The proposal would put a moratorium on construction of homes that take up more than 35 percent of their lots. The ordinance would base limits on the ratio between the size of the lot and the square footage of the house, called the floor area ratio. The fight pits neighborhood groups, who oppose increasingly large houses going up on lots where smaller, older homes have been demolished, against developers and home owners who say limits would infringe on business and lower property values. But in this month's elections, a pair of slow-growth candidates rode support from neighborhood groups to victory over two incumbents. In the three weeks since, they have interpreted their victories as a mandate to slow development of commercial areas and of bigfoot homes.
Developers seem generally fearful that new limits are a done deal.
Dianne McKeon, one of the new commissioners, said too much has been made of Monday's meeting. Moss, a commission veteran generally aligned with slow-growth colleagues, said he hasn't taken a position on the moratorium. Despite the rhetoric, he said he's confident that commissioners can make wise choices. I think reason can prevail.