by another demolition
the house on our south side was demolished last week, not so long since the January 2012 demolition on our north side
it feels so disturbing, so sad to see this happening everywhere; this was a good home for one single family since the 1950’s
the yard had some lovely rhododendrons though overgrown with too many trees and invasive ivy, all now cut and ripped out
including two giant cedars, here with some interesting icicle like rips on the stumps
how many tree rings can you count on this twenty-six inch diameter stump?
our home feels a bit exposed but there is now so much light and views for us neighbours around the property
(all photos taken by my husband with his iPhone)
Added later: Oh, how could I forget: the noise and the pounding? As I sit at this computer in this room on the south side, right next to the ‘zone’, I suddenly notice all the art work on this wall has gone higgeldy-piggeldy. A mini-earthquake.
October 28, 2014 in Current Events, Environment, Home by Marja-Leena
Is the land simply being left empty, or is the demolition in order to build anew?
A new, much bigger and flashier house will be built in its place, as there was on the other side. This is happening all over metro Vancouver.
Literally got chills as my eye moved from one photo here to the next. I’d skipped right past your post’s title, and expected more creative images of leaves. Around older neighborhoods in Portland, there’s much discomfort with the destruction of houses to be replaced by newer, grander ones. Here, though, they are large places built in the early 20th century.
And the trees! Wasn’t it possible to save even one of the cedars? With many rings myself, I take this very personally! Appreciate your looking at the up side: more light .
Naomi, I’m sad to learn that even big older homes are razed in your city. In some areas of our city that is true too. How come renovation is out of fashion? That’s what we did with this one.
One tree was saved, a magestic and huge maple in the rear corner. With our rainforest climate the trees do grow fast and large. Good neighbours try to keep open some light and views so husband has been out trimming some of ours.
And I am trying to look at the positive too. The light, yes, but also some of the ‘photo ops’ such as the intriguing textures on the tree stumps….no longer there.
I feel sadness and anger at the destruction. Was there really no constructive alternative? But then, I don’t know the background to this action. I hope the added exposure doesn’t adversely affect you, particularly with winter on the way.
Yes, Tom, there is sadness and anger in many communities as developers are allowed to raze properties to build big. Sometimes whole blocks are torn down for condominium towers. Too many people want to live here and have the money to spend. Such a horrendous amount of waste in our overfilled dumps, and for our sad overtaxed environment!
Some good friends of ours had redeveloped a large treed property in another area of the city and had many of their trees saved yet still had to have many removed to allow access for building. Judicious pruning and new plantings were added when all was done and it is lovely. That is how it should be done.
I don’t think the exposure will be too much worse for us, just fewer leaves in our eavestroughs and glued atop our skylights. Thankfully we have our hedge and some trees for privacy though we may have to plant along one opened up section, just as we had to on the other side. We’ll wait and see what the contractor or new owners will do once the landscaping phase comes.
This is so sad, Marja-Leena. To see it’s happening so soon after all you went through as the other place was demolished and rebuilt is very distressing. It seems as though there are people around these days who have far too much money and no sense of obligation to established neighbourhoods.
Thanks for the sympathy, Susan. I have to remind myself that others are going through these changes in this and many other neighbourhoods. We moved here three decades ago and renovated this house and were resented by some of the older residents who did not like change. So we try to still be accepting of new neighbours, and have been fortunate that the ones who are now living in the new place started two years ago are a very nice family. It’s just the waste and noise of demolition and buildng that is so disturbing.
This is happening in Terry’s cousin’s Vancouver, B.C. neighborhood too. A four story building on the commercial street behind their house will soon be blocking the light to their dining area.
The infilling is going on in Seattle as well. Ballard, Seattle, is now chockablock with condos. My daughters both live in new houses in old neighborhoods. These are modest in size and architecturally pleasant.
I do find it difficult to mourn the razing of some of the more hideous grandiose housing in Vancouver and Seattle, but I hate to see charming houses with nice yards and trees being destroyed. They need to be preserved if only not to permanently alter the character, and the value, of established neighborhoods.
Hattie, this ‘redevelopment’ mania is happening all over Greater Vancouver because of high land prices and demand by those with money to invest. I’m sorry the same is happening in Seattle. It bothers me most when small older homes on small lots in working class neighbourhoods which are affordable for young families are also disappearing, sometimes whole blocks that are than developed into fancy condo towers to meet the demand of so many people moving here. I suppose these waves have always happened in the history of cities, but it is hard to watch when the younger generations are struggling.