propaganda of the last 3 decades has “normalized” anxiety disorders, somatization, hypochondria, and bigotry. Those at Greenbelt that have jumped on the bandwagon should be ashamed.
Magnetic
8:48 am on Thursday, May 24, 2012
Consider that antismoking is not new. It has a long, sordid history. America was gripped by anti-smoking (and anti-alcohol) fervor earlier last century, pushed by the Temperance and Eugenics (physicians) Movements:
http://www.americanheritage.com/content/thank-you-not-smoking
http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&File_Id=5339
This was more than half a century before the more recent concoction of secondhand smoke “danger”. It has nothing to do with secondhand smoke. Fanatics will make up any inflammatory claim to advance their deranged “no smoking” agenda and appease their considerable mental dysfunction. Unfortunately, society can get terribly caught out. The current crusade is the same as earlier crusades – a litany of baseless, inflammatory claims to manipulate the public and legislators into conformity.
Audrey Bragg
4:08 pm on Thursday, May 24, 2012
According to the fair housing laws, smokers are NOT a protected class.
Amioh
9:34 pm on Monday, June 4, 2012
I'm more concerned about the neighbor who sits on her porch, inches from my bedroom window and blows cigarette smoke starting very early at 6:30 in the morning and ending very late (11:30) in the evening. I can no longer keep my windows open or sit on my deck when she is around. I'm annoyed that my access to the outdoors has now become restricted. If there is going to be non-smoking row then I think it should include indoors and out. Otherwise what is the point?