Arcadia Heeds Outcry, Limits Sizes of Houses on Small Lots

Residents concerned about the proliferation of large homes on small lots won a major victory when the City Council decided Tuesday to restrict the size of new and remodeled homes.

Despite protests from builders and developers, the council voted unanimously to draft an ordinance that would limit the height of homes to a maximum of 25 to 35 feet, depending on the size of the lot, and establish wider setbacks for front and side yards.

Homes with gable roofs, including most ranch-style homes, could be as high as 20 feet and still be considered a single-story structure, said city Planning Director William Woolard. He said the main impact of the ordinance would be on large, two-story Tudor homes built on small lots.

Sliding Scale

The current ordinance allows heights of 35 feet regardless of lot size. Under the new proposal, height would be limited on a sliding scale, from 25 feet on a lot less than 71 feet wide to 35 feet on a lot 100 feet wide.

The issue grew out of residents’ complaints that many new and remodeled homes in the city are too large to blend with the one-story, ranch-style structures that characterize Arcadia.

At three public hearings before the Planning Commission, builders argued that restrictions would stifle new development and lower property values.

Called Incompatible

But residents, especially those in the southern part of the city who do not have homeowners associations to set guidelines, said many new homes are so tall and massive that they are incompatible with the surrounding neighborhood.

When the issue came before the council, builders argued for a formula allowing homes 30 feet high on the smaller lots.

The proposed ordinance “is too extreme,” said builder Chris Bade. “Twenty-five feet high is too restrictive because the houses will all look the same.”

But homeowner Bryan Dickson, speaking for many of the 100 residents who attended the meeting, said: “I have talked with people, and they feel the height and mass of the houses has infringed on their privacy.”

Kathy Tyson said that when she remodeled her one-story house and added one floor, she was careful to work with her neighbors.

“Our windows don’t look out at their swimming pools,” she said, adding that houses don’t have to be so massive that they destroy the privacy of smaller homes in the neighborhood.

Councilman Robert Harbicht said: “Clearly height is the issue, and the aim is to reduce the apparent bulk of the houses. The problem is primarily on the smaller lots and the height of homes on those lots.

“It happens all the time that changes are made that infringe on people’s rights.”

Councilman Dennis Lojeski said the new ordinance would not be a radical change and would not penalize anyone because Arcadia is historically a community of single-story homes.

Councilwoman Mary Young said she wished the council had tightened the restrictions sooner.

Any plans for homes submitted to the city before April 5, when the ordinance is expected to be adopted, will be exempt from the new restrictions.