WESTPORT | October 25, 2000 -- Not everyone thinks restricting the "big house" trend is a good idea.
Ron Delmonte, who has lived in town since 1948, said people are mistaken if they think they are preserving the town's New England character by trying to stop the proliferation of huge homes.
"We haven't been a New England town since after World War II. It's a suburban community," Delmonte said Tuesday morning at a public hearing of the Planning and Zoning Commission's Big House Committee at Town Hall.
Delmonte was among nearly a dozen residents who gave committee members their views on possible adoption of regulations designed to impose limits on large houses.
The committee will hold another public hearing on the topic at 7:30 tonight in the Town Hall auditorium. The committee is gathering public opinions on the issue before the P&Z decides whether to adopt restrictions on oversize houses.
Westport zoning officials have received many complaints about the rising number of so-called "McMansions," both from neighbors of big new homes and others concerned about the trend.
Critics believe too many small houses are being torn down, only to be replaced with homes too large for their lots and disproportionate to others in the area.
In the first nine months of this year, 56 houses have been torn down and replaced with new houses. Another 15 new dwellings have been built on vacant plots.
Proponents of big house restrictions say overly large homes block neighborhood views, erode the diversity of the town's housing stock and residential character and create drainage and other environmental problems.
Meanwhile, opponents say any new regulations may restrict a property owner's right to develop the property, which becomes a form of property confiscation.
Compromise proposals were offered Tuesday.
Robert Berger, of Old Road, an architect, said alternative solutions may include increasing property setbacks to offset the height of large homes. Also, architectural features such as balconies, breezeways and porches should not be included in house-size calculations because they visually soften a residence's massiveness, he said.
"They are elements that bring a house into scale," Berger said of the features. "Serious height restrictions could impact the beauty of homes." He urged the commission to not discourage home demolitions, because replacing homes is often safer and more effective than renovation, he said.
David Royce, of Main Street, suggested considering calculations of a home's total living area as part of any new regulation. This would bring houses into conformity with other area homes "and create harmony in the neighborhood," he said.
"The house must not snub its nose at the neighbors," Royce said.
Big House Committee Chairman Michael Stashower said committee members will next meet with other town boards and community groups as part of the information-gathering process.
