The Daily Journal ran a piece about the incursion of tear-downs, McMansions, Taco Bells--choose your term of choice. The only new aspects of this since my wife first ran for City Council twenty years ago are that other towns besides B'game are feeling the pain too and the Modern style of architecture has cropped up in neighborhoods. Our own Jennifer Pfaff was quoted extensively, as she should be
In Burlingame, the crux of community concern is not so much the size of homes, as it is gradual shift away from the traditional look in neighborhoods, according to Jennifer Pfaff, president of the archives for the city’s Historical Society. Pfaff said trends have moved in Burlingame toward building more modern homes, which has resulted in a loss of some of the city’s classic architectural style as existing properties are redeveloped. She added the shift is especially apparent due to the relatively small property lot sizes in Burlingame, and the difference between new, modern homes sitting in near proximity to older, classic homes is clearly visible.
“It may not change if you are looking at a house by itself as a freestanding structure, it isn’t quite as serious as when you are looking at rows of houses very close together,” she said.
The effect of changing community character is cumulative, said Pfaff, which has increasingly taken hold over recent years. She said the result has become large, bold structures with flat faces toward the street which creates an almost boxy look for neighborhood where many modern homes sit together.
Requiring more setbacks toward the sides of properties, leaving additional space for trees and landscaping, would help prevent the increasingly popular aesthetic from overwhelming the community, said Pfaff.
I seriously doubt anything will be done about any aspect of this issue, but perhaps I am just jaded by history. Anybody recall the campaign postcard that read "You'll Miss it When it's Gone"?
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