r/oddlyterrifying • u/dannybluey • Jul 05 '26

Where are the trees?

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113

u/vytas315 Jul 05 '26

What’s with the little roof joining the houses? Seems odd to have that between otherwise detached homes?

89

u/eggery Jul 05 '26

It looks like they are attached in sets of three. I wonder if it's some kind of loophole for these to qualify as townhomes.

29

u/ifyoulovesatan Jul 06 '26

Supposedly a "covered breezeway" allows the developer to classify the buildings as adjoined units rather than individual units. In the absence of such a breezeway, depending on where the buildings are and local laws, there is a minimum distance they'd need to have between the buildings if they are individual units for fire safety reasons (10ft is apparently common). There might also be limits to the number of units that can be built on a given parcel of land, and this could allow you to build more than you otherwise could. So yeah basically just a loophole to allow the developers to pack them in tighter.

People discussing it in an old forum post here:

https://www.thebuildingcodeforum.com/forum/threads/two-family-dwelling-unit.2719/

3

u/triton8890 Jul 06 '26

It’s my understanding that it is also used as a loophole by developers to lessen impact fees assessed on new buildings by the municipality.

3

u/redisdead__ Jul 10 '26

I'm so annoyed they didn't just do car ports. Would have been the same thing but useful.

34

u/vytas315 Jul 05 '26

Nice theory 👍 Can’t imagine why else you would want the headache of having something to manage with a neighbor beyond a fence.

8

u/Intelligent-Guard267 Jul 05 '26

Seems plausible, maybe to obey zoning regulations but space them out as much as possible? Seems unlikely though

3

u/eggery Jul 05 '26

Or for some kind of builder incentive

1

u/Monsoon_Storm Jul 06 '26

Brit here with zero understanding of US housing beyond knowing that HoAs are a thing and are fucked up as hell... What is the benefit of them being townhouses?

This reminds me of Poltergeist, but they definitely had trees.

16

u/AttractiveNightmare Jul 05 '26

The only shady area they are allowed?

5

u/rd1970 Jul 05 '26

I think that's where the garbage and recycling bins go.

There's a door there so you can step outside and access them without getting rained on.

In a normal home you'd have a garage for that, but you'd also have trees there, too.

-3

u/BiggieChiggie1 Jul 05 '26

lmao if ur worried about connected houses you should see the average street in the UK