Alton Bay McMansion
 

I have search the site in so many ways but can't find out any information on the new (building for past year) McMansion on Alton Bay just off of first entrance to 11-D. I heard rumors about 10,000 sq ft but now looks like more. Heard once owned (maybe still does) by name of Nelson. But that is it. Can anyone help.

Thanks

Sue and Bud Nelson once owned the land this place is being built on, I believe. Sue and Bud still live right behind it.


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Alton Bay McMansion
 

"McMansions" are, generally speaking, spec homes. This is custom built and it's just under 8000 square feet. Thank you!

Go to Town Hall
 

Town Hall has records of ownership and building permits. All public info. If it has been building for a year, there was something there last April 1 that was assessed as partial.

If you are talking about the one I think you are Beckwith Builders is building it?

You speak with great certain, by chance is this your new home?

Alton Bay McMansion
 

Yes, Beckwith Builders are building it....

I did not realize there was a legal definition of McMansion. Is not one person’s Mc Mansion, another’s McBungalow?

Quite disturbing how much everyone is so into everyone else’s business. Just mind your own and be nice to others.

If you don’t like ‘McMansions’, vote in new politicians that will restrict them or at least set a standard that you like.

I am sure the owner is spending a lot of money is not building anything that is against the law.....contact your local politicians to complain instead of being a gossiping neighbor.

Well said Bruinsfan and don’t forget these homes are a huge boost to the economy via supplies and jobs additionally the increase in property tax revenue.


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I didn't see any negativity in any of the posts? The OP just asked a question of ownership.

Alton Bay
 

Does anyone have a picture? I’d like to see what it looks like.

I have not seen the house in question so no comments about it but I wonder how different people define McMansion? In my eyes a McMansion is a large house that is built with no attention paid to build quality, scale, design, good taste, common rules of architecture, ..... Size for the sake of size as money does not buy good taste. Being large does not make it a McMansion. There are large homes that are beautiful and small homes that are ugly. I have no problems with the large homes on the lake and enjoy good architecture of any size. I do have problems with anything that contributes to poor water quality or is just ugly to look at. I understand the ugly part can be subjective.

The term McMansion is a negative term, usually used by the envious.


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Oh?

I thought the term "mcmansion" typically referred to new construction which does not fit the established pattern of the area, e.g. people buying five to twenty acres on what was previously farm land or woods and then building their large "dream home."

I never knew it was a negative word? I've heard and read much worse! I guess if you're on the other end of the spectrum then you would take offense to someone labeling your house a McMansion as an insult.

Alton Bay
 

winterh is right about the quality and workmanship etc. This is one component of your home which causes it to be labeled a McMansion.
You are also right that a large house does not automatically become a McMansion. What makes it a McMansion is that it is too big for the lot that it is put on. It doesn’t fit in with the other homes around it. It just takes up too much of the available space.
Also, many people feel that it’s too big of a home for too few people. That’s where the negative connotation comes from.

Hmmm...did you write this minutes before or minutes after your sandbar posts where you said the lake was losing it's charm and nothing can be done?

The thing that McMansions (of any size) have in common with overcrowding on the lake is that both depend on a system where money drives everything, and too few place value on restraint and natural beauty.

Where did this definition come from? Is this your opinion? Or did you find a definition somewhere?

Alton Bay
 

LOL. You caught me.
Whenever I Google anything, I always go to Wikipedia. It is an online encyclopedia for those who do not know. I always want to know the facts and not someone else’s opinion. This is the best place to go when you want that information.

Too me "McMansions" have little to nothing to do with the lake losing its charm. Overcrowding of boat traffic does. Most large home are on large plots of land off the lake higher up in the elevation. My opinion but thank you for being so critical. I'll will be sure to monitor your posts for consistency and criticism.

Alton Bay
 

If a large home is on a large lot then by definition it is not a McMansion.

Is this definition of "McMansion" in the Webster Dictionary, I don't think so.... Maybe our definitions are different

Alton Bay
 

Joey, I guess you didn’t see my previous post. The definition is from Wikipedia.
Wikipedia is an online way to get factual information.

Webster’s dictionary, as well as several other dictionaries and encyclopedias, are used as reference material.

So, I’m not sure where you’re getting your information from because the definition according to Webster was what I was referring to.

McMansion
 

I would say this is going to be a McMansion. Note it is not the Alton Bay house.

