Home Size Limits Sought

The Glendale City Council instructed its planning staff Tuesday to prepare a set of temporary measures to restrict the sizes of new single-family homes.

Council members said they acted in response to complaints by residents about the “mansionization” of Glendale by owners who tear down old houses and replace them with massive, towering houses that nearly fill the lot.

The council proposed restrictions on lot coverage and building height, increasing the minimum distance allowed between a building’s exterior and the adjacent street and property lines, and implementing a floor-to-area ratio, which limits the floor area in proportion to the size of the lot.

City Planning Director John McKenna said a temporary ordinance encompassing these restrictions will be introduced at the Aug. 29 City Council meeting.

At the same time, McKenna added, the planning staff will begin work on a permanent ordinance to regulate the size and design of single-family homes in accordance with the characteristics of the neighborhood where the house is to be built.