Comments on: If You Want To Understand The Real Reason There Are So Many Sucky Townhouses Going Up… http://hugeasscity.com/2008/06/11/if-you-want-to-understand-the-real-reason-there-are-so-many-sucky-townhouses-going-up/ > so much wonderful packaged in such a mess Fri, 18 May 2012 04:54:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Antiques Blog http://hugeasscity.com/2008/06/11/if-you-want-to-understand-the-real-reason-there-are-so-many-sucky-townhouses-going-up/comment-page-1/#comment-648025 Antiques Blog Fri, 16 Dec 2011 21:49:30 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/06/11/if-you-want-to-understand-the-real-reason-there-are-so-many-sucky-townhouses-going-up/#comment-648025 <strong>Antiques Blog...</strong> [...]If You Want To Understand The Real Reason There Are So Many Sucky Townhouses Going Up… | hugeasscity[...]... Antiques Blog…

[...]If You Want To Understand The Real Reason There Are So Many Sucky Townhouses Going Up… | hugeasscity[...]…

]]> By: melbourne ceremony http://hugeasscity.com/2008/06/11/if-you-want-to-understand-the-real-reason-there-are-so-many-sucky-townhouses-going-up/comment-page-1/#comment-645212 melbourne ceremony Sat, 03 Dec 2011 19:37:32 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/06/11/if-you-want-to-understand-the-real-reason-there-are-so-many-sucky-townhouses-going-up/#comment-645212 <strong>melbourne ceremony...</strong> [...]If You Want To Understand The Real Reason There Are So Many Sucky Townhouses Going Up… | hugeasscity[...]... melbourne ceremony…

[...]If You Want To Understand The Real Reason There Are So Many Sucky Townhouses Going Up… | hugeasscity[...]…

]]> By: Urban Guru Jacky Jasper http://hugeasscity.com/2008/06/11/if-you-want-to-understand-the-real-reason-there-are-so-many-sucky-townhouses-going-up/comment-page-1/#comment-635522 Urban Guru Jacky Jasper Mon, 10 Oct 2011 14:01:00 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/06/11/if-you-want-to-understand-the-real-reason-there-are-so-many-sucky-townhouses-going-up/#comment-635522 <strong>Ask Guru Jacky...</strong> [...]If You Want To Understand The Real Reason There Are So Many Sucky Townhouses Going Up… | hugeasscity[...]... Ask Guru Jacky…

[...]If You Want To Understand The Real Reason There Are So Many Sucky Townhouses Going Up… | hugeasscity[...]…

]]> By: Sifali Bitkiler http://hugeasscity.com/2008/06/11/if-you-want-to-understand-the-real-reason-there-are-so-many-sucky-townhouses-going-up/comment-page-1/#comment-391182 Sifali Bitkiler Fri, 19 Nov 2010 13:32:54 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/06/11/if-you-want-to-understand-the-real-reason-there-are-so-many-sucky-townhouses-going-up/#comment-391182 Hi friend do you'r had other articles ? I appreciate clerical develop pro me ... .. Hi friend do you’r had other articles ? I appreciate clerical develop pro me … ..

]]> By: Eco Homes http://hugeasscity.com/2008/06/11/if-you-want-to-understand-the-real-reason-there-are-so-many-sucky-townhouses-going-up/comment-page-1/#comment-334489 Eco Homes Thu, 23 Sep 2010 02:10:34 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/06/11/if-you-want-to-understand-the-real-reason-there-are-so-many-sucky-townhouses-going-up/#comment-334489 We have to find more solutions in order to help save our planet. Good reading about this. We have to find more solutions in order to help save our planet. Good reading about this.

]]> By: Spencer http://hugeasscity.com/2008/06/11/if-you-want-to-understand-the-real-reason-there-are-so-many-sucky-townhouses-going-up/comment-page-1/#comment-1000 Spencer Thu, 03 Jul 2008 20:55:31 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/06/11/if-you-want-to-understand-the-real-reason-there-are-so-many-sucky-townhouses-going-up/#comment-1000 Mike, are you thinking of "Row Houses" when you see "Townhouses"? Mike, are you thinking of “Row Houses” when you see “Townhouses”?

]]> By: mike http://hugeasscity.com/2008/06/11/if-you-want-to-understand-the-real-reason-there-are-so-many-sucky-townhouses-going-up/comment-page-1/#comment-999 mike Wed, 25 Jun 2008 05:55:52 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/06/11/if-you-want-to-understand-the-real-reason-there-are-so-many-sucky-townhouses-going-up/#comment-999 i hate to hit semantics, but these projects (at least the ones going up all over fremont and interbay) are not townhouses. 90% are duplexes built on subdivided lots. i hate to hit semantics, but these projects (at least the ones going up all over fremont and interbay) are not townhouses. 90% are duplexes built on subdivided lots.

]]> By: Johnny Hartsfield http://hugeasscity.com/2008/06/11/if-you-want-to-understand-the-real-reason-there-are-so-many-sucky-townhouses-going-up/comment-page-1/#comment-998 Johnny Hartsfield Tue, 17 Jun 2008 22:39:56 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/06/11/if-you-want-to-understand-the-real-reason-there-are-so-many-sucky-townhouses-going-up/#comment-998 I agree with everything you are saying in most of these entries. Townhomes, zoning and open space especially. I have a sustainable design blog http://green-fab.com/blog/ for my new development company GreenFab that is attempting to highlight these and other sustainability issues. I live and breath Seattle too, check it out and we should chat. I agree with everything you are saying in most of these entries. Townhomes, zoning and open space especially.

