Atlanta Puts a Moratorium on 'McMansions' in Historic Neighborhoods

To arrest the trend of historic tear-downs with incompatable 'mega-mansions' built in their place, the City of Atlanta has placed a temporary halt to the practice.

1 minute read

January 23, 2006, 10:00 AM PST

By David Gest

Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin has issued a "moratorium on the construction of new, massive homes on lots where older, smaller houses once stood...Franklin's moratorium halts construction permits for infill housing in five of the hottest real estate markets in the city...The moratorium will prevent real estate investors from tearing down older homes and building new, big ones while the City Council considers restricting the scale of houses in Atlanta's neighborhoods. The infill-teardown trend has blazed across Atlanta and close-in suburbs during the 'back to the city' craze of the past five years."

"Emotions ran high in Atlanta as news of the moratorium spread through e-mails among neighborhood protection groups and the residential construction industry."

Thanks to Alex Pearlstein

Read the full story: Moratorium on McMansions

Friday, January 20, 2006 in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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