All over Los Angeles, homeowners have been rabidly fighting against "mansionization," usually in the form of older houses being sold, torn down, and replaced with big-ass monster houses that eat up most of the lot. While anti-mansionization laws were passed years ago, these homeowners have been begging the city to close loopholes and pass stricter rules against overbuilding, and meanwhile been driven to unhinged vigilantism against giant new neighbors. On Tuesday, the City Council's Planning and Land Use Management Committee approved temporary crackdowns in 15 neighborhoods with mansion troubles, says the LA Times.
If the full Council approves, the restrictions will go live for 45 days, but could be in effect for up to two years while the city works on updating the older anti-mansionization ordinance (considering the traction the anti-mansion crowd has, you can count on it being extended). The new regulations will affect the 38,707 single family houses contained in these 15 areas, but allow wildly different activity from 'hood to 'hood.
In South Hollywood, Larchmont Heights, and Old Granada Hills, owners will still be able to tear down that house they just bought, but the house that replaces it can only be 120 percent larger than what was there before. Over in Los Feliz's celeb-studded enclave The Oaks, the limits will affect basements, which will count toward the total residential floor area. In Bel Air, the restrictions will alter dirt hauling: new construction will only be allowed to import or export 6,000 cubic yards of soil. New houses can no longer be built bigger in exchange for building greener in Kentwood and Mar Vista/East Venice; in Beverlywood and Fairfax, floor-area bonuses for green features will be limited to 15 percent, which a city-planner-turned-anti-mansion-crusader calls "so weak it won't make any difference whatsoever." Take a look:
· L.A. neighborhoods closer to getting temporary mansionization limits [LAT]
· 14 LA 'Hoods Getting Special Anti-Mansion-Building Rules [Curbed LA]
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