Taming the McMansion in North Jersey

I have mixed feelings about zoning laws like this. On the one hand, if you actually live in Kinnelon, it is nice to have suburban sprawl contained so that the town remains a pleasant place to live and so that excess housing supply doesn’t eventually reduce the value of the existing house. On the other hand, the enactment of these types of zoning restrictions often, and not necessarily in this particular case, seem to be designed to keep existing homeowner’s property values intact, which is not the function of the government.


“KINNELON - A zoning ordinance designed to curtail the spread of "McMansions" is scheduled to be voted on Thursday night.

Seven months in the making, the ordinance is a set of restrictions borough officials have put together to ensure that newer, larger homes being constructed don't overshadow the older houses in a neighborhood.”


Here is more central planning in Paramus.