Manhattan Beach targets giant homes known as mansionization

By: Associated Press | Thursday, April 5, 2007 7:18 PM PDT ∞

MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. -- In an effort to halt the wave of so-called mansionization, the City Council here tentatively imposed a moratorium on merging properties to make way for giant homes.

Four-fifths of the council still must approve the 45-day ban at its next meeting in two weeks, but the moratorium applies to lot merger applications filed after midnight Wednesday, City Attorney Robert Wadden said.

The moratorium is designed to give the city time to examine building standards for large lots. It can be extended.

"We want to come up with a lot merger ordinance that also addresses building size, not only with respect to lot mergers but building in general," Mayor Nick Tell said. "Instead of taking it one at a time, we're going to do it all at once."

The city has long battled mansionization, the practice of replacing smaller homes with larger ones that change the scale and appearance of a neighborhood.

The city's mansionization committee will take up lot mergers at its next meeting, and report back to the council, said the mayor, who has a pending lot merger application.

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Alf wrote on Apr 6, 2007 2:35 PM:Let me get this straight - Someone wants a bigger house than will fit on one parcel. They either have an adjoining parcel or buy it, to join them together so that they can now build their house on what used to be two parcels. To keep this person from building a house on land which would now more than allow enough room to build their house, the city says that you can't do what is perfectly legal. To preserve the quaintness of the United States, let's ban all new construction houses over 847 square feet. It makes sense to me, if I was a raving lunatic throwback. Unapologetically, Alf.

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