FILM EXECS MAY BYPASS CITY HOMES 'MANSIONIZATION' REGULATIONS KEEP DWELLINGS MUCH SMALLER.

Byline: Alex Dobuzinskis Staff Writer

BURBANK - City officials' efforts to restrict the size of houses on single-family lots may keep entertainment executives from buying homes in the city, the president of the Burbank Association of Realtors said Thursday.

Association President Steve Marx's comments came after the organization's regular meeting Thursday, when members discussed the City Council's 5-0 vote this week to temporarily limit the height and square footage of homes, based on the size of the lot.

One council member described the vote as a first step in the campaign to stop ``mansionization,'' or the building of large homes on small or midsize lots.

Marx said the city and his organization need to cooperate more on the proposed changes to building requirements, and that Realtors would be voicing their concerns to the City Council.

``I think part of the concern is if it's too restrictive then we may not be able to attract maybe some executives that work in the entertainment industry to new housing that they are looking for,'' Marx said.

The council's vote reduced the height limit for homes from 35 to 29 feet and the ceiling limit from 27 to 22 feet.

And the floor-area ratio, the total amount of square footage of a home in relation to the size of the lot, was reduced from 0.6 to 0.45.

On an average lot in Burbank, the change in the floor area ratio means a difference of as much as 600 feet of livable space between the old standard and the new, said Senior Planner Michael Forbes.

The changes apply to homes in areas zoned as single-family neighborhoods, a designation that applies to most parts of the city.

``If you let this go on unchecked then one day we're going to say, gee, the face of Burbank has changed dramatically, and it's not for the better,'' said City Councilman Jef Vander Borght.

Marx said his organization also wants to preserve the character of Burbank homes. For now, he is studying the measures Burbank officials have considered adopting.

``I don't want to say we're adamantly opposed or for it. It's just we want to look at it and adequately address the pros and cons of an ordinance,'' he said.

The actions taken by the council went into effect Tuesday, meaning they apply to any project not submitted for plan check by then. The new restrictions will be in place for 45 days from the council's vote, and at that time the council could vote to extend them for about two years.

Alex Dobuzinskis, [phone]

alex.dobuzinskis(at)dailynews.com