Attack Of The Monster Homes

Oversized homes are causing tension between residents and cities as planners hurry to rewrite zoning laws in order to restrict the size of houses.

1 minute read

March 19, 2001, 1:00 PM PST

By Abhijeet Chavan @http://twitter.com/legalaidtech


"Zoning officials and neighbors are trying to decide how big is too big, and what they can do to try to rein in the monster house next door. In recent years, oversized homes...have spread from spacious gated enclaves to close-in suburbs, where they often dwarf their neighbors. Now, town officials, urban planners and irate neighbors in suburbs across the country are scrambling to find ways to rewrite zoning codes to restrict the size of new houses and additions to existing houses." The result is pitting neighbor against neighbor and town against resident, while taxing the ingenuity of municipalities that often lack the tools, or will, to limit house size. And it is leading to drawn-out battles that fray nerves."

Thanks to Sze Lei Leong

Monday, March 19, 2001 in The New York Times

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