I disagree. The McMansion term is not unique to the lakes region, and is generally used to describe a large house that is relatively non-unique and built according to predesigned plans, usually in close proximity to similar houses that lack unique characteristics. It became widely used, to my knowledge, when builder like Toll Brothers started booming, turning out large numbers of houses with a big footprint (eg: 5,000 sqft and up), but where the construction techniques and finish materials were inferior to "actual" mansions. Think commodity granite countertops and stainless steel appliances from big box stores vs. marble counters and kitchen equipment from Sub Zero and Viking (though including the latter does not make it not a McMansion).

House size relative to property size is not as much of an indicator, IMO, as the general high volume production aspect of the house itself.

Alton Bay McMansion
 

Please Really??? I know what Wikipedia is. It is not always accurate as anyone can enter and edit information and I do not ever include it as a source of factual information. Webster is an actually dictionary with factual definitions of real words. I am not referring a reference encyclopedia.


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It's just a slang name given to the rise of large scale homes that look out of place. What is the big deal about how it's interpreted? If you don't like the term then call it what you want. If you're offended because you have one then "get over it". :rolleye1:

It is not really possible to have any meaningful discussion if there is no agreement as to what is being discussed.

There really is nothing to “ get over.”

Kiss
 

For me, if you can drive it yourself without crew, it's not a yacht.
If your household staff all live elsewhere i.e,. off the grounds, it is not a mansion.
If a city mansion is located on 2000 acres, it is an estate.
If they are built in large numbers (like hamburgers) it is a McMansion.
Anything else is probably just pretentious.

Some people on here take offense to the term "McMansion". I have no clue why unless they think they own one? If I owned one, which I don't, I could care less what anyone thought.
Some people describe "McMansions" as big houses that all look the same but no one describes big town house developments that way, those can be big homes that all look the same? I just think the arguments on the whole thread are ridiculous.:( A lot of fuss about nothing.

Alton
 

Yeah, Biggd. I just Googled the definition so everyone would have an idea what was being talked about.

I don’t know why everyone’s getting so upset either.

Whose is upset? Just making a point that people have different definitions for the same word and I based my statements on my definition and you based yours on your definition. I don't think anyone is upset over something so trivial

It's all my fault. I think it all started when I said I didn't see anything negative in the term "McMansion" and then all hell broke loose. :eek:

Alton Bay
 

Joey, read your own words.

I don’t know how to transcribe like you all do, On post # 27, you were arguing that Wikipedia did not always contains factual information. This is ludicrous. Why does the definition of a house have to be so exact in your mind? We’re not talking about the cure for cancer.

Alton Bay McMansion
 

Oh my god move on already and stop beating a dead horse. You must have something better to do with your time. You have your opinion and I have mine. Never the two shall meet. Read #34


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Yep you are just a big troublemaker!!!!:laugh:

There is an entertaining website devoted to identifying and making fun of McMansions. Maybe this will help explain what it is


https://mcmansionhell.com/post/14860...-mcmansion-bad

HAHAHA, what a riot. Throw in some coming FLL garbage and this will be thoroughly entertaining :)

Depends on your realistic point of view, but I appreciate your sarcasm :)

So how do you know when you pass by in your boat and look at a home that you would call a "McMansion" that it has poor "quality and workmanship"? Wouldn't you need an up close look and some construction experience to determine this?

How do you know that it is "too big of a home for too few people"? How would you determine how many people live in a house?

When you make your decision have you taken attendance to determine the appropriate number of people per square foot? What is the right number of square feet per person for a house?

Just askin'

Calculation
 

Two feet on each person, four each on dogs and cats. :laugh:

For the record, Wikipedia should NEVER be quoted as a credible or reliable source. Back in college paper writing days you would catch a hard F if you were referencing Wikipedia and not peer reviewed verified sources for fact.

All I know is in a lot of the recent builds the architects have gone to a more modern, plainer style and I don't like it. They look like barns with windows to me.

Exactly what I said in post #28. Anyone can edit add or delete information on Wikipedia it’s not credible at all.


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Well, I'm glad THAT's been settled!

Now you've done it!

After a 34 year career with the golden arches I take exception to the use of this term!

The next thing we'll see is the term "McNuggets" used to describe tiny houses!

Now I need to go find my emotional support llama.

He's still mad because they wouldn't let him on the plane...:D

This whole thread is getting ridiculous. :rolleye1: The OP should be ashamed of himself for using such a negative expression and causing such an uproar, LOL!

You'll know
 

If it's obscene, it's probably a McMansion. You'll know it when you see it.
Just sayin'

This was taken a couple of months ago.

Who cares? :D

I suspect that the new house will be stunning.

