Anger Builds Against ‘Mansionization’ : Housing: Responding to residents’ complaints, Arcadia and San Gabriel put tighter limits on construction to avoid ‘monster houses’ on small lots.

The San Gabriel Valley movement against “mansionization” gained momentum this week as city councils in Arcadia and San Gabriel tightened building codes to further guard against construction of bulky single-family houses that dominate their neighborhoods.

At the urging of angry residents, the Arcadia City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved an amendment that will put stricter limits on the height and the total square footage of new homes. Depending on the size of the lots, single-family houses could not exceed a maximum height of 25 to 30 feet.

“They’re out of place, huge and imposing,” said Linda Larew of Arcadia, arguing for revisions that would reduce the potential size of houses.

When an architect who has designed large Arcadia houses addressed the council, one woman shouted: “Someone should set a firebomb to one of his houses.”

Feelings were intense in San Gabriel, too. Maddie Petersen said residents of single-family neighborhoods such as hers have a right “not to be built on top of one another.”

Comments such as these drew enthusiastic applause from audiences in both cities. In Arcadia, more than 75 spectators filled the council chambers to near-capacity. Although far fewer in number, the San Gabriel advocates of controls were firm in expressing their resolve.

The San Gabriel ordinance cited rising land values as a contributing factor to the increase in the “overbuilding” on lots for both single-and multiple-family housing.

In addition to San Gabriel and Arcadia, councils in Glendora, Pasadena, South Pasadena and Monterey Park have looked at the issue or plan to do so.

On Monday, Monterey Park’s council will consider whether to enact building restrictions. “We got some real big houses going in now,” Monterey Park Planning Director M. Margo Wheeler said. “I’ve got one little old lady that calls me, crying about a house that’s going up in her neighborhood. One of our planning commissioners, Joe Rubin, calls them monster houses.”

In addition, the Glendora City Council on Monday referred a staff report on large houses to its Planning Commission, suggesting that the commission hold a hearing on the issue.

The staff report on mansionization contained 10 recommendations for further restrictions on residential construction.

In Arcadia’s case, this is the third time in two years that the council has scaled down the size of single-family houses. The latest changes come just six months after the council restricted the size of two-story homes.

Likewise, San Gabriel on Tuesday revised an ordinance enacted in January. “The current ordinance is not quite sufficient,” Planning Commissioner Guy Denechaud told the council. He said a four-member committee had taken a hard look at houses that are “invasive, intrusive and inconsistent” with surrounding houses.

In recent months the “anti-mansionization” forces in the San Gabriel Valley have invoked Arcadia as a good example of what they do not want.

“One only has to drive through Arcadia to see what we’re talking about,” San Gabriel Planning Commissioner Dennis Williams said.

Susan Haygood of Arcadia agrees. Living next to a bulky house, she told the Arcadia council, makes her feel as if she lives in a fish bowl.

However, restrictions did not please everyone. Arcadia resident Milton Bade, a builder, said: “I’m not happy with the height limitation. I think it should be higher, at least 35 feet, because houses would look better, and have a better architectural design.”

Other builders and homeowners complained that the new regulations would affect plans they have worked on for months. In response, the council agreed that the ordinance would become effective in 60 days for applicants with building plans already under review by the Planning Department.

In addition, San Gabriel Councilman Sabino Cici said he was worried about how the restrictions might affect a homeowner who wants to remodel. Councilwoman Mary Cammarano replied: “If you are looking for a perfect ordinance, there isn’t one.”

Much of the discussion in San Gabriel focused on how much space should be allocated to side yards. One difficulty with the overall issue, Planning Commission member Dennis Williams said, is “we can’t place 1990s standards on 1920s lots.”

Glendora community correspondent Brad Haugaard contributed to this report.

BACKGROUND “Mansionization” describes the phenomenon of big houses being built on small lots. The trend has increased in the San Gabriel Valley and throughout the county as housing prices have risen. In some cases, building codes allowed smaller houses to be razed and replaced by bulky structures. In others, an existing home is expanded into a “monster house.” Some residents complain that the big houses harm their neighborhood’s character and invade their privacy. City councils have responded by tightening codes to allow for more lot space around houses.