In a 2002 study, the trust was "easily able to document more than 20 states and more than 200 communities that were struggling with this issue," Fine said. "Since that report, there are way more than that."
To preserve community character, more neighborhood groups are turning to local government officials for help, such as in passing new zoning rules to reduce the square footage a house and driveway can cover on a lot or to limit the height of buildings, he said.
In North Arlington, the house at left was moved from its multiple lot and, in its place, other houses are under construction. A 2002 study shows that more than 200 communities in 20 states are struggling with the issue of "teardowns."
(Tracy A. Woodward -- The Washington Post)
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Others are considering setting up their own protections through options such as local historic districts, conservation districts or historic overlay zoning. All three have been tried in the Washington area, and almost every close-in jurisdiction is considering some or all of these options to address infill development and mansionization.
But developers and residents concerned about protecting their property rights have fought regulation.
"There's such a huge demand for the homes that can be built in these areas . . . that builders are doing a lot of these infill developments. . . . They're doing nothing more than trying to meet that demand," said Clarke Massie, former head of the Northern Virginia Building Industry Association and president of Tetra Corp., a development and land brokerage company in Northern Virginia.
Buyers want new construction because they "want updated designs," Massie said. Though home buyers might consider updating an existing house, "if you're looking at doing a massive renovation of an older house, it's not cheap. And it's disruptive . . . if you try to renovate while you're living in the house," he said.
"Property rights is a big issue, and we're aware of that," said Ursula Harscheid, president of the Westover Village Civic Association, some of whose members tried to save the Yellow House.
Because many in the group believe that the character of their neighborhood is at stake, Harscheid is surveying residents to see whether they support setting up a local historic district. Such a district might require public notice or a hearing before a house could be torn down or it might require that a house be listed on the open market before it is sold to a developer who intends to raze it. She also is trying to find out whether there is support for seeking designation on the National Register of Historic Places, an honor that doesn't prevent demolition, but can provide state tax incentives.
The only single-family community in Arlington County that is protected as a local landmark is the Maywood neighborhood off Lorcom Lane, which has many homes that date to the 1900s. (There are others on the state and national registers.) Maywood "has incredibly restrictive guidelines, and we don't want that," Harscheid said. But "we might want to require that before a person tears down a house that they have to put it on the market for a certain number of months."
The goal is not to discourage additions or new building, she said, but to encourage architectural compatibility. "My house is less than 1,500 square feet. And I knew what the neighborhood looked like when I bought here," Harscheid said. "What we're trying to say is if you move into an area where the houses are small . . . why would you want to put a Cadillac in a VW parking spot?"
Harscheid and others say the builder who bought the Yellow House didn't appreciate its historic significance or its importance to the community. They say he rejected an offer from a neighborhood homeowner who wanted to move the house to one of the lots.
"The developer could have hit a home run with this house," by selling it to the neighbor at market value and still making more profit on the second house, said critic Lewis Beardsley, a resident. Beardsley, a civil engineer and old-house remodeler, in 2002 helped save a nearby Victorian house that sat on three lots by buying the house and one lot and hiring a firm to move it.
The builder, John Karanik of Suburban Builders in Great Falls, said: "It was not economically viable to move the house over. As much as people thought it was cute on the outside, it was a complete dump on the inside. Those who saw it would have said, 'Wow, this should be torn down.' "
The two 4,200-square-foot houses Karanik is building are listed at $1.2 million each. He paid less than $800,000 to the former owner of the land.
