Moving to North Carolina this fall, I found a house in place I never expected to live – a planned community. They’re very popular for retired people, but I’m not retired. Even so, the house checked nearly all of the boxes on my search list, and the benefits of this planned community were a bonus.
My new house, however, has one very distinct feature that makes no sense in a community intended for mature residents – you cannot walk into it without climbing stairs. The front porch has two slate steps up to the front porch. The garage has three wooden plank stairs into the house. But once inside, everything is zero barrier, and the master bathroom could even accommodate a wheel chair if needed. So, that led me to wonder – why on earth did they make entry into the house require stairs?
Sense vs. Aesthetics
From a neighbor, I learned the answer. When this particular neighborhood was opened for development, the edict was that all houses must have steps onto the porch. Folks who built here could choose their house from a portfolio that included multiple builders, but they all had to deliver a similar aesthetic.
Was this the smartest choice for new residents? I don’t think so. Does it serve a functional purpose? I hope not. I hope it’s not because someone was secretly worried about flooding and that’s why the houses are raised!
If I were still living in Wisconsin, I would have been opposed to these slate steps – trying to keep ice off of them would be a challenge! But, here in coastal NC, my incidence of snow and ice should be much lower. I’m also leaving behind the numerous tornado warnings of Oklahoma…but I expect to pay more attention to the path of hurricanes instead. What you expect in a house (and a job) will vary between regions, for both frivolous and good reasons.
Thank you to Carlton Riffel at Paragon for interviewing me on The Common Chord. It was great talking about what makes our industry so meaningful and our connections so important.
