Home At 3936 Marlowe St.

[sevfiv]

there have been recent discussions about Old Sixth Ward and restrictions on homeowners in that area, so i was interested to see what folks thought about the debacle going on at 3936 Marlowe.

Lisa Gray wrote about it yesterday:

Quote

...Tom once intended 3936 Marlowe to be his dream house. He and his wife, Paula, work in the mortgage industry, writing loans for residential construction. Seven years ago, they bought the lot at the corner of Weslayan, intending to do their own project, a Mediterranean-style palazzo similar to one they'd admired near River Oaks.

West U. approved their building permit in late '04, and Tom hoped to have the house finished in time for his daughter's wedding the following October. He liked to imagine family and friends gathered in the house's soaring three-story atrium, the tiny bride making her entrance down the enormous staircase that spiraled from the third floor.

But that staircase, like the rest of the house, now sits unfinished, caught in a legal tangle as grand as the Pedens' atrium was supposed to be.

In February '05, after war broke out between West U. and the Pedens, the city yanked the house's building permit. Construction stopped cold, leaving the wooden skeleton without a roof or windows, open to rain and vandals.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metrop...ay/5039242.html

[cottonmather0]

It certainly seems like the homeowner is in the right and the city played games with his permit, but I don't blame the neighbors for not liking it. That thing is HUGE - the renderings make it look like a fortress, all big and blocky like. What is the appeal of cramming that much house onto that small of a lot when there are plenty of larger lots (in the COH, granted) around? I don't get it

What gets me though is that I wonder if those neighbors' McMansions are made of glass?

Edited August 10, 2007 by cottonmather0

[dbigtex56]

It appears that the homebuilder, in interpreting the zoning laws, chose to press his luck. He lost. Good.

I cannot understand why anyone would want the first impression he makes on his neighbors to be negative. If the man cannot live without a big, ugly house, surely there are communities where that sort of thing is welcome.

[Northwood]

Homeowner's Website

[musicman]

It appears that the homebuilder, in interpreting the zoning laws, chose to press his luck. He lost. Good.

I cannot understand why anyone would want the first impression he makes on his neighbors to be negative. If the man cannot live without a big, ugly house, surely there are communities where that sort of thing is welcome.

well it looks like the property is as large as the owner claims so that is in their favor. the info on the 3rd floor is lacking. but you would think a modification could be made to meet criteria. i'll just bet that the chairmain of their planning commission who lives 2 lots over is the pissed one who is denying the permit.

[TheNiche]

What is the appeal of cramming that much house onto that small of a lot when there are plenty of larger lots (in the COH, granted) around? I don't get it

You would too if you had to pay around $80/sf. for land. At that price, what is the appeal of a yard!?

Edited August 10, 2007 by TheNiche

[westguy]

Grass that keeps the ground permeable to rain.

[TheNiche]

Grass that keeps the ground permeable to rain.

At $80/sf., screw that.

[westguy]

They should try building a house underwater. It'll cost a bit, but they'll save on the cleanup.

[TheNiche]

They should try building a house underwater. It'll cost a bit, but they'll save on the cleanup.

[texas911]

Man that thing is an eyesore. But in WestU, if you don't know the right people, you're screwed.

[Dan the Man]

Man that thing is an eyesore. But in WestU, if you don't know the right people, you're screwed.

Connections are very important in West U, just like any other small town. I'll bet the city is letting the property sit and deteriorate, so they can eventually condemn it for being unsafe. The homeowner really needs to face the fact that he has lost, demolish that hideous house, sell the lot, and purchase something else. This whole thing was not worth the legal fees, as the lot itself isn't that desirable since Weslayen is such a busy street. With all of the money that had to be spent fighting this, he could have purchased a more desirable lot in the neighborhood.

[TheNiche]

Connections are very important in West U, just like any other small town. I'll bet the city is letting the property sit and deteriorate, so they can eventually condemn it for being unsafe. The homeowner really needs to face the fact that he has lost, demolish that hideous house, sell the lot, and purchase something else. This whole thing was not worth the legal fees, as the lot itself isn't that desirable since Weslayen is such a busy street. With all of the money that had to be spent fighting this, he could have purchased a more desirable lot in the neighborhood.

Oftentimes, people willing to spend this kind of money on a house actively seek a lot on a major thoroughfare so as to make their house a widely-recognized landmark.

[Dan the Man]

Oftentimes, people willing to spend this kind of money on a house actively seek a lot on a major thoroughfare so as to make their house a widely-recognized landmark.

Yeah, I thought of that. I guess I just have a hard time accepting the fact that some people are willing to reduce their own quality of life for the sake of impressing other people.

[texas911]

Sometime I don't get WestU. They let things like Darth Vader's house be built yet will go crazy on, in my opinion, a very mundane designed house. But will agree with WestU that that thing is too tall for the neighborhood.