Log in to WRAL.com with one click using your favorite social network:
OR
Log in using your WRAL.com account:



Wrong email/password combination.

Forgot password?

Register with WRAL.com using your favorite social network:
OR
Register for a WRAL.com account using our web form.

Login Options

11:01 p.m. • 2-10-12

Weather Forecast for Raleigh

  • Sat: Mostly Cloudy.
    • Hi: 52° F
  • Sun: Clear.
    • Hi: 43° F
  • Mon: Mostly Cloudy.
    • Hi: 50° F

Other Locations

> 7 Day Forecast

Doppler Image

Marketplace Links

Social Links

Main Menu

'Scrapes' Bring Bigger Homes to Neighborhoods


e-mail print friendly

A new report takes a closer look at the replacement of older Raleigh homes with large new ones.

The study, done for the city, determined that in the past five years, 588 single-family homes have been torn down to make way for larger houses.

Of those new homes, about 48 percent were more than 4,000 square feet.

The city says it is hiring a new planner to look at the trend. The city will gather more data after that.

The practice of taking down urban residences to get open lots for larger homes is known in the develoment business as "scraping." It begins to happen in cities once the price of land gets high enough to justify the demolition costs.

RELATED TOPICS: Raleigh

e-mail print friendly

11 Comments


WRAL.com welcomes your comments on this story. All comments are moderated prior to publication based on our posting guidelines. Please review them prior to posting and if your message is not approved.

View Comments VIEW ALL 11 COMMENTS

This story is closed for comments. Comments on WRAL.com news stories are accepted and moderated between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Latest Comments
The city should stay out of this and ignore the NIMBY's.

Let the free market control what gets built. Better than one person like Wooten trying to force her opinions on everybody else.

I thought this story had somethig to do with deer hunting.

This is a case where one property owners rights do not trump another's. I believe as strongly in individual property rights as you will find, but a line has to be drawn somewhere. Somehow find a balance between individual rights, and neighborhood character. You should not be forced to move if you have been in a home for 30 years and all of a sudden you cannot afford your modest home anymore. That's just wrong. I can hear some of you now. "It's my property, I'll do what I want with it." Well I tell you what, that's selfish and arrogant. Just because you can, does not mean you should. I love those older neighborhoods. They have a character and charm that those new 'mansionhoods' do not have. Save the old ones.

I am having trouble with the word "Scrapes" used in the title ... scrape is a verb, so is scrapes ... how can scrapes be the subject of the sentence ... wouldn't "Scraping" Brings Bigger Homes to Neighborhoods make more sense? ... all you English majors chime in !!!!

....continuation-

A lot of people complain that the McMansions are not in character with the neighborhood, drastically changing things. Remember, it's not one house, but many. In some cases, almost half. Also, you cannot ignore the tax influence.

Suddenly the tax rate for entire neighborhoods is changing, thus forcing some other residents to be forced to sell because they can't keep up.

You might not want more government (most people don't) but I'm pretty sure, loving Raleigh like I do, that you guys want to reign this in sooner, rather than later.

View Comments VIEW ALL 11 COMMENTS
Report It

Multimedia

Click Here