Hillside

Cowardice, diversity, etc.

Dear Coward,
Yes, X-Man, there is such a thing as Modernism. And this ''trend'' has had a following in every corner of the world since about 1915. Instead of whining about it, why don't you spend some time at the library and educate yourself in architectural history?

Do the jagged forms of the mountains also break up your personal sense of continuity, disrupting the ''visual flow'' you hold so dear? I recommend you move to Kansas.
Apparently your definition of a quality home is based entirely on your affection for ersatz historicism: i.e., faux Victorian, faux Bungalow, faux Italianate, etc. You are certainly entitled to your preferences. Other people are trying to have an open mind.

And by the way, the word is ''tenet'' not TENANT (although with all the moaning that goes on around here I often feel like a tenant in a high-class tenement).

Sincerely,
Kelly Feeney

Diversity and Karmic Impact

(skip to the chase)

I am not at all opposed to contemporary housing,
though I must admit many just don't have the same
class and style that the traditional
homes have.

It all comes down to the aesthetics of
the building and how well it works
within its environment.

Putting up a geodesic dome next to a
Victorian ain't usually a wise move...
but it could work... I suppose...maybe.

While I am not an advocate of mandating that only trad
houses should be built...
I would like to say (and have it applied in practice):

''Come on people! Use some sense when you are deciding
what type of building to create.''

There is more to the above statement (pages actually)
but I shall refrain.

Unfortunately, it boils down to the fact that
it is pretty hard to enforce good taste.

So what can we do?
Well, we can express our desire to those of influence
to have Prospect be developed with houses that
''work'' together. This, however, gives us little
control and reassurance.

Perhaps, we could divide prospect into style zones:

The Civil War South Park
Frank Lloyd's Fans
Who-ville
The Final Frontier (space-age themes)
Blue Hawaii (beach themes)
Art-deco
16th-18th Century Europe
Far East
Gorky Park/Red Square
Tombstone (western theme)
Pleasantville

And so forth...you get the point.
Though I am making light of it, this approach would
solve a lot of issues, though limit the builders options
and probably be harder to sell property...
but hey...we would all be happier.

I'm sure we would all like veto power when a real clunker
gets approved, however that is not practical either..for
several reasons (I will leave the specifics as an exercise
for the reader).

Even though we do not get a great deal of say in the matter,
arson is always an option...
(Just kidding. At this point I feel I should make the
following public service announcement:
I do not advocate violence or heavy drug usage. Just say no!)

THE CHASE:

An Appeal To Those Of Influence

The traditional houses work very well
in the neighborhood. Lets not lose sight of what works
and forsake it for builder's whims and dream houses.
The predominant number of current residents that live in
the community that you have created and nurtured, moved here
because of the style and class and your vision of a classic
neighborhood and homes.
Naturally we would like to see this vision perpetuate.
A few experiments a year is a good thing but let's
keep the appeal, karma, and ambiance of Prospect intact.

Diversity

My 2 cents... I don't think that separating the architecture by style is the answer. Right now we have the colonial, Italian and Victorian styles mixed and that is what gives the neighborhood character! I haven't heard anyone complaining that a colonial house is next to their Victorian. So, I don't see any reason why the modern houses should be any different.

I also disagree that mixing styles is in bad taste! It is as hard (if not impossible) to DEFINE ?“good taste?”, as it would be to enforce it. ?“Good taste?” is purely a matter of personal opinion and everyone?’s idea of what this will be is going to be different. I'm sure the neighborhoods that choose to do all Victorians are beautiful but that isn't the only way to have a beautiful neighborhood. I think Prospect is beautiful just the way it is, modern styles and all.

I think the differing styles are what make Prospect interesting, but that?’s just me!

Disagreeable

Kelly,
You need to learn how to disagree with others without being disagreeable. The vitriolic tone of your message to X-man is, in my opinion, inexcusable. While I think that you have every right to disagree with X-man's position, the manner in which you expressed your opinion is completely unacceptable. This is a forum for the people of the community to voice their concerns not to belittle and verbally attack one other. I recall that it was Kiki Wallace himself who, in an email response to X-man's initial letter, applauded X-man's efforts to bring this discussion into the open but cautioned us to keep the tone of this discussion within the parameters of civility. It appears that you have decided to disregard these parameters altogether. This decision becomes even more disconcerting given your formal affiliation with the developer of this project. Are you speaking as a member of the community or as a representative of the developer? If the former is the case then I suggest that you start acting like a member of THIS COMMUNITY and abide by the laws of civility that membership entails. If the latter is the case then I can see why X-man has decided to keep his identity a secret.
Given the caustic nature of your letter, in combination with your affiliation with the developer, the underlying message could easily be interpreted as nothing short of an unveiled ultimatum: ''shut up or face the consequences.'' I sincerely hope that this is not the case. I hope that you will continue to participate in this lively debate started by X-man, however, if you cannot show better judgement in how you express your concerns I hope you do this community a favor and keep your ideas to yourself.

Sincerely,

Keith Jaggers