Temple City : Building Restrictions Voted

A moratorium restricting construction on residential lots to specific percentages of the lots was approved 4 to 0 by the City Council on Tuesday. Mayor Pro Tem Tom Breazeal was absent from the meeting.

Under the 45-day moratorium, effective immediately, construction in R-1 zones will be limited to 35% of a lot. For developments in the R-2 and R-3 zones, the limits are 50% and 70% respectively.

In a staff report to the City Council, City Manager Karl Koski recommended adoption of the moratorium so the city can study methods to combat a trend toward “larger new dwellings (that) are out of scale with existing residences in the neighborhood.”

The moratorium also sets a maximum building height of 30 feet and limits construction within the front 30 feet of all lots.

In R-1 zones, the floor area of a second story cannot exceed 75% of the floor area of the first story, including garages. Also, new developments in R-1 zones must provide three garage parking spaces for any single-family residence containing more than four bedrooms.