A Big Deal?

It has been a while since I have linked to Columbia Patch. But, here goes:

Wilde Lake Mansion Listed for $1,150, 000

Why?

Why, why why?

Why is this house in Columbia? I’m not going to go on a rant and say it’s an outrage but it is kind of ridiculous. Maybe it’s actually in an outparcel?

It’s not my position that all houses in Wilde Lake (or in Columbia, for that matter) should be exactly the same. But it would be nice if they were mildly harmonious. One wonders what Kate Wagner of McMansion Hell would think of this particular example.

The article says that this house was built in 2005, so that would be before the recession. It would be interesting to know (but none of my business) who has actually lived in this house and how active they have been in the Wilde Lake community. Does one buy a house like this and send one’s children to the public schools? Leave the light on for trick or treaters? Go to the Wilde Lake Old Fashioned Picnic?

It isn’t a requirement to live in Columbia that one must “get involved” in one’s neighborhood or Village. There are plenty of folks who wish to lead quiet lives that focus more on family, work, or hobbies. But, on the other hand, a house like this hardly screams shy and retiring. More like “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous”.  How does that play out over the long term?

This structure had to go through the complete approval process to be able to move forward. I wonder if anyone felt uneasy about it. Perhaps not. Perhaps I don’t understand how these things work. But I wonder what happens when you add a building to a neighborhood that is so clearly not of the neighborhood. (See a more typical house here.) Is there a long term impact? Does it essentially create a “hole” in the neighborhood?

Yes, friends, I may have backed myself into a corner here wondering if this house has ripped a hole in the space time continuum. I feel certain that I will hear from some of you that this is not that big a deal.