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Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Redevelopment in the news

Star Tribune Wed, 13 Feb 2008 05:17:03 GMT
Successes, struggles in cities' efforts to scare off 'monster houses'

A look at four cities' efforts to prevent McMansions. Cities around the metro area are deciding to limit house sizes in an effort to maintain the character of older neighborhoods, where there's mounting pressure to raze and rebuild. That's the easy part. Once cities determine such limits are needed -- some, like Greenwood, are still wrestling with that question -- they must decide how to fashion the restrictions. How does one measure a McMansion? Is it defined by its height? How much lot it eats up? Whether its rooflines are straight or pitched? How close it comes to the curb? As a Wayzata staff report put it, "There are no time-tested evaluation methods for McMansion regulatory controls, so communities cannot reference ideal solutions."

[[keywords: LandUse;Housing;Metro;]]

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