I have a sustainable design blog http://green-fab.com/blog/ for my new development company GreenFab that is attempting to highlight these and other sustainability issues. I live and breath Seattle too, check it out and we should chat.

]]> By: Sabina Pade http://hugeasscity.com/2008/06/11/if-you-want-to-understand-the-real-reason-there-are-so-many-sucky-townhouses-going-up/comment-page-1/#comment-997 Sabina Pade Fri, 13 Jun 2008 21:57:44 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/06/11/if-you-want-to-understand-the-real-reason-there-are-so-many-sucky-townhouses-going-up/#comment-997 In our debates over how to build a convivial, pedestrian-oriented, sustainable Seattle are we perhaps overlooking something? FWIW, I'm approaching 50, and I've never held a driver's license. I've always felt that cars, albeit useful sometimes, are our planet's Enemy No. 1. But it could be that technological evolution is about to fundamentally alter the equation - and our discussions. Check this out: http://www.aptera.com/ Apparently, at a recent Shell Oil-sponsored eco-car marathon in California, vehicles were recording mpg figures far surpassing those of the Aptera. The marathon winner reportedly achieved 2,843mpg! In our debates over how to build a convivial, pedestrian-oriented, sustainable Seattle are we perhaps overlooking something?

FWIW, I’m approaching 50, and I’ve never held a driver’s license. I’ve always felt that cars, albeit useful sometimes, are our planet’s Enemy No. 1.

But it could be that technological evolution is about to fundamentally alter the equation – and our discussions. Check this out:

http://www.aptera.com/

Apparently, at a recent Shell Oil-sponsored eco-car marathon in California, vehicles were recording mpg figures far surpassing those of the Aptera. The marathon winner reportedly achieved 2,843mpg!

]]> By: Spencer http://hugeasscity.com/2008/06/11/if-you-want-to-understand-the-real-reason-there-are-so-many-sucky-townhouses-going-up/comment-page-1/#comment-996 Spencer Fri, 13 Jun 2008 20:41:14 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/06/11/if-you-want-to-understand-the-real-reason-there-are-so-many-sucky-townhouses-going-up/#comment-996 What a lot of you are talking about are planning issues and also legal issues. Brought up in the PI article about last Saturday's forum was the Landuse Code's inflexibility to allow for other methods of developing on city sized parcels. Also cited is the legal advantage to zero lot lines. We can not just look at this as a problem of people either not wanting, knowing to want, or building something different. This is a deeply rooted problem in economic, landuse/building code, and legal issues. Building Townhomes different than they are now requires different applications of the building code (sprinkling systems, increased fire protection, etc.). This all equates to cost for developers. It is short sighted to think that all developers are about the bottom line. Many do see themselves as providing a needed service to the community but modifying the design produces more costs in turn raising the sale price of these homes. Our landuse code may not approach density in proper and realistic ways. I've always wondered why north green lake is zoned low-rise residential. It's clearly close to only automobile oriented commercial. Above there is a comment about building apartment buildings in place of townhomes but that would require a rezone or more property to get the increased density needed. Which makes me wonder if we had too much low-rise zones to begin with and not enough high density zones. It also seems the size of the lots to density is not right. If any of you attended the Tuesday forum on Portland's courtyard housing design competition it was clear that to make courtyard housing work lower density zoning and a minimum of two lots are needed. Which means that a developer has to be involved in so good timing and a certain amount of luck to get two 50x100 lots to develop courtyard housing on. All in all, what DPD is proposing at this time are baby steps in a long and rooted problem. What a lot of you are talking about are planning issues and also legal issues. Brought up in the PI article about last Saturday’s forum was the Landuse Code’s inflexibility to allow for other methods of developing on city sized parcels. Also cited is the legal advantage to zero lot lines. We can not just look at this as a problem of people either not wanting, knowing to want, or building something different. This is a deeply rooted problem in economic, landuse/building code, and legal issues.

Building Townhomes different than they are now requires different applications of the building code (sprinkling systems, increased fire protection, etc.). This all equates to cost for developers. It is short sighted to think that all developers are about the bottom line. Many do see themselves as providing a needed service to the community but modifying the design produces more costs in turn raising the sale price of these homes.

Our landuse code may not approach density in proper and realistic ways. I’ve always wondered why north green lake is zoned low-rise residential. It’s clearly close to only automobile oriented commercial. Above there is a comment about building apartment buildings in place of townhomes but that would require a rezone or more property to get the increased density needed. Which makes me wonder if we had too much low-rise zones to begin with and not enough high density zones.

It also seems the size of the lots to density is not right. If any of you attended the Tuesday forum on Portland’s courtyard housing design competition it was clear that to make courtyard housing work lower density zoning and a minimum of two lots are needed. Which means that a developer has to be involved in so good timing and a certain amount of luck to get two 50×100 lots to develop courtyard housing on.

All in all, what DPD is proposing at this time are baby steps in a long and rooted problem.

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