Fate of The `Monster House' May be Determined Soon
By Charlie Clark
NorthernVA Journal 3 September 2003

Closure may be nearing on Arlington's storied ``monster house." The huge gray-blue box poking through the treeline at Sycamore and North 27th streets - which has infuriated neighbors and vexed zoning officials for going on five years - was the subject of several recent actions:

An Arlington Circuit Court hearing, postponed from Aug. 25, was tentatively set for Sept. 11.

An attempted foreclosure and substitute trustee sale, scheduled for Aug. 28, was ``stayed indefinitely" after the owner filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy, according to McLean attorney Richard Hagerty, who is handling the case for BB&T bank.

And Paul Kingery, the privacy-covetous owner of the unfinished structure, who by trade is a successful consultant on prevention of youth violence, finally explained his project in an exclusive interview with this columnist, who lives nearby.

``The house is worth either $1 million or $100,000, depending on how this case comes out," says Kingery, who now resides in another state and rents out the Arlington house. To litigate against the county, ``I have hired the top legal firm in the region for land matters."

One notion Kingery wishes to dispel is the common belief that this ``single-family" house, with its cavernous living room and multiple bathrooms, is part of some organization's project to create a group home for troubled youth. All the money at stake is his own and his bank's, he says.

His disputes with the Board of Zoning Appeals over variances have stemmed from technical matters, though the house's overall size, color and roof design have stuck in some craws.

A May 2002 court order from Judge Paul Sheridan required Kingery to cut back an overhang by a few inches, plant some trees, install some shutters and clean up the lot.

``Some things he did, some he did not," says Tony Burnette, deputy zoning administrator. The result is that the variance Kingery won is ``now null and void, and there is a possibility he will have to tear the whole thing down," Burnette says, adding that this would be an engineering decision.

The house has been the talk of the real estate and developer communities. Neighbors concerned about property values have filed complaints about the clutter of uninstalled Roman temple-style columns and building materials that might harbor rats.

``One or more people in the county government either did not do their jobs or `looked the other way' when inspections of the work were required," says neighbor Ricky Pursley.

``I've lived in the county for 24 years, and one of the things that I've been proudest of is how well-run and corruption-free the government has been. It would be a shame if that is no longer true," Pursley said.

But Kingery believes Arlington officials handled the situation ``responsibly," though they have ``vocal members of the public" to please.

``The neighbors would not have had to gaze at stacks of building materials for so long if they had not slowed me down," he says. ``Their actions were all about tearing it down rather than finishing it."

Kingery feels sympathy for the builder who put an expensive home across the street, and had trouble attracting a buyer. But ``the builder knew that going in" since Kingery's house ``was already in slow motion over legal issues."

Kingery has been designing his unusual house ``off and on for 30 years as a personal interest." Describing this part of Arlington as a ``turnover neighborhood," he believes he became a pariah because he was perhaps first to ``notice that the property values were worth twice the value of the structures upon them, making this a logical investment."

Over time, ``the stark contrast of my home to those of the neighbors will decrease as my house is finished and as other large houses are built," he adds. Just as the local farmers back in 1950 were probably miffed at the building of tract homes, ``each stage of change in a neighborhood brings stress."

Some bitterness comes through in Kingery's remark that some neighbors ``would take great pleasure in ruining me personally."

``Building this house was more about the process than about the outcome," he says. He is ``not emotionally attached to it" and has not decided whether he will sell it or live in it, perhaps upgrading the exterior.

Though he would like to convey a ``sense of respect for the broader community," he plans to stand up for his rights.

``The disruption of this experience, whether for me or for the community is not and never will be worth celebrating, regardless of the outcome," he says. ``I gained personal strength from building this house. That will endure."

Note: Tony Burnette, Deputy Zoning Administrator, stated that the Circuit Court hearing on 11 September was postponed.

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