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Zoning Authority Bill passes to Gov. Erlich for Signature
A dozen municipalities in Montgomery County would be given authority to regulate the size of houses under a bill approved by the General Assembly in the final days of this year's session. The legislation, unanimously approved by the House of Delegates and Senate, allows incorporated towns in southern Montgomery to set standards for how tall, wide or bulky a single-family house should be.
If the bill is signed by Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R), the municipalities -- Garrett Park, Glen Echo, Kensington, Somerset, Takoma Park, Martin's Additions, North Chevy Chase, the town of Chevy Chase, Chevy Chase Village, Chevy Chase Section Three, Chevy Chase Section Five and Chevy Chase View -- will have expanded powers to limit so-called McMansions. Ehrlich has yet to take a position on the bill.
"This gives these small towns the ability to experiment with different ways to address the issue," said Del. Richard S. Madaleno Jr. (D-Montgomery), one of the architects of the legislation. "Some of the older neighborhoods wanted more restrictive standards."
Officials in the affected towns will not be able to set building standards that are less stringent then the county's, but they will be allowed to impose stricter rules and to enforce them with their own staffs and resources.
For the full story, see the Washington Post of April 14, 2006.
