R.H. Estates : Building Code Changes

After three months of study and public hearings, the City Council this week gave preliminary approval to an extensive revision of residential building regulations that are intended to reduce the size of buildings, preserve views and assure that new buildings are compatible with neighborhoods through establishment of a planning staff review of design plans. Final passage is expected June 10.

The measure reduces the two-story height limit from 35 feet to 21 feet for flat-roofed structures and 27 feet for homes with pitched or gabled roofs. It also requires an additional foot of setback in side yards for every foot of height above 14 feet.

When the ordinance takes effect in July, the council is expected to lift a building moratorium imposed in January after a neighborhood outcry over construction of two large metal storage buildings behind a home on Dapplegray Lane. That project, which has been halted indefinitely because of alleged code violations, was cited as an example of why the city needed to revise its building standards and set up neighborhood compatibility regulations.