L.A. Votes to Reduce 'Mansionization'

(Jessica Harrington/ATVN)

The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously Tuesday in favor of reducing “mansionization” in more than a dozen residential neighborhoods across LA.

The restrictions are provisional, meant to restrict building in areas where, in the words of Councilman Paul Koretz, community members are “crying out” against the “large, boxy McMansions” that are out-of-scale compared to the rest of the neighborhood. 

Koretz said the measures could go into effect within 60 days, but it might take as long as a year and a half for citywide rules to be finalized. The design rules will still allow people to build slightly bigger homes, according to Koretz, but impose requirements such as a minimum distance between adjacent homes.

“What's going to happen now is other neighborhoods will start getting more mansionization, and so we're trying as quickly as possible to pass a citywide mansionization ordinance,'' Koretz said.

Marcus Canter, Luxury Properties Director of a real estate company in Beverly Hills, said that mansionization could cause widespread headaches.

"I believe the growth and development of a community is important, but only with the approval of it. Mansionization might stimulate the economy of an area, but it also leads to more traffic problems and affects the living quality of residents. People don't want mansionization to ruin the habitability and hillside view of their neighborhood," said Canter.

Richard Schulman, a real estate expert in Los Angeles, has a different opinion.

"People shouldn't intervene with the mansionization too much. It's a symbol of economic growth," he said. 

The neighborhoods affected by the provisions include El Sereno’s Berkshire Craftsman District, South Hollywood, Valley Village, The Oaks, Larchmont, Sunset Square, Miracle Mile, Old Granada Hills, and Koretz’s own North Beverly Grove.