"It's an ongoing trend. . . . Among long-term residents, there is quite a bit of controversy," Kessler said.
Neighborhood-by-neighborhood limits -- known as neighborhood overlays -- are among the controls being considered in Fairfax County.
A big new house towers over its more established neighbors on Culpeper Street in Arlington, whose County Board is considering imposing restrictions.
(Robert A. Reeder -- The Washington Post)
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Some planners believe neighborhood-specific limits could be more palatable to property rights advocates than a countywide measure, though it might require approval by the legislature.
Fisette said bad infill development has troubled Arlington residents for years. Infill occurs when empty lots are filled with new construction or older homes are torn down to make way for new ones.
Neighbors get irked when developers or property owners use every available buildable inch on a lot. The big houses raise privacy concerns, block sunlight and create storm runoff problems, residents say.
During one recent debate, county planners presented a slide show of some of what they dubbed the worst offenders.
There was the house on George Mason Drive -- nicknamed "the Alamo" -- where an existing gray colonial has been nearly obscured by a large first-floor addition with an indoor hot tub in the shape of Texas.
Then there's the enormous "Sycamore Street House," built by a former George Washington University professor who later declared bankruptcy and decamped to Hawaii.
Until limits are in place, neighborhood flaps over McMansions -- which in Arlington are happening with increasing frequency -- will continue, officials said.
On March 9, activists from the John M. Langston Civic Association turned out to oppose a zoning variance requested by Sayed Majeed, who says he mistakenly built his home in North Arlington almost four feet higher than the county's 35-foot limit. He offered citizen leaders $25,000 for landscaping and other improvements if they supported his variance request.
"We will not be bribed," said Willie Jackson-Baker, the civic association president. "All over Arlington, people are building what they want to without regard to the neighborhoods or character of the community. . . . We all asked why he didn't do this in his own neighborhood. He lives in Annandale."
Majeed said he made an honest mistake building his first house, but the Board of Zoning Appeals was not impressed. It denied his request. The roof will have to be lowered.
Zoning officials said Dumera's planned house is legal under the current regulations. Arlington board members expect a lengthy debate on the proposals over the next several weeks, and Fisette predicted that the board will enact some type of restrictions when it takes up the matter May 7.
Connolly said officials in Fairfax will be watching Arlington's debate closely as Fairfax begins formulating a plan to address similar issues in the next few months.
"We've analyzed and debated and explored this for long enough," Fisette said. "It's time to make a decision."