It will also:

Generate additional tax dollars for the town
Employ skilled and non skilled labor to build it
Result in the continued employment of property maintenance workers

All that sounds good to me.

Almost done!
 

/Users/aceshomefolder/Pictures/Photos Library.photoslibrary/resources/proxies/derivatives/1a/00/1a07/UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_1a07.jpg

We can't open your link. ABA. Or at least I can't.
Can you post it again?

Who are these people, Bernie Bros? Who is anyone to judge whether my wife and I want a large home even though she and I live there alone most of the time? Honestly, it's attitudes like this that are destroying America. (I know Suzie may be quoting Wikipedia.) It used to be that we looked up to and aspired to be successful and ultimately wealthy. That drive and ambition is what makes our country special.

Yes, I was quoting Wikipedia. Thank you for pointing that out. This is not my opinion. I was just reading a definition.

Ice Out
 

If the ice would open up there would be less to find something to GAB about !! jm2csw

Our original camp was about 700 ft.². My parents built their retirement home in 1963 and it was just under 3000 ft.². The word McMansion had not been invented yet, but I’m sure many people thought that’s what this house was.
Just like this house being built in Alton Bay today, my parents house was very unusual at that time. Believe it or not, the Moultonborough Historical Society actually called one day and wanted to know if they could come down and take a look around.
My parents worked very hard in life and this was their way of showing how successful they were. My parents retired nine years later at the age of 52. My mom lived in the house until five years ago when she died. My sister and her husband live there now. It is not a house that anyone talks about anymore.

Alton Bay Ace, I hope you get as much enjoyment out of your house as my parents did theirs!

The attitude could be shared among Winnipesaukee lakefront owners who watch a neighbor's "cabin nestled in the pines" get torn down.

Larger roofs driveways and parking areas with their greater "impervious surfaces" replace cabins that are otherwise just a dot in the environment. "Oversized" doesn't just apply to boats.

Everyone has a different vision of a "wonderful life". For some, it's the accumulation of material things and for others it's just living well.
I for one, value people on how they act rather then how wealthy they are.

Very true, Biggd!

I ice fish in front of this place, it was real nice to see all the garbage and building materials plowed over the hill this winter into the lake. Hope they clean up their mess.

This place has now been under construction for over a year. Quite the build.

Three, Maybe Four...
 

Expect three years to completion--maybe four.

:rolleye1:

Yours is yours-Theirs is thiers
 

McMansions aside, just wait until until your new neighbor decides to build boat storage buildings near the camp you've owned for fifty+ years.

It's all legal, and unstoppable- so keep buying jet skis, snowmobiles, tractors, bigger boats/cars and more property. Rent stuff, buy stuff, sell stuff! Put up more lighting, and video everyone that even breathes on your property. This is the new world.

Every time someone talks about making updated changes in the area, they should realize that, inevitably, they are part of what some others may consider to be negatives.

Change is good- it's simply the changing of the guard.

"So it goes"

As usual you miss the point. It’s not about accumulating material things but about achieving excellence. Have you ever known anyone who risked everything to achieve success. Fortunately I’ve been influenced by many family and friends who have taken a risk, believed in what they were doing and built businesses that employed a lot of people and made them financially wealthy. They were never driven by accumulating wealth. They were interested in building something. And by the way, these people are kind, generous and act in a manner that you would even approve.

People who are jealous of success focus on material things because it’s easy to focus on.

Speaking of missing the point!
 

Did you read post #67? It's not about wealth, it's about enjoying a small, quiet, family camp area that is going by the wayside.

I'm with Biggd!

Like I said, I judge people by the way they act, not by how wealthy they are.
I'm certainly not jealous of anyone that works hard and becomes wealthy but not all wealth is achieved in this way.
I also know very many "wealthy" people. Some I have great admiration for but some have been changed by their wealth. Those are the ones I no longer associate with regardless of how hard they worked for it.
"Money is the root of all evil", when the will is read the knives come out!
When you pass no one really cares about what you built. It's what gets passed down that everyone will be fighting for.
If it's a small family camp on the lake then that, IMO is "priceless".

Contrary to what is being said, it seems to me by reading these posts that people are judgmental and jealous of the nice homes being built on the lake. That it is more virtuous to own a 700 foot, moldy, half-assed built cabin on a fully wooded lot than it is to own a nice home on a clear-cut lot having a lot of natural light revealing spectacular views of the lake. No one is saying that you cannot like or embrace the cabin. However, don't judge those who do not embrace that lifestyle. So long as the home is being built respecting environmental laws, live and let live.

