McMansions Transforming Myers Park, Good or Bad?

[Rickydavisfan21]

I agree wholeheartedly, my followup to your ending question, is how exactly can one put a 6000 ft house on a 1/3-1/2 acre lot, what ever happened to a front and back yard???? Maryland Avenue used to be one of my favourite streets in charlotte, next to queens road, and now its just unsightly, and because of all the construction impossible to navigate. I just wish the size race of "the big hair houses" would inspire two big banks, wachovia and bank of America, and start them fighting eachother for who can claim tallest, I know mr. thompson lives on Eastover Rd. and experiences the mansions first hand.

[UptownGrrl]

I agree wholeheartedly, my followup to your ending question, is how exactly can one put a 6000 ft house on a 1/3-1/2 acre lot, what ever happened to a front and back yard???? Maryland Avenue used to be one of my favourite streets in charlotte, next to queens road, and now its just unsightly, and because of all the construction impossible to navigate. I just wish the size race of "the big hair houses" would inspire two big banks, wachovia and bank of America, and start them fighting eachother for who can claim tallest, I know mr. thompson lives on Eastover Rd. and experiences the mansions first hand.

New York Times had a great article yesterday about the <gasp> decline in McMansions. According to some trends they examined the luxury buyer today (as opposed to even just 7-10 years ago) is starting to lean more toward quality than quantity. But, I'm sure the 'slowdown' will take awhile to hit Charlotte.

nytimes.com: Are McMansions Going Out of Style?

[intcvlcphlga]

This is just a thought here. I think Myers Park is a beautiful neighborhood and I applaud any effort to curb the McMansioning of America's cities, but I'm with Miesian Corners here (nice screen name btw) in preserving the mid-century modernist houses in addition to the houses built in the first wave of MP development. There have been several articles in the NY Times, Dwell, Metropolis, etc. lamenting the destruction of some of the best examples of modernist homes by architects like Bunshaft, Johnson, Breur, Stone, etc in the city of New Canaan, CT. It's the same deal as MP except with a twist - the houses being torn down to make way for McMansions are mid-century instead of prewar.

I would go one step farther and advocate that new home construction be thoughtful, architect-designed structures that are reflective of society today, contemporary technology, etc. An interesting experiment along these lines can be found on Long Island where the architect, Richard Meier, was hired by a new subdivision developer to pick 34 of the most influential architects practicing today to each design a home for the new community. Their work can be seen at this link: http://www.housesatsagaponac.com/ It might be too much to ask that this happen in Myers Park, but at some point it would be nice to see Americans get over traditional architecture...

[cinco]

This is just a thought here. I think Myers Park is a beautiful neighborhood and I applaud any effort to curb the McMansioning of America's cities, but I'm with Miesian Corners here (nice screen name btw) in preserving the mid-century modernist houses in addition to the houses built in the first wave of MP development. There have been several articles in the NY Times, Dwell, Metropolis, etc. lamenting the destruction of some of the best examples of modernist homes by architects like Bunshaft, Johnson, Breur, Stone, etc in the city of New Canaan, CT. It's the same deal as MP except with a twist - the houses being torn down to make way for McMansions are mid-century instead of prewar.

I would go one step farther and advocate that new home construction be thoughtful, architect-designed structures that are reflective of society today, contemporary technology, etc. An interesting experiment along these lines can be found on Long Island where the architect, Richard Meier, was hired by a new subdivision developer to pick 34 of the most influential architects practicing today to each design a home for the new community. Their work can be seen at this link: http://www.housesatsagaponac.com/ It might be too much to ask that this happen in Myers Park, but at some point it would be nice to see Americans get over traditional architecture...

thanks for the link. i cannot agree with you more. i do think it is too much to ask from MP, for their roots are mighty deep. perhaps chantilly or cherry neighborhood could pull this off. you have touched on some lifelong dreams i have for this city... thanks again.

[Southernyank]

i just wanted to say that i absolutely HATE this thread! only because im broke and every time i hear the word, McMansions, i get hungry!!!

