Emergency Ban On 'Monster' Mansions, Santa Monica Council Says

SANTA MONICA, CA – The Santa Monica City Council ordered a preparation of a temporary ban on the construction of "monster" mansions in single-family neighborhoods. The council voted unanimously 6-0, asking staff to return to the next meeting in two weeks with an interim zoning ordinance (IZO), "emergency in nature," that would enforce a height limit of less than 28 feet, and cut the current allowed footprint by 20 percent in new homes in neighborhoods like Sunset Park and Ocean Park, according to Santa Monica Lookout.

Neighbors reportedly complain that the huge homes are built to the edge of their property line, ignoring landscape in the process. Once built, these monster-sized homes command over other homes on the street and look out of place.

“On our block alone (21st St. between Pearl and Ocean Park) there are three such homes recently built by the same developer,” Donald Murchie and Angela de Mott wrote in a letter to the council obtained by Santa Monica Lookout. "These buildings are much too large in proportion to their respective lot size and, usually occupied by small single families. We see an accelerating tendency for the city to to approve such enormous homes," they wrote.

The ordinance calls for larger yards, smaller decks and patios, and encourages porches instead of garages.

Read more at Santa Monica Lookout; Image via Shutterstock