McMansions: The Extent and Regulation of Super-sized Houses

Abstract

In response to the increase in oversized houses and plats, this paper reports the results of a survey of 103 US cities about the presence and extent of McMansion houses (infill and greenfield plats) and on their approaches to regulation. With a response rate of 57%, the results revealed that many cities have McMansions and some have adopted regulations (such as limiting building height, design review, and limiting floor area ratio) to control their development. As McMansions continue to spread, communities may need to consider more effective mechanisms to control for undesirable impacts—for infills on neighbours, and for greenfield plats on sprawl.

On … a small road … four major construction projects are under way on individual lots. In each case, the existing, one-story home was sold and pulled down. A builder is now constructing a massive mansion some ten times larger than the pre-existing building on each lot … These large land-use changes in such a small area have significant effects on the town as a whole … tens of trees have been removed to make way for not only the massive buildings but also for the vast sprinkled lawns that surround them. Large decorative lawns and small clusters of shrubs is very different from the slightly overgrown woods … They also mean fertilizer, weed-killer, other chemical products … These changes of vegetation, and the increase in built area, alter both the flora and fauna of the area, especially when introduced on such a massive scale—not one mansion, but four and possibly five on the same small street!

Second, when a new subdivision of million dollar plus homes is proposed, community members may have an opinion on the uncontrolled removal of smaller, more affordable homes for the young and/or the old members of our community.

And finally, whatever your architectural tastes, no one can pretend that these homes are adding to the beauty of our town.

But none of these objections would be meaningful if neighbourhood residents had been consulted, as we imagine they would have been if an entire new subdivision was proposed … By tearing down individual homes and replacing them, builders and realtors seem able to sidestep any conventional public approvals process. Only those of us who live nearby are aware that our neighbourhood is changing radically. (Letter to the editor, Carlisle Mosquito, 8 June 2002, John and Jacqueline Zeisel)