City Council votes to limit construction of McMansions in Old Granada Hills

Homes in Old Granada Hills (credit: Google Earth)
Homes in Old Granada Hills (credit: Google Earth)

Bigger isn’t always better when it comes to McMansions.

The L.A. City Council approved an ordinance Wednesday limiting the size of new homes in Old Granada Hills, effectively prohibiting the construction of “McMansions,” the L.A. Daily News reported.

The law would limit the square footage of a house to 30 percent of the overall lot size in the area between San Fernando Mission Boulevard, San Jose Street, Amestoy Avenue and Zelzah Avenue in Northwest L.A. A 7,500-square-foot lot could have a house of up to 2,250 square feet, for instance.

Exemptions do exist, however. If the design of a proposed house is deemed “street-friendly,” homeowners could build a larger home than typically allowed under the ordinance.

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“We supported (the law) wholeheartedly because of the overdevelopment in this area,” Dave Beauvais, president of the Old Granada Hills Residents’ Group, told the Daily News.

While neighborhood organizations like the residents’ group champion the new ordinance, other foresee some negative impact.

“It brings down the property values,” said local resident Linda Romney.

Last month, Mayor Eric Garcetti came under fire for his alleged partiality toward developers who build McMansions. Housing preservationists said his proposal to cut two city planning positions, as detailed in his 2016 budget, would allow historic designations to fall to the wayside and eventually lead to the rise in the construction of too-big properties. [LADN]Cathaleen Chen