What does the Proposed Baseline Hillside Ordinance do?
A. The Proposed Hillside Ordinance is very technical since it imposes restrictions on building size, height, grading of dirt, etc. based on several important factors including the size of the lot and its slope. Accordingly, each lot is restricted differently and for some lots, a very expensive topographical survey will be required just to determine what can be built on the lot. But, the City has stated in its own summary that if the Proposed Hillside Ordinance is adopted a “typical” 5,000 sq. ft. lot would have see an approximate 60% REDUCTION in allowable buildable sq. ft. area, not including the loss of pool, deck and garden areas resulting from grading restrictions. As a result, the proposed Ordinance is even more restrictive for Hillside Properties than for flat-lands properties.
