Building New Vs. Existing Construction (Raleigh, Durham: middle-class, new home, neighborhoods)

[StereoGuy316]

I thought I'd start this thread because I've seen this topic started in the middle of other threads. So many locals out there are upset at the notion of people moving in and building new homes that disturb the natural environment. There are a lot of small towns out there that aren't so small anymore. I would hate to see N.C. become the next South Florida but it's happening everywhere. If you buy new construction you are contributing to the problem. These builders are building without concern for the area. Can it handle the increased population? What about Schools, garbage, crime, traffic, jobs, etc?

Any thoughts from you guys? I'm sure that there are

[Skipstone]

It concerns me a lot. About 30 years ago there was a real consciousness about preserving trees and habitat around Raleigh, or at least in Cary. But today all that has changed and big developers are coming in and raping the land. Centex, KB, and the others are national companies and they do things the same way everywhere. The developers have no attachment to the areas they're raping. And you're right - in south Florida it's horrible.

What needs to happen is concerned communities should address this issue at the local and state levels. I seriously doubt enough people would ever boycott new developments because the prices are sometimes so much better.

A lot of the new developments are leaving green space along perimeters, etc. That helps, but it's not enough.

We are considering a new development ourselves and the other day I was out there and heard some little frogs making those neat noises they always make in the spring. They were all in a small pool of water sitting in the middle of acres of dirt scraped over by bulldozers. It made me feel really sick inside.

I despise this just as much as you do. I understand some amount of dirt pushing has to happen in order to build a house, but to knock down every tree over a 500 acre spread is hyper-irresponsible.

I've always lived in older neighborhoods with intact habitat and I'm not sure how I'm going to adjust to living in a concrete/vinyl neighborhood with just a really nice home on the interior. I feed birds and I doubt I'll see many at my feeder for a long while. They'll all go to better feeding ground where the plants are in abundance. Thankfully America has enough natural habitat to support the ecosystem in spite of the sorry developers.

[Bull City Rising]

Originally Posted by Skipstone

What needs to happen is concerned communities should address this issue at the local and state levels. I seriously doubt enough people would ever boycott new developments because the prices are sometimes so much better.

Skipstone, I agree with much of what you've said here, and I've highlighted the above because I think it's the key. The cost of doing new development on 'virgin' land is so much less than doing in-fill or redevelopment in existing neighborhoods.

Watching this board the past few months, I've noticed that a large number of the folks expressing an interest in moving to the Triangle are from expensive northeastern states and often hold traditionally middle-class careers (as teachers, medical assistants, firefighters/law enforcement, secretarial, etc.), and are moving here because they can't afford a house where they're from. I don't blame them! My wife and I had great careers in Boston but knew we could never afford to buy a house there and live a financially secure life that wasn't all about work.

As a result, there's a ton of demand for houses that are affordable on the kind of salaries you'd make in those jobs down here, and it's a lot easier to justify in a traditional, car-oriented subdivision.

For my wife and me, we were lucky to be able to get a house in an historic, in-fill neighborhood. We have a greenway trail two blocks from us along a creek and can take it to the Streets at Southpoint or practically all the way to the Eno River, and can walk to several great parks. We could settle for a small house to do it, but if we had two kids, that wouldn't have worked. As much as we "dislike" tract development -- politically, environmentally, socially -- I can't blame families buying those as a place they can call their own home.

How do we make growth pay for itself? Impulsively... I like the idea of impact fees, because they make developers and buyers face the cost of the schools, roads, sewer/water, etc. that they add. Existing residents benefit from growth (their houses closer to the city center go up in value) and should pay some, but in Raleigh-Durham at least, new residents and developers don't really pay their share. Like I said above... I don't want to see these developments or their buyers soaked, either, because it is a part of the "American dream" for so many of us.

[Skipstone]

I like the idea of impact fees, because they make developers and buyers face the cost of the schools, roads, sewer/water, etc. that they add. Existing residents benefit from growth (their houses closer to the city center go up in value) and should pay some, but in Raleigh-Durham at least, new residents and developers don't really pay their share.

Wow, Bull City Rising, that is an incredibly good idea!