Leveling restrictions on McMansions

[Liberal_in_LA]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-mcmansions23jul23,0,1022515.story?coll=la-home-nation

In 1973, the median size of a new American home was 1,525 square feet; in 2006, it was 2,248 square feet.

The growth was fueled partly by the increased amenities available to consumers.

"Home entertainment centers used to be a TV set and a video recorder," said John R. Nolon, a law professor at Pace University in New York and counsel to its Land Use Law Center. "Now it's an entire room."

(**SNIP**_

The median size of a new home in unincorporated Boulder County grew from 3,900 in 1990 to 6,300 last year. That led officials to consider capping the square footage of mountain homes at 2,500 square feet — a number since modified.

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6,300 square feet!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Liberal_in_LA]

1. A nagging sense that growth is cramping our style

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2003795210_joni19.html


Two neighbors you have known for years decide to move away. You will miss these nice, quiet people living in a house that fits harmoniously with the land.

Within a week of their decision, neighbors are whispering about what, not whom, will replace their reasonably sized home. Will it be a dreaded McMansion, one of those monster homes that reaches high in the sky and stretches lot line to lot line?

What will become of the neighborhood?

[Liberal_in_LA]

2. Editorial - New houses on Lewisville out of place (07.19.07)

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1091&dept_id=425648&newsid=18605991&PAG=461&rfi=9


but if that is the case, the question then must be asked: why build a 4,000-square-foot McMansion where nothing but 2,000-square-foot dwellings exist anyway?

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I hate McMansions. Anyone else?

[aquart]

6. The architectural manifestations of Satan are taking over Bayside.

Beautiful not tiny houses have been razed for these horrors.

Hideous.

[Liberal_in_LA]

7. Photo of McMansion next to people sized home

[izzie]

8. You should see what they have done to the sea coast of Maine.

Big second homes were always in style and as the room gets less to build on they look even worse than before. All on top of each other. I will say this. I grew up in a second home on the coast. How did we get it? The bank owned it as so many of these homes were for sale after the owners lost them. This one my father bought sat from 1921 to 1937 waiting for some one to buy it. Lots of big homes going up in the town I live in and where I live they are selling their big home. Most of the homes when I grew up were heated by coal and most of the home was shut off and hardly used most of the year and it was not really a poor part of the country. Most people worked even during the late 30's. In the 40's the big homes were on the way out and tore down. I think the ball will go that way. Things just keep turning. Look at it this way. York County Maine was once just one big farm and farm land, then the people left and it went back to woods and now the woods are going and homes are taking over once more. Things seem to run in circles like that. The big home is in style right now.

[fasttense]

3. I helped a friend who was looking over some McMansions to buy.

I was amazed at how large and beautiful the homes were. They had everything except yards. They had chilling drawers and warming ovens. They had granite tops and entertainment rooms. All these wonderful amenities rolled into a postage size lot. They were beautifully landscaped but they had no where for the children to run and play. You could do anything you wanted as long as you stayed indoors. Some even had swimming pools but of course the pools were small and took up every inch of the backyard. The views of your neighbor's walls were endless and you could drive half an hour to the local park to walk your dog. There were sidewalks and fake antique street lights but there was no place to walk to.

But of course with global warming, you wouldn't want to be outside anyway.

[Liberal_in_LA]

4. Like your description. You left out that you can reach out the window and shake the neighbors hand

in the next window.

[bluestateguy]

5. I don't know about this

It might set a precedent for government restrictions on modest sized homes in the future. I don't see that as good.

Furthermore, by restricting supply of these houses, you will be making the existing McMansions more valuable: supply and demand. If I was already a McMansion owner, I think I'd like this idea a lot!

[moondust]

9. Fat people need room to move.

I don't think there's much population growth to account for the expansion.

My bitch is that these grotesqueries likely guzzle and waste utilities which drives up utility bills for everybody including sensible people. And of course the trees and other resources wasted in building up the excess.