I think what you say is applicable to all people. All of us should be judged by how we act. Some people are nice, some not so much, regardless of wealth. I am certain wealth can change people, but so does mid-life crises, deaths of close family members, loss of wealth, etc. People who achieve success on their own aren't worried about what gets left to whom.

I can appreciate that you are enjoying your time on the lake, as you should.
Unfortunately, in this post you sound like a snob.

I highly doubt it. After all, you're the one doing the judging, not me.

Tell that to Jerry Lewis' kids! :laugh:

I don't believe this statement at all!

I agree that jealousy is unattractive, but you seem to be combining two sets of issues. There's nothing wrong with dropping a few million dollars to build a wonderful home in a wonderful spot. But clear cutting and super large roofs are bad for the lake--they increase the flow of phosphorous and other contaminants which promote cyanobacteria, and algae, and hurt the fish population and water clarity. Also, trees and other natural growth are much more attractive than houses--at least to me--so I really appreciate it when people leave as many trees as possible so that the rest of us have spectacular views FROM the lake.

I hope that people continue to build their dream homes. But I also hope that DES is able to implement and enforce even tougher rules to protect the water for all.

You highly doubt it- well aren't you something!?!

Ahh- Proving my point!

I get it- Don't have as much money, not as sophisticated and can't appreciate, and oh, yeah ... don't own a tuxedo! :yawn:

Let's not leave "ego" out of the equation.

Seems to me that people who build huge, palatial lakeside homes on large, cleared sites are doing so in order for others to see that they've finally "made it."

Insecurity, perhaps?

Dunno, don't care.

Me, I like our cabin just fine, albeit the birch trees somewhat obscure the view of the lake.

Alton Bay McMansion
 

Never said or implied any of those things. You don’t know me. And by the way, I don’t own a tuxedo, although I have my dress blues with clip-on tie from the Army!


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Can we stop now?

Thank you for your service!

My "snob" post was referring to what seemed a condescending remark concerning smaller, rustic style camps- the kind many were so lucky to have grown up with, and want their children, and their children to experience.

Mine is now in jeopardy due to "progress"- Maybe a bit sensitive.

No real gripe, here.

Can we just remember that at one point anyone who owned any abode, large or small or rustic or modern, was considered what people are calling egocentric or a snob because they had the money to own a vacation home. My dad, and many other dads & moms, worked hard to house, feed, and educate 4 kids. He lived for the week or 2weeks he could rent a place on the lake. He would have loved to own any piece of property here, but only “rich people” could do that.


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JEEPONLY, how is it legal for your neighbor to build a boat storage facility on his property? That certainly changes the entire feel for all the neighbors. How is that considered legal? It doesn’t seem right to me.

Obviously only legal if the receive the proper approvals and permits

This is correct.
It's a business that bought the land and is getting it rezoned.
Definitely will change the area

I want my kids to grow up in a mansion or mcmansion on the lake (what ever is the best I can provide), and not to be subjected to rusty nails, the mold/mildew and all the other things "old camps" had that we all grew up with. Isnt that what we all want? Our kids to grow up in nicer conditions than our childhoods allowed?

Mcmansion
 

If anyone follows the real estate of Mcmansions, those who built one ended up losing big bucks I don't feel sorry for them at all!
To me its like payback for demolition of a perfectly good 'On Golden Pond' nostalgic fishing camp and putting in an 8000 foot Adirondacks that is more suitable in the Adirondacks.

Family had an 1892 fishing camp that was once a brake man's house on the old lakeshore railroad. We sold it when we can no longer pay the outrageous taxes. The new owner teared it down and built a humongeous mcmansion only to foreclose within a few years of ownership. About that time, 2007, the property did not meet minimum bid at auction and was 'abandoned' by the bank for a few years. The bank did not drain the pipes and substantial water damage was made. Vandalism took its toll. The bank eventually sold the property for less than what we sold it for. New owners tore down the 'new' mcmansion and built a bigger one at the same spot, only to find out they violated wetlands definition of building on the same footprint. Instead of fighting they left the property for the mortgage company to take care of it. Mortgage company had it off and on the market for about 1.3 mill. No takers yet. One of the mortgage executive is currently using the property. I'm surprised it wasn't torn down to satisfy wetlands.

I don't think mcmansion owners make money selling their property.

BROADHOPPER, I like your story. I am sorry though that you had to sell your camp because you couldn’t afford the taxes.

My parents owned a small camp in the1950s and sold it in 1963 when we moved into our new summer home.
My father had been looking for many years for land to build the new home on. Back then, there was so much land. For years it seemed all I did as a kid was walk through the woods looking for metal markers to find the boundaries of property that my dad was looking at. Or, I was told to go into the lake and walk out so my father could see how deep the water was.

