SAN CLEMENTE : Council to Discuss Height-Limit Plan

A proposal to limit home heights and preserve views in this ocean-oriented city will be discussed Wednesday by the City Council, which earlier ordered a study of the idea but rejected a moratorium on home additions.

The study recommends zoning-law changes that would create 25-foot height restrictions in neighborhoods with views that could be affected by second- and third-story additions to homes. The law also would restrict the height of new homes that could interfere with views of existing houses, according to a report by principal planner Bob Goldin.

Earlier this year, the council received several complaints from residents in ocean-view neighborhoods near Trafalgar Street and in the new Pacesetter Homes tract. The residents claimed that new construction took away their blue-water views and reduced home values. Those complaints triggered a request for a moratorium.

Last month, the Planning Commission unanimously rejected the proposed zoning plan, saying the city should not regulate the issue of views from private property.

A letter from Roger A. Grable, acting city attorney, also discouraged the restrictions and recommended that height issues be solved through homeowner association regulations.

The meeting begins at 7 p.m.