Reply to Massive home addition causes confusion in Fairfax County neighborhood

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote]This is a myth. A grading runoff plan is required and must be approved by the county. We had an approved plan, and although the neighbors complained that water was getting into their yard, it was confirmed that our plan was valid. The natural flow of water went toward their property, and the real issue was their own poor grading, which they needed to fix. They were trying to use our new home as leverage to make us pay for their existing drainage problem.

Some neighbors in older tear down homes, including elderly people (Gen X, boomers) or people scraping by who want to minimize their own expenses, sometimes try to shift responsibility for their problems onto anyone they think has more resources.[/quote]

Fairfax County does a poor job of evaluating the land disturbance vis a vis drainage and "clear cutting" of existing properties.

If you take down 4 (or more) 50+ year old trees and clear cut significant landscaping/vegetation that was mitigating all of that water, there are going to be issues. This is not rocket science - put a flat slab somewhere and where is the water going to go? Driving a Bobcat around for an hour, flattening some dirt and then planting some popsicle trees that have a 50/50 shot of surviving longer than 6 months isn't addressing the drainage, nor is the 15x10 pit you can put grass over once the final inspection is done.

That's not to mention a 1200 sq ft roof area is now replaced with a structure that is 2.5 times as tall and has significantly more surface area. Where is the water to go? The water will find a way, and the rubber stampers in the approvals division don't really care. That's clear. They're punch drunk on the increased tax revenue.

While your plan may "be valid," is it really? Is the dirt resloped so that there is no standing water on your property? Doubtful. Does it look pretty? Probably. Are you really keeping up that landscaping and watering the trees so they have a good chance to help your (now passed along) drainage issues in the coming years? When your new home is inching up on the lot line, even you have to admit there's way less yard, grass and tree canopy than there once was - and that means something. Especially when it comes to water. [/quote]

Well said. [/quote]

Everyone thinks they are an expert, but they are wrong when actual engineers approve the grading plan. At the end of the day, your so-called McMansion neighbor (disgusting term by jealous nimby people) is following all the laws, rules, and updated runoff laws. I would bet the original shack dwellers aren't complying with the most up-to-date building codes, run off / drainage laws, etc, cause they don't have to comply as their homes are too old. f u and go live in china if you want communist laws[/quote]

Whoa, Holy Hyperbolic Hypocrite 🤣.  But overall this thread has made me glad, maybe for the first time ever, to say that I am glad I live in an (disgusting trigger word warning) HOA where this monstrosity would have been DOA. [/quote]

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