Fairfax considers action to halt McMansions

FAIRFAX — Fairfax County supervisors are trying to close a loophole that allows for the construction of unusually tall homes referred to as McMansions.
 
The county currently imposes a 35-foot height limit, measured from the average height of the base of the house to the midpoint of the roof.
 
But officials say builders sometimes artificially elevate the ground on which the house is built by a few feet, allowing for extra height.
 
Supervisors are now proposing to mandate that the height of most houses must be measured by the original ground level, not the raised one.
 
Officials say the tall homes don’t just anger neighbors, they can also cause drainage problems.