[QueenCityBobcats]

Unlike many regions where sprawl exists, Myers Park's new homes aren't "made of vinyl", they fit into the community better and are made of better materials than the 1950's ranches.

[Miesian Corners]

Unlike many regions where sprawl exists, Myers Park's new homes aren't "made of vinyl", they fit into the community better and are made of better materials than the 1950's ranches.

I beg to disagree. EFIS (fake stucco), artificial stone, and solid PVC trim aren't "better", they're simply different. The monster house at the intersection of Princeton and Queens Road West is a prime example. The "stone" cladding is made of a concrete composite that is about two inches thick. Compare that with the ranch around the corner from me that was built in 1955 and has real granite entryways and steps with brick veneer.

I would also venture to say that any house that towers over its neighbor and is four times the size of said neighbor does not fit in. Again, look no further than the before mentioned monstrosity at Princeton and Queens West and what has become one of the most horrific streets in Charlotte architectually, Maryland Avenue. You can also take a ride down Cassamia (off Providence near the intersection with Wendover) and you'll find a cool mid-Century modern next to a monster McMansion (built on the site of a former decent Mies Van der Rohe copy) that literally blows scale out of the water. The new house, while not unattractive, is built out of no better materials (worse probably, the modern house is steel, glass and brick) and is three times the height of its modern neighbor.

[Miesian Corners]

This is just a thought here. I think Myers Park is a beautiful neighborhood and I applaud any effort to curb the McMansioning of America's cities, but I'm with Miesian Corners here (nice screen name btw) in preserving the mid-century modernist houses in addition to the houses built in the first wave of MP development. There have been several articles in the NY Times, Dwell, Metropolis, etc. lamenting the destruction of some of the best examples of modernist homes by architects like Bunshaft, Johnson, Breur, Stone, etc in the city of New Canaan, CT. It's the same deal as MP except with a twist - the houses being torn down to make way for McMansions are mid-century instead of prewar.

I would go one step farther and advocate that new home construction be thoughtful, architect-designed structures that are reflective of society today, contemporary technology, etc. An interesting experiment along these lines can be found on Long Island where the architect, Richard Meier, was hired by a new subdivision developer to pick 34 of the most influential architects practicing today to each design a home for the new community. Their work can be seen at this link: http://www.housesatsagaponac.com/ It might be too much to ask that this happen in Myers Park, but at some point it would be nice to see Americans get over traditional architecture...

Someone knows the meaning of my screen name.

After looking at the above website, I'm ready to move! Thanks for the link. Boy, I'd love to see someone come along and teardown a McMansion and put one of those in its place!

[appatone]

(built on the site of a former decent Mies Van der Rohe copy)

I think we all do.

I've always thought that the Martha Washington APartments in Elizabeth could get bulldozed and something similar to the link above could be done there.

[intcvlcphlga]

In addition to the houses at Sagaponac project, you should check out the HOME House Project at SECCA in Winston-Salem - the winning proposals are supposed to be built in the downtown Winston area (http://www.secca.org/homehouse/) , the Dwell home competion - (http://www.thedwellhome.com/index.html) - the first winning house is being built in Pittsboro, NC. Also, I couldn't find a website for him, but Michael Bell, a professor at Columbia, has curated a couple of interesting housing initiatives in Houston and New York.

[appatone]

I assume most of you have already seen this but there was a piece in the business journal written by the attorney representing several of the Myer's Park McMansion builders.

A draconian curb on McMansions

[uncjj]

I beg to disagree. EFIS (fake stucco), artificial stone, and solid PVC trim aren't "better", they're simply different. The monster house at the intersection of Princeton and Queens Road West is a prime example. The "stone" cladding is made of a concrete composite that is about two inches thick. Compare that with the ranch around the corner from me that was built in 1955 and has real granite entryways and steps with brick veneer.

