East Grand Rapids says no to Parade Of Homes

[twoshort]

http://www.mlive.com/newslogs/grpress/inde..._01.html#105925

hahaha.. this is rediculous.

[GRDadof3]

I'm a little torn on this one. Working in the building industry, I understand it is essential for small builders to showcase their craft, but I have also seen some of the fallout from the Parade: items do get stolen from Parade homes (and neighboring homes), front yards do get driven and walked on, and for a home like this (or Wayne Visbeens last year), the amount of cars can be out of control for a small street. And it's TWO WEEKS long. They need to shorten the thing anyway. Imagine a Parade of Homes on a small street in Easttown, where everyone drove (because people come from all over the area), and you had on average of over 1000 visitors a day, for TWO WEEKS. Or imagine that everyone who goes to the Heritage Hill Homes tour all going to ONE home, for two weeks straight.

I'd love to say "Those snobby EGR people!", but I gotta go with them on this one.

[twoshort]

I'm a little torn on this one. Working in the building industry, I understand it is essential for small builders to showcase their craft, but I have also seen some of the fallout from the Parade: items do get stolen from Parade homes (and neighboring homes), front yards do get driven and walked on, and for a home like this (or Wayne Visbeens last year), the amount of cars can be out of control for a small street. And it's TWO WEEKS long. They need to shorten the thing anyway. Imagine a Parade of Homes on a small street in Easttown, where everyone drove (because people come from all over the area), and you had on average of over 1000 visitors a day, for TWO WEEKS. Or imagine that everyone who goes to the Heritage Hill Homes tour all going to ONE home, for two weeks straight.

I'd love to say "Those snobby EGR people!", but I gotta go with them on this one.

While I don't agree with their decision, I understand their concerns. I know it could be annoying, but I think something like this should be shown. Maybe shortening the parade is the key?

[andrew.w]

Maybe shortening the parade is the key?

Only if the event can be shortened without greatly increasing the attendance each day and making the houses too busy and congested (i.e. almost the same number of people in less time)

[dbrok]

Does anyone know how many new homes are constructed in East Grand Rapids each year? I thought it's been pretty built out for a long time. Are they mostly doing tear downs there now?

[buzzkill]

Way to live up to your stereotype, EGR.

Bravo.

[jayblogger]

I'd love to say "Those snobby EGR people!"

oh, go ahead, live a little... say it =;-)

[PBJ]

Only if the event can be shortened without greatly increasing the attendance each day and making the houses too busy and congested (i.e. almost the same number of people in less time)

Couldn't the just say that they'll sell XXXX amount of tickets and that's it? That would work

[twoshort]

Couldn't the just say that they'll sell XXXX amount of tickets and that's it? That would work

You mean to just that house? I think maybe that would be a good solution. Lets be honest the majority of the people walking through that house aren't in the market for a house on Manhattan Lane. Perhaps the builder should look at having some sort of private party showcasing the house to the right clientel (ala Flip This House on A&E)...

[GRDadof3]

Does anyone know how many new homes are constructed in East Grand Rapids each year? I thought it's been pretty built out for a long time. Are they mostly doing tear downs there now?

As far as I know, there are a few new lots off of Boston that Blue Bridge Ventures developed (used to be church property), and a new plat of a few lots just off of Lake Drive near Wealthy Elementary called "Wilcox Gardens".

http://public.grar.com/public/pubsrchul.ma...872&NEXT=000001

(those are lot prices BTW )

This home (I believe) is one of the new homes that you see on the North shore of Reeds Lake from Collins Park being built .

I think the answer would have been (and Kevin Einfeld should have seen this coming), is that he should have planned for parking and a shuttle bus offsite, and then bussed people to the home. That's what a couple of builders did in either The Ridge or Catamount off of Grand River (?) (since they are gated communities). And they need to shorten the parade. 15 days or whatever it is is far too long. The Lakeshore has an 8 day parade, and it's just the right amount of days.

[GRCentro]

I toured this home while it was being finished. Beautiful property! Nice place, although a little too extravengant for my taste (steam room, electric windows openers, etc...)

