McMansions

McMansions

Proposed Amended Ordinance as of July 2007

Old proposed Ordinance as of March 2007

The Neighborhood Protection Committee (NPC) has moved quickly to implement the consensus of the community as expressed in the survey recently conducted by the CHHA Board. An overwhelming majority of those who responded indicated that they wanted to see something done to ensure that there was a reasonable relationship between houses and the lots on which they are built. Soon after the results of the survey were known, the NPC wrote Councilmember Weiss urging that he support a City ordinance proposed by several other Councilmembers directing various governmental entities to explore the possibility of a law prohibiting the construction of houses that are much too large for their lots, commonly known as "McMansions."

Proposed Ordinance
June 6, 2006

Proposed Ordinance
June 6, 2006

Association Survey
Summer 2006

Association Survey
Summer 2006

Curbing the big, the bad, the ugly
August 27, 2006

Curbing the big, the bad, the ugly
August 27, 2006

Association Letter to Jack Weiss
September 14, 2006

Association Letter to Gail Goldberg
March 7, 2007

Gail Goldberg

Director

Department of City Planning

200 N. Spring Street, Room 525

Los Angeles, CA 90012

Re: Case No. CPC-2007-0106-CA

Proposed McMansion Ordinance

Dear Ms. Goldberg:

The Cheviot Hills Homeowners’ Association (“CHHA”) consists of approximately 1400 homes located in the area between Century and Palms/Mar Vista. The CHHA was formed in 1924 to represent the homeowners in this Westside community.

The CHHA strongly supports a Citywide Code Amendment designed to stop the encroachment of McMansions into all Los Angeles communities, and Cheviot Hills in particular. Cheviot Hills is an urban community with many houses built in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. Until recently, most of the homes have been custom homes and no two looked alike. Along with our undulating tree-lined streets, these individualized homes gave Cheviot Hills a unique look and character.

However, during the last several years, a number of developers, and one in particular, have concluded that, in part because of its close proximity to Century City, a lot of money could be made by tearing down the existing homes and building McMansions. In fact, one developer has already built about 20 McMansions in our community and recently bought another dozen or so lots.

Because Cheviot Hills does not have active CC&Rs, developers currently are permitted to build enormous box-like structures, many of which have subterranean garages, and some of which are three stories high!!

A good example is exists on the corner of Dunleer and Haddington. For years, a 1,500 square foot house sat on this double 10,800 square foot lot. This house had nice, well manicured front and back yards. A developer, seeing a chance to make some quick money, bought this property and put two houses on it, each of which is approximately 4,000 square feet. Thus, instead of a single home of 1,500 square feet, there are now two houses totaling 8,000 square feet. Obviously, neither has even the semblance of a reasonably-sized front or back yard.

At least in Cheviot Hills, few McMansions have been built by homeowners. Almost all of the McMansions that have built in Cheviot Hills have been built by outside developers who have no interest in our community, but are only concerned about maximizing their profits.

While we understand that there are many ways that the proposed changes to the Code can be written, including containing provisions (i) requiring a reduction in the existing Floor Area Ratio, (ii) prohibiting the massing of a residence, and (iii) creating new height rules, the important thing is that something be done as soon as possible.

The CHHA urges the Planning Commission to move promptly and to make the new rules apply to all projects were all projects where construction has not already commenced. Every day that goes by results in the building of new McMansions in Los Angeles, including Cheviot Hills. While some fine tuning may have to be done at a latter date, it is important that the McMansionization of Los Angeles stop now.

We appreciate the work that the Planning Commission already has done and look forward to seeing the proposed changes to the Code. When we receive them, we will supply you with our comments.

Very truly yours,

Jeffrey A. Berman

CHHA Board Member, and Chair of the Neighborhood Preservation Committee

preservation@cheviothills.org

cc: CHHA Board

CHHA Neighborhood Preservation Committee

Betsy Weisman

Erick Lopez

Jack Weiss

Lisa Trifiletti