I would also venture to say that any house that towers over its neighbor and is four times the size of said neighbor does not fit in. Again, look no further than the before mentioned monstrosity at Princeton and Queens West and what has become one of the most horrific streets in Charlotte architectually, Maryland Avenue. You can also take a ride down Cassamia (off Providence near the intersection with Wendover) and you'll find a cool mid-Century modern next to a monster McMansion (built on the site of a former decent Mies Van der Rohe copy) that literally blows scale out of the water. The new house, while not unattractive, is built out of no better materials (worse probably, the modern house is steel, glass and brick) and is three times the height of its modern neighbor.

Normally I just read and don't really get involved in the conversations on the board, but this thread has bugged me for a while. Why do any of you care what other people do with their money and their land. Live where you want...but don't judge people by their house or style. I'm sure we can all agree that everyone has an opinion, but why are some of you so sure your's is the right opinion. I actually worked on the big house at the corner of Queens and Princeton. Everything Messian Corners has said about that house has been dead wrong. The slate on the roof is 100% real and very thick..the stone on the house is 100% real. That house could be used as a bomb shelter. These people haven't skimped on any aspect of the construction of the house and to top it off, they are wonderful people. So just because you or I either can't afford or don't want to build a house like that, doesn't mean that it's a good or bad thing. I can guarantee you that you will find 10 people who love the house for every ten that hate it. Anyway, done with the rant..just get your facts straight before you bash on stuff.

[GRDadof3]

At least they're real. Built out of strong and sturdy materials. Quite unlike the house I lived in in First Ward that was built out of vinyl. Nothing like taking the barbeque grill out for a cook out and end up melting the house.

I didn't have the best of luck with Saussy-Burbank. I'll just leave it at that.

SR, I lived around the corner from the Brady house in Studio City, CA back in the mid-90s. Got a warm place in my heart for Jan.

Maybe this is a stupid question, but what kind of siding would you put on other than vinyl that most people can afford? Maybe not so much in the Myers Park area you are discussing, but on other homes?

Also, I'm curious to hear what bad experiences you had with Saussy Burbank.

Thanks

[dubone]

that myer's park house is controversial enough that people hired lawyers to stop it.

QRW is one of those show-off corridors that we like to show our visitors to see a historic set of beautiful mansions from a hundred years ago. It is a road that is unique, and so when we think of anything destroying that corridor with a type of development that is viewed by many to be negative, then it sparks discussion on a discussion board.

I think that house is ugly, but i also think the ranches are ugly.

glad to hear that at least the materials aren't fake, though.

[Miesian Corners]

Normally I just read and don't really get involved in the conversations on the board, but this thread has bugged me for a while. Why do any of you care what other people do with their money and their land. Live where you want...but don't judge people by their house or style. I'm sure we can all agree that everyone has an opinion, but why are some of you so sure your's is the right opinion. I actually worked on the big house at the corner of Queens and Princeton. Everything Messian Corners has said about that house has been dead wrong. The slate on the roof is 100% real and very thick..the stone on the house is 100% real. That house could be used as a bomb shelter. These people haven't skimped on any aspect of the construction of the house and to top it off, they are wonderful people. So just because you or I either can't afford or don't want to build a house like that, doesn't mean that it's a good or bad thing. I can guarantee you that you will find 10 people who love the house for every ten that hate it. Anyway, done with the rant..just get your facts straight before you bash on stuff.

I didn't say the slate was fake, I said the stone was. I stand corrected. My other comments were about McMansions in general.

Why do we care what other people do with their money? We're Americans...that's what we do. But this goes beyond that. It's when other people's money affects (adversely) those around them. The house is completely out of scale with EVERYTHING around it. It ruins the intentional front setback lines John Nolen (the designer of Myers Park) planned for Queens Road West. It is completely out of context with the neighborhood and its direct neighbors.

I completely agree that people can do what they like with their money, and I have no doubt they are lovely people, but the house (IMO and most everyone else in this city) )is simply wrong for its site. They should have gone to Ballantyne...it would fit in perfectly there.

[Miesian Corners]

Maybe this is a stupid question, but what kind of siding would you put on other than vinyl that most people can afford? Maybe not so much in the Myers Park area you are discussing, but on other homes?

Also, I'm curious to hear what bad experiences you had with Saussy Burbank.

