Anti-Mansionization Ordinance Moves Forward to City Council

After two-and-a-half-years of study and numerous public hearings, the anti-mansionization ordinance initiated by Councilmember LaBonge moved out of committee Tuesday for consideration by the full Council. The three-member Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) panel voted unanimously to bring the measure forward along with a yet-to-be-written independent report on the potential fiscal impacts on property tax revenues if home sizes are restricted.

"Keeping the scale of a neighborhood intact has a lot to do with its value as a place to live," said Councilmember LaBonge. "We must make sure that there's a balance between the existing structure and what is a fair development. This ordinance will help us do just that."

The proposed ordinance reduces the ratio of square feet to lot size, reducing the opportunity of supersizing a single family home. But it also will allow for hardship cases and has flexibility for homeowners living in neighborhoods with unique zoning parameters.
Councilmember LaBonge's related effort to get greater restrictions for homes built in hillside areas is still with city planners, pending the final wording of the anti-mansionization ordinance now under consideration.