Point of View / News & Observer

In today's N&O, the best composite of points yet to be rolled into in piece.

Myrick Howard of Preservation North Carolina writes:

The lowdown on teardowns
Bad on neighborhoods -- and on the earth

RALEIGH - The teardown trend in Raleigh is bad for the environment -- and bad for Raleigh's residents. When global warming, water conservation needs, landfill shortages and the need for additional electric power generation fill the newspaper on a daily basis, tearing down a perfectly habitable house (even if it's "dowdy") to make way for an oversized replacement is environmentally irresponsible. ...

Howard also states that "Contrary to building industry rhetoric, teardowns do not financially benefit the existing property owners in a neighborhood. After oversized houses are built, neighboring property values actually drop in many cases." He itemizes these areas of concern -- "the quality of life is diminished, living next door to a monster house (with the issues of increased runoff, and loss of sunlight, view and neighborhood tree canopy) and the streetscape loses its charm."

Just what those of us with monster houses looming were afraid of. Ask the neighbors of Garage Mahal on Glenwood Avenue what they think about the house next door.

Read the whole story here.