A Virginia resident is telling his side of the story after a large addition being built on his property received significant attention.
Mike, a Vietnamese immigrant who says he has lived in his Fairfax County home for 20 years, granted Border Hawk a tour of his 3,000 sq. ft. construction project, which has sparked local and national backlash.
“As soon as it got up to the third floor, I noticed a lot of people going by with their cars,” Mike explained.
“It’s something that our family decided to do so that we can have space for the kids and the family.”
Mike says people began harassing him, taking pictures and videos of his home, and even berating his young children in the yard, so he installed security cameras.
Interest in Mike’s build increased after a neighbor posted about it in a local Facebook group, he says.
His neighbors also expressed concerns about the project in recent interviews with Fox 5.
“It feels like it’s not real. When you see it… it’s shocking,” Katie Dash told the outlet.
“We’re all just concerned that if it could happen to her [Mike’s immediate neighbor, Courtney Leonard], it could happen to any of us. I’m still confused how it was approved.”
Leonard, who lives in the shadow of the new structure, says she has been waiting for clarity on the issue.
“I love this neighborhood, and the people in it have been so helpful. It just feels like there’s nowhere else to go,” she said.
Mike asserts he followed all regulations and his contractor built in strict adherence to plans approved by Fairfax County.
However, the build has been suspended due to a corner of the structure encroaching upon setbacks.
“The measurement of the building is correct as planned,” Mike explained. “I’m not sure what zoning did.”
“It’s the plan that is approved and it’s built exactly per plan, but now it’s come out like that.”
Mike says it is unclear where the mistake was made, but he hopes to rectify the matter via a variance request.
The addition’s architectural design — which has been called a ‘residential apartment complex’ — is also raising eyebrows, but Mike hopes its modern style will blend better with the original structure if he’s able to eventually re-pitch his existing roof.
“The main thing that we want is to have the best for our family,” Mike said. “All I am doing here is provide the best thing for my family, and not affect anybody else.”
“We all want the best for our kids, for our family, but at the end of the day, we want to live with our neighbors. We see our neighbors more than our relatives. We want to have the best relationship that we can with our neighbor.”
“I feel bad that I have to go through this and my neighbor sees my family in a different way, but that’s just how it is right now,” he concluded.
Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity says the structure “clearly does not belong in our suburban neighborhoods” and plans to propose changes to zoning ordinances at a board meeting this week.
Border Hawk White House correspondent Wid Lyman contributed to this report.
