Mansions and Neighborhoods

Legislating subjectivity is tough because it is so subjective. However, it doesn’t take an aesthetic genius to figure out that a modern “giant stucco ice cube” visually contaminates a neighborhood of smaller houses built in the ‘20s and ‘30s.

The mansion builders who argue that it’s their private right to build whatever they want show a disregard for their neighbors. Living in an urban community is an act of cooperation between neighbors and not an act of selfishness.

The quaint Glendale neighborhoods are an endangered species. My wife and I moved here because we loved the charming old houses. They are a testimony to the fact that not all things new are beautiful. If people really want to build houses that look like Holiday Inns, let them discover Orange County, Simi Valley or any number of L.A. areas where bad taste is not only indulged, but embraced.

GREGORY BURNS, Glendale