He ended up buying a lot of land and sold many lots as well after he subdivided them. He put very strong restrictions on what you could build. Back then, he put a minimum square footage on the house size. He also made the set backs further than what the town required. He stipulated that it could only be a one story house because he did not want anyone’s view to be obstructed by anybody else’s dwelling.

In other words, he wanted to make sure that everyone was happy and everyone got their moneys worth.
Today, everyone seems to only be thinking of themselves and their own enjoyment and not how what they do affects anyone else.

After todays stock market crash I'm feeling like a risk taker. I'm going to drink Corona's tonight. 😂

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I thanked you for the fact that you want to give your kids everything you can possible afford.

One of my peeves is wondering why folks like you think that "old camps" are rusty, moldy, mildewy places. Some have been updated, yet kept up to the point of preserving the hands on, living on the land feel.

My kids looked forward to picking up all the pines cones and raking pine needles out of the way. Even though the plumbing and electrical have been updated, my kids got to experience the independence, and wonder, of figuring out what to do when things went wrong. They loved bunking together in small rooms, trading candies bought at places like The Old Country Store. They and their cousins spent time together bonding, making the whole family stronger. Their focus was on their experiences- not what they had/didn't have.

I think my family has provided the next generation with beautiful conditions for happy, healthy and experiential lives.

I guess "nicer conditions" is a state of mind!

Wow, that is quite a story. That's a lot of bad luck or s-o-m-e-t-h-i-n-g.

Yes, Jeep, I agree with you. A camp does not have to be musty, moldy etc. Some of my best memories were in our camp. When I think back I can’t imagine how so many people slept in that tiny little place. But at the time I never thought about it, I was having too much fun. And how many homes around the lake still have pine needles and pine cones or have they all been replaced by green grass that pollutes the lake?
I still don’t understand how property can be changed from residential to commercial. There is nothing that you can do? Are you saying that anyone can buy property anywhere and just decide to put something commercial on it?

Attachment 15658
Patricks has cold ones!


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Residential to Commercial?
 

I'm not sure what specific property you're referencing but you can not just decide unilaterally to build commercial property on land that is zoned residential. Winnipesaukee has some of the strictest building codes you'll find in the entire state of NH. Our old cottage was just 16' from the water's edge when we tore it down. The new code is 50' from waters edge unless you build on the same exact footprint which we did not wish to do. To gain additional square footage from the board (no environmental concessions; they are not negotiable I'm happy to report) we moved the house back to the 50' line. Beyond that we were afforded no other concessions, the board and the state would allow no further changes.

Anyone asserting that you can build as you wish on Winni is dreaming or has never built there. The code is very strict and strictly enforced as it should be in such a beautiful place.

Would they let you build on original foundation and extend the footprint on the backside of the house?


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Not if it (the rear extension) was within the 50 foot waterfront buffer. You cannot add anything within 50 feet, only rebuild on the existing footprint.

This is a good rule. The issue here is that impervious surfaces close to the lake allow phosphorous and other nutrients to flow into the lake much faster than they would in undeveloped conditions. The phosphorous accelerates plant growth and this accelerates the aging of the late--darker water, more algae, milfoil, cyanobacteria; less enjoyable swimming and fishing.

Apology for late reply
 

With enough influence, some can get the board to re-zone anything. The sad part, to me, is the owner claiming no intention of erecting storage buildings, "at this time". Eventually, the lure of the cascades of money to be made from boat storage will win out, so the claims from today really mean nothing to the abutting property owners

Unless it's changed in the past few years, you can build closer than 50 feet if it was grandfathered. It must be on the exact same footprint. You still have the restriction on lot coverage though.

I'm not sure if the last few posts are in regards to my posts concerning re-zoning for boat storage units, or not

If they are, I would like to be clear that my property is not on Winni. It has been, and for the time being will remain, a small, secluded camp in a neighborhood with three others. For the most part, the only sounds heard, regularly, are the breezes through the pines, a babbling river, and when the time is right, a crackling campfire.

I know that the "progress" I've mentioned may sound like NIMBY sentiment. It's difficult to give up the peaceful quality of the area.

The new owner is a well-respected business with a thriving customer base. They have pledged to be respectful neighbors, as they have proven to be respectful habitants of the area over the years.

Never-the-less, one of the keys to business growth is, of course, capital. Hence the inevitability of the storage units- just too much earnings to deny.

So, that's it.