By Editorial

The new one-story overlay zone ordinance that has received its first reading is not for everyone, obviously. And it’s not meant to be. It simply gives the neighborhoods in town that are unified on one-story homes the chance to define their own neighborhood by law and retain its character. For this reason, the overlay makes good sense to us.

The ordinance dictates that 70 percent of the residents in a particular neighborhood must support the one-story zoning. The decision would stand for seven years, allowing the possibility of overturning the overlay later on.

Neighborhoods still interested in retaining the overlay would have to re-apply. It also states that if a neighborhood falls short of the 70-percent mark, it must wait another seven years to re-apply.

Some residents feel that a 70-percent consensus is too high to achieve, and that the difficulty in getting such an overlay makes it a useless tool.

Others are bothered by the “no exceptions” rule in the ordinance. Once the overlay is in place, absolutely no one can build a two-story, even those with approval of their immediate neighbors.

But we think the one-story overlay option and its 70-percent majority requirement is fair.

Not everyone in a neighborhood is going to agree, but 70 percent is an appropriate reading. Allