Local News in Brief : Home Review OKd

The Palos Verdes Estates City Council this week adopted the so-called neighborhood compatibility ordinance, which is designed to deal with oversized homes.

The measure permits the city to evaluate a new or remodeled home in which construction exceeds 12,000 square feet to determine whether it fits into the neighborhood and preserves neighbors’ privacy and views.

The measure, effective July 28, was prompted by a recent pattern of older, smaller homes being razed and replaced with larger ones.

The ordinance also prohibits an applicant from breaking a large remodeling project into smaller projects to avoid compatibility review. The provision requires that there be a two-year lapse between remodeling applications.

Earlier this month, in an effort to control the size of houses, the council had limited the floor area of a new or remodeled home to 30% of the lot size plus 1,700 square feet.