Mr. Bill Hammann, member of the Evansville Planning Commission, and member of the Traditional Design committee that met last week, made a suggestion with respect to the "points" that have been under discussion for builders of small, medium, and large homes. He suggested a scale of "points", so as not to discourage the low end, but require more of the higher end. He urges focus on the "market" and not the
builders as the key.
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There appears to be a disconnect between the home builders who are active in Evansville and market trends. According to an article in the May 23 edition of the Janesville Gazette (page 3A), the average new house keeps getting bigger, because that is what buyers are demanding. In 1990, nationally, one in six new houses had at least four bedrooms. In 2005, one in five new houses had at last four bedrooms. Yet Evansville home builders continue to build almost exclusively three-bedroom houses. Between 1990 and 2005, the national average size of a new house grew by 400 square feet, to 2,434 square feet. Yet Evansville builders complain that on some lots, they are required by zoning to build a house that is at least 1,600 square feet. When you hear Bill Hammann and others speak about "big houses," they are talking about houses over 1,600 square feet, which is hardly large by today's standards for new houses.
ReplyDeleteBill Connors
Former Evansville City Administrator
I am always glad to read your imput.
ReplyDeleteWith that said I think Bill H. Has it right with the sliding scale.
How can it be market driven if the city is dictating the design standard?
ReplyDeleteAre we creating this "problem". We were told it was due to complaints, but by whom? Since some half of the city is newer developments, is this simply historic district against new districts? The west siders complain about water problems, but I haven't read anything about their complaining about their house design.
Is Countryside really destroying the desirability of the rest of the city?
Could it be that Countryside and the west side developments are new and as trees and lndscape develope and people grow with and add-on to their homes, diversity will take root.
Did anyone else notice the same-ness of the two homes on the cover of the historic parade of homes pamphlet? Yet the city is trying hard to preserve those homes.
Do we really need to protect the citizenry of Evansville from turning to stone at the so called ugliness of our newer resident neighborhoods.
These homes sold, people moved here, they are paying their taxes. And now we are telling them that their houses are an eyesore and hurt us all.
Looking for compromise isn't always the wisest or best solution. Sometimes it's best to put a bad idea to rest and carry on with the real business of Government and get out of peoples backyards.