Thanks

Hardy Plank is a good material. It's made from cement fiber-board. Virtually indestructable.

I had serious roof trouble. One leak they "repaired" seven times. They didn't put boots on the plumbing vents, then said they must have "blown off by a strong wind". They installed the wrong windows, then they installed the wrong bathroom tile. The house ended up being delivered over two months late.

[monsoon]

There is a show on HGTV called Dream Builders which concerns itself with people building over the top houses such as that one in Myers Park. The "lovely people" that are building the current monster of a house refer to themselves as "tree huggers" because they are concerned about saving a tree on the property. I find this pretty laughable since these "tree huggers" have no problem with leveling the side of a mountain just so they can plop down their ugly modern house that will spoil the views for everyone. It is totally out of character for the area, bad for the environment, and you have to wonder about a couple that need that much space.

Myers Park is not a mountain to be spoiled since it is already part of the built environment, but it does serve as a historical part of Charlotte now. People get upset when others, in satisfying their own selfish needs, carelessly destroy that history. While it may be legal and within current city guidelines, it shows a disregard for the community as a whole and adds to the divisiveness that we have in society now. This "lovely couple" might chosen other options if they had a need for such an over the top place. I hope that answers your question uncjj.

[uncjj]

There is a show on HGTV called Dream Builders which concerns itself with people building over the top houses such as that one in Myers Park. The "lovely people" that are building the current monster of a house refer to themselves as "tree huggers" because they are concerned about saving a tree on the property. I find this pretty laughable since these "tree huggers" have no problem with leveling the side of a mountain just so they can plop down their ugly modern house that will spoil the views for everyone. It is totally out of character for the area, bad for the environment, and you have to wonder about a couple that need that much space.

Myers Park is not a mountain to be spoiled since it is already part of the built environment, but it does serve as a historical part of Charlotte now. People get upset when others, in satisfying their own selfish needs, carelessly destroy that history. While it may be legal and within current city guidelines, it shows a disregard for the community as a whole and adds to the divisiveness that we have in society now. This "lovely couple" might chosen other options if they had a need for such an over the top place. I hope that answers your question uncjj.

Not really..still just an opinion..but hey it's a discussion board..we can all think what we like. It's there, it's not coming down and there isn't anything that anyone can do about it. I like it. You don't. Oh well.

[monsoon]

Not really..still just an opinion..but hey it's a discussion board..we can all think what we like. It's there, it's not coming down and there isn't anything that anyone can do about it. I like it. You don't. Oh well.

I actually don't care myself as Myers Park is not a place that I would choose to live given the stuffyness of the area. I was however attempting to answer your question as to why others were offended by this show of excess. If you didn't want to know the answer one wonders why you asked in the first place.

[dubone]

today, i drove through queen's road west for the first time in a while. and there a quite a few megamansions that have been built in the last year or two.

the one at qrw and princeton... definitely fits the least into the neighborhood.

it isn't as ugly as i remembered, but it definitely smacks you in the face when you drive by.

[DigitalSky]

today, i drove through queen's road west for the first time in a while. and there a quite a few megamansions that have been built in the last year or two.

the one at qrw and princeton... definitely fits the least into the neighborhood.

it isn't as ugly as i remembered, but it definitely smacks you in the face when you drive by.

yeah the extravagance of that one pretty much hits you when you see it

[Miesian Corners]

Thought I'd share a photo of the latest teardown in my neighborhood. Notice the scale of the new house when compared to those on either side of it. Not a bad house, but the wrong house for a street of single-story ranches. I highly recommend a drive-by to see it in all it's hideousness. It's on Coddington Place just off Randolph Rd (south of Wendover)

Notice the extensive faux stone work...best viewed only from straight on...

[peaceloveunderstanding]

wow. That is a hideous 'house'.

I'm all fine with tearing down a ranch and putting a house with some architectual merit on the plot, but this, this is just wrong.

[DigitalSky]

It looks out of place

[monsoon]

Yeah, considering the fake chimneys its obvious that it is nothing but a square footage house like you would see in a new subdivision. Even the stones look like that manufactured concrete stuff.