Oct 16, 2007 7:17 pm US/Central
Edina Neighbors Not Happy With New McMansions
EDINA, Minn. (WCCO) ―
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The Edina City Council has implemented restrictions on the height of newly constructed homes.
CBS
Supersized houses built on lots where existing homes are torn down can pit neighbor against neighbor and now the debate has moved to the suburbs.
Some Edina residents are so fed up with the so called McMansion invasion that they posted video on you tube voicing their concerns. The city is now dealing with the changing landscape.
"It's kind of got a Beaver Cleaver feel to it, there's a certain charm. So here comes this huge home that just doesn't fit in," said Edina Resident Jay Carlson.
Residents on a traditional Edina block nestled near Minnehaha Creek aren't exactly rolling out the welcome wagon for their new neighbor.
"Our issue here is the size of the lots. There are some beautiful homes that are being built in this area that are really big but they should be in other areas of Edina where there are larger lots," said Carlson.
The home which once stood next to Carlson's was a story and a half Cape Cod design. The one replacing it will be twice as big. That home and others are actually marketed as teardowns.
"These homes continue to happen over and over again and we weren't happy with how fast things were moving," said Carlson.
Neighbors were so frustrated they created a video for city leaders.
"This is being built by a builder that has no connection whatsoever with this neighborhood and the people that live here," said one resident in the video.
"There are speculators coming to our neighborhoods tearing down residences," said another man on the video.
"The builders don't live here," commented a young resident on the tape.
City leaders understand the concerns and are working to implement more restrictions on builders.
"It will be very, very important to continue to look at ways of regulating that balance that right of existing residents, people in existing homes to light, air, ventilation and appropriate, proper drainage with the rights of others to either extensively remodel or rebuild their homes," said Edina City Councilmember Joni Bennett.
Meantime, residents are watching their neighborhoods transform.
The Edina City Council has implemented restrictions on the height of newly constructed homes and extended the number of feet required between homes so the larger houses aren't squeezing into the ones next door.
Edina residents wish the council would adopt a McMansion ordinance like Minneapolis.
Basically it requires the square footage of new homes be no bigger than half the size of the lots.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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