County deals with McMansion issue

Leaders and planners know “the problem is not just going to go away,” said Steve Adams, supervisor of the urban design section within Prince George’s planning department.

“Quality of life is one fear ... and residents say the buildings are just so incompatible and unsightly they don’t fit into the community,” Adams told The Examiner.

So far, Prince George’s has not adopted legislation like that passed in Montgomery County allowing some neighborhoods to ward off the domineering homes.

Prince George’s officials instead are weighing the issue in a series of public meetings and through consultant reports.

The first meeting, scheduled for tonight, will allow residents and planners to hear from consultants who are being paid about $80,000 to research McMansions in Prince George’s.

From there, the other two meetings — on Sept. 5 and Oct. 3 — will focus on solutions and other communities’ best practices.

Representatives of the Maryland National Capital Building Industry Association have expressed concern about legislation restricting the size of new homes.

Raquel Montenegro, associate director the group, has told The Examiner it’s unclear how such legislation helps families meet their needs.

Lawyer Suellen Ferguson, who has tried to help municipalities in both Maryland counties deal with the McMansion problem, said that in some cases, the example is as dramatic as a 700-square-foot home being knocked down to build a 7,000-square-foot home.

“It’s the same problem in Prince George’s [as in Montgomery],” she said. “It may be different folks that are doing it for different purposes. But it creates the same issues with a lack of cohesion in the neighborhood.”

Montgomery’s delegation passed legislation enabling municipalities to change zoning laws to ward off the McMansions several years ago. However, similar legislation for Prince George’s never made it out of committee during the last session.

dlevitz@dcexaminer.com