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Council Watch
City gives green light to forge 'monster house' law
Next step: proposal goes to planning for fine-tuning and public input
By Jessica Lyons
The San Jose City Council gave the go-ahead to creating a law that would limit the height and floor-area ratio of new homes and remodels.
At its Sept. 7 meeting, the council adopted a resolution initiating proceedings on an ordinance to amend city code, limiting the height and floor-area ratio of rebuilds with direction to the Planning Department to do additional research.
"It's a continually evolving process," says Michelle McGurk, chief of staff for Councilman Frank Fiscalini, who initiated the design-review ordinance. "There are some groups that want to make sure they get their concerns on the table, neighborhood groups, real-estate firms and other industry members."
A community meeting to discuss the new height and floor-area ratio ordinance will take place on Sept. 20.
Besides mailing notices about the public meeting, senior planner Jean Hamilton said, she will be calling residents who have contacted her department or the City Council about the design-review ordinance.
"We've already been reaching out to the community with the single-family design-review ordinance, and we're continuing to make sure our outreach efforts are thorough," she says. Residents can also contact Hamilton via the planning department's website at www.ci.san-jose.ca.us/planning/sjplan.
At the Aug. 25 Planning Commission meeting, the commission recommended that the city change the law to limit houses to two stories and 30 feet, and implement a floor-area ratio limit.
Last week, the City Council voted in support of creating a new ordinance, and now the proposed height and floor-area ratio changes--part of the program intended to put a halt to the proliferation of 'monster' houses--will return to city planning for more discussion and public input.
Following the community meeting on Sept. 20, a public hearing on the new height and floor-area ratio ordinance will take place on Sept. 22, at the Planning Commission meeting.
The public meeting to discuss the new height and floor-area ratio limits will be held on Sept. 20 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in City Hall, room 106.
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Willow Glen, California Since 1992
