City leaders will be voting on awarding a contract for studies about creating municipal standards for new home building codes to regulate “mansionization” in the city’s neighborhoods next week.
John Kaloski Architects is the contractor that the City Council will consider hiring at its May 30 meeting.
Mansionization, or large scale homes that often are out of character with a neighborhood’s existing residences, began as a topic of debate during Culver City’s municipal races in 2014 and made headlines late last year and earlier this year when a group of Culver Crest homeowners demanded that their city leaders intervene when they learned of a fellow Culver Crest resident’s plans for his hillside residence.
The council imposed a 45 day moratorium, which ended on May 4, on issuing land use permits, variances, building permits or land use determinations or entitlement requirements after hearing from the homeowners about resident Troy Jackson’ plans to build another residential unit and a swimming pool on his hillside property on Cranks Road.
While the concerns in Culver Crest are largely about the potential for landsides and pressure on the hillside that intense excavation could have, in other parts of the city it is more about esthetics and neighborhood continuity.
On Dec. 14, the City Council introduced a set of guidelines to amend the city’s municipal code governing development standards for residential zoning districts.
City planners have selected 10 neighborhoods they designate as “unique” and the Carlson Park neighborhood, which has seen a large number of “McMansions” sprout up, was chosen as one of the prime areas for designation.
The other nine neighborhoods are Blair Hills, Culver Crest, Culver West, Studio Village, Blanco Park, Park West, Park East, Sunkist Park and Washington-Culver.
Councilwoman Meghan Sahli Wells, who lives close to Carlson Park, said last year that she hopes the city will eventually expand its scope after the consultant issues recommendations for R-1 zones. “After we go through the process of with R-1, I’d like to look at R-2 as well, as there are similar issues in those neighborhoods,” she said.
The council will meet at 7 p.m. on May 30 in the Mike Balkman Council Chambers, 9770 Culver Blvd.