When McMansions attack (farmland, houses, community, America)

[KevinE]

*sigh*

Is there any worse feeling than seeing that farmer's pasture you've known since childhood being turned into a McMansion farm?

And they sprout up so quick! Like fungus after a spring rain.

[MoNative34]

Instead of a nice neighborhood it couldv'e been developed as:

1. A trailer park
2. An industrial site
3. A power plant
4. A prison
5. A landfill

Chances are that property's value is way too high to remain vacant.

[GraniteStater]

McMansions= not a wise use of natural resources.
I have a feeling consumers will start to demand smaller houses that are more efficient.
I would much rather have a custom built 1500sq ft house instead of a cheaply built 3000sq ft cookie cutter McMansion.

[arctichomesteader]

Originally Posted by MoNative34

Instead of a nice neighborhood it couldv'e been developed as:

1. A trailer park
2. An industrial site
3. A power plant
4. A prison
5. A landfill

Chances are that property's value is way too high to remain vacant.

Or it could remain farmland and keep Americans fed with American grown food. But hey, what's wrong with being a net importer of food?

On the bright side, more and more of those mcmansions are sitting vacant and less will be built as consumerism collapses.

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by arctichomesteader

Or it could remain farmland and keep Americans fed with American grown food.

And that use of it means that it is NOT vacant! Just because there's no buildings on a piece of land doesn't mean that it's not being used well.

[texdav]

What I see is is a previous owner that is well off having sold the loand. fewer people are able to keepup with the rising tax bill once as civilaiztion comes near also.

[marmac]

most people who post here are vehemently opposed to zoning ( I am opposed also)

However , zoning could have prevented that.

[Rickers]

Another preventive measure would be to sneak out at night and move all the survey stakes before construction starts,
over and over and over again while wearing a mask, tights and a cape !

[beachmouse]

Originally Posted by marmac

most people who post here are vehemently opposed to zoning ( I am opposed also)

However , zoning could have prevented that.

Zoning can also help on the tax issue- a property zoned agricultural frequently has lower tax rates than residential or commercial land, and in some states you can get an even bigger tax break if you agree to sign off on a long time conservation easement (which lets you keep farming or ranching the land but limits your ability to split the parcel into McMansionettes)

The thing that drives me nuts about urban sprawl is that there's no real thought given to eventually creating a community as a whole- just endless lines of new subdivisions. No setting aside land for the kind of small commercial center so people can get gas, limited grocery service, a sit down meal, a place to pick up big packages, etc., some sort of small church or preschool. Kind of like a proto-small town.

Instead, everyone drives five or ten miles to the nearest Walmart of get a gallon of milk when it would be nice to be able to walk a couple of blocks to be able to do the smae.

[DC at the Ridge]

Originally Posted by beachmouse

Zoning can also help on the tax issue- a property zoned agricultural frequently has lower tax rates than residential or commercial land, and in some states you can get an even bigger tax break if you agree to sign off on a long time conservation easement (which lets you keep farming or ranching the land but limits your ability to split the parcel into McMansionettes)

The thing that drives me nuts about urban sprawl is that there's no real thought given to eventually creating a community as a whole- just endless lines of new subdivisions. No setting aside land for the kind of small commercial center so people can get gas, limited grocery service, a sit down meal, a place to pick up big packages, etc., some sort of small church or preschool. Kind of like a proto-small town.

Instead, everyone drives five or ten miles to the nearest Walmart of get a gallon of milk when it would be nice to be able to walk a couple of blocks to be able to do the smae.

I agree. Many developers are putting in small playgrounds and community swimming pools in the McMansion neighborhoods. Putting in a general store/snack place wouldn't be a stretch. A place people could pick up stamps, milk, bread, or grab a lemonade and a grilled cheese sandwich. I think setting up a dry-clean drop-off, where a store employee could take the dry-cleaning to a dry-cleaners in town and pick-up the dry-cleaning for the neighborhood would be a wonderful convenience.