Colorado "Credit" System Shot at McMansion Plague

Like a boom of mushrooms on the lawn, McMansions spring up over night. These single-family homes of epic proportions, by nature shoddily-constructed, seem bent on marring the landscape. Will this trend continue? According to a recent article in Architectural Record, some communities across the U.S. are stepping in to implement regulations to this supersize-my-house movement

In Boulder, Colorado for example--where the county’s median house size inflated from 3,881 square feet, in 1990, to a gargantuan 6,290 square feet in 2006--an innovative (or maybe just ingeniously complicated) proposed plan would require homeowners and developers to purchase credits.

Properties would be limited to 6,500 square feet in the flatlands or 4,500 square feet in the mountains. Those looking to go bigger must obtain credits from either from a county clearinghouse--or from the owners of properties still under those caps (we sense Hatfield/McCoy opportunities here). The area already makes homeowners pay more for size.

In Los Angeles, a proposal limiting the size of 300,000 single-family infill housing is on the boards. ::Architectural Record Also see ::Big Houses are Not Green ::Quote of the Day: Bill McKibben on McMansions ::Dingell wants cap on Mortgage Interest Deduction ::Monster Homes: Enough is Enough

Photo: Still from the documentary film "Subdivided" by Dean Terry via ::Flickr