Neighbors of wealthy car junkies are fuming over what they call excessive and inconsiderate car storage units popping up on their properties.
With too many luxury cars and not enough space in their own garages, luxury vehicle enthusiasts in Minnesota have discovered a new option: investing in ‘car barns’ or ‘garage mahals.’
The spaces do far more than shield Porsches and Ferraris from harsh weather conditions.
Those investing in the garages are turning them into a car-lover’s dream hideaway, oftentimes functioning as more of an event hall or second home than a place to simply house vehicles.
In Victoria, Minnesota, the community is rallying against a city-approved pan allowing a resident to build a 6,000-square-foot garage that could easily hold 20 cars in their backyard.
The glass-doored structured may even have a pickleball court built inside, the Wall Street Journal reported.
‘It’s giant,’ outraged resident Christopher Keppel said at a planning commission meeting in December .
‘I can’t describe it any other way than it looks like having a Tires Plus in my backyard.’
Neighbors of wealthy car junkies are fuming over what they call excessive and inconsiderate car storage units popping up in their backyards (stock image)
Those investing in the garages are turning them into a car-lover’s dream hideaway, oftentimes functioning as more of an event hall or second home than a place to simply house vehicles (stock image)
Opponents argue that the massive structure far exceeds the maximum size of 900 square feet allowed for a detached garage.
The structure is also reportedly more than double the size of the property’s actual home.
‘The potential uses under these facts strongly suggest non-permissible uses, such as a car storage facility, a private car club hangout,’ lawyer Daniel Sathry explained at the December meeting.
‘Perhaps, intended to be used for private recreational space, private entertainment events and private car meets.
‘We will have increased noise, we will have increased traffic, we will have increased crime concerns among who knows what else.’
But the city has allowed it, with the mayor saying she cannot turn down a permit simply because the neighbors are upset.
‘I know that the neighbors are not happy about it, and I sympathize with them, but you can’t arbitrarily deny something because somebody doesn’t like it,’ Victoria Mayor Deb McMillian said, according to the Wall Street Journal.
In 2022, a similar conflict arose in Wayzata when a waterfront homeowner planned to build a 1,600-square-foot detached structure on the edge of their property, prompting the neighbors to sue.
‘The potential uses under these facts strongly suggest non-permissible uses, such as a car storage facility, a private car club hangout,’ lawyer Daniel Sathry explained at a December meeting
Garage owners have found loopholes to keep their ‘garage mahals’
‘It’s a big deal,’ the judge said at the hearing.
‘It’s not like the little squatty garage I have at the edge of my property where I park my Honda.’
The people who sued the people building the now-finished mega-shed lost their case, the Wall Street Journal reported. But they are planning to appeal the decision.
‘It’s a subterranean garage; all you see is this door, and by the way, it’s a beautiful door,’ the defendant’s lawyer Bill Skolnick said.
In Crosslake, the city tried to stop massive garages from popping up by creating an ordinance that limited shed sizes to 1,200 square feet.
But persistent car buffs found a loophole that perfectly suits the expensive nature of these sheds: include some living space inside to make it a residential property.
Brad Nelson now has a 4,200-square-foot-building in the area that he described to the Wall Street Journal as part venue – fully equipped with a full kitchen, bathroom television and fireplace.
Although some gearheads have opted to aggravate their neighbors, others have chosen a slightly different route.
In 2022, a conflict arose in Wayzata when a waterfront homeowner planned to build a 1,600-square-foot detached structure on the edge of their property and their neighbors, prompting the neighbors to sue (stock image)
Neighbors have complained across Minnesota because the property next to theirs had a giant garage built on it
Brett Bailey, 64, decorated his 2,700-square-foot garage with heated floors, a tequila bar, a massive television, a leather sofa, a bathroom and a car lift to make it the perfect home for his two Porshes, a Ferrari and a custom Harley Davidson motorcycle.
Bailey is one of about 100 people who own such a luxurious space to store their coveted collectibles at the Chanhassen AutoPlex, the Wall Street Journal reported.
AutoPlex is essentially a neighborhood of upscale garages that is more like a home away from home for community members.
‘Whatever the weather, it’s a way for somebody to enjoy their passion,’ Chanhassen AutoPlex developed Bruno Silikowski told the Wall Street Journal.