While I understand the neighbor's concerns, their attitude about it is a shame. A neighbor, from Tuesday's Press:

"You've got the highest taxpayers in East Grand Rapids out there. When we don't like something, we don't like to have it shoved down our throats."

[joeDowntown]

When I read this I laughed. I go on the Parade all the time. Never seen a bunch of hooligans out stealing lightposts or anything. And to the snobs on Manhattan, I have probably toured houses more expensive than yours. Get over yourselves... I'd like to shove their pretentious comments down there throats (and to clarify, I love EGR).

Joe

While I understand the neighbor's concerns, their attitude about it is a shame. A neighbor, from Tuesday's Press:

"You've got the highest taxpayers in East Grand Rapids out there. When we don't like something, we don't like to have it shoved down our throats."

[Ted]

When I read this I laughed. I go on the Parade all the time. Never seen a bunch of hooligans out stealing lightposts or anything. And to the snobs on Manhattan, I have probably toured houses more expensive than yours. Get over yourselves... I'd like to shove their pretentious comments down there throats (and to clarify, I love EGR).

Joe

Snobs? What about the HBA bullies? Judy Barnes scolding East Grand Rapids? Obnoxious and uncalled for. Since when is the HBA's beauty pageant some sort of divine right?

[joeDowntown]

I think the HBA should stick up for one of its members. If it isn't an advocate for its membership, what is the association good for?

Joe

Snobs? What about the HBA bullies? Judy Barnes scolding East Grand Rapids? Obnoxious and uncalled for. Since when is the HBA's beauty pageant some sort of divine right?

[RustTown]

All of the Parades of Homes I've seen (here in my metro area, of course), have gone off without a hitch. I think there maybe some valid concerns, but is it more probable to believe that the rejection of this event was based more on legitimate concerns, or more on the fact that this is East Grand Rapids? Really, I'm not making a judgement either way, but want to raise the question.

Does the good generally outweigh the bad from these, more often than not? I can only judge of of what I've seen here, which isn't good enough for me.

[MJLO]

I think the shock comes from some of the ignorant comments made by the one resident on who lives on Manhattan. In reference, to the "criminal element". That has nothing to do with EGR and everything to do with a soccer mom who doesn't know the forest for the trees. Last I checked the "criminal element" weren't to into being first in line at the parade of homes, they aren't even aware that there is a parade of homes for that matter. That's as silly as rockford mom who didn't want her kids to see the billboard that said "Sex and the city" weeknights fox 17. Don't get me started.......

It's not an EGR thing, I have never thought EGR gated themselves off from the rest of us, I'd say they are worse about that in Cascade TWP. EGR is more laidback wealth if you ask me, they even voted that gay marriaged thing down there if memory serves. You gotta go a little further east, to the "new money" to get the real pretention. I think it's all been blown out of proportion. I gaurantee that if they wanted to have that down my parents street in Bella Vista, that my folks would be annoyed, of course I dont think it would have anything to do with the " criminal element". Having that go thru your neighborhood, has got to be somewhat a pain in the butt.

[RustTown]

Thanks for the explaination, MJLO.

[terra firma]

Way to live up to your stereotype, EGR.

Bravo.

I"m an EGR guy (this makes me a total snob automatically, no?) so I'll chime in on this one.

Some parts of EGR, such as my mini-neighborhood AND that of the subject property being discussed are just plain not conducive to a Parade. These are neighborhoods that dead-end into the lake, making it logistically hard and impossible to park, unless the neighbors don't mind strangers parking on their yard-- they do.

Add on top of that the fact that many Parade-goers are not interested in building a house, they are interested in going through the most expensive homes listed, such as in this case. It's just a really annoying thing for the neighbors-- I built last year and considered a parade because of all the discounts you get when you do it but in the interest of my neighbors I didn't do it either.

If that makes me a snob then that's what I am.

For the record, EGR is totally family friendly, the scool rooms are filled with helper parents and people are really, really nice to each other. If you want the clicky snobby competitive crap you gotta go to cascade for that :-)

[twoshort]

If you want the clicky snobby competitive crap you gotta go to cascade for that :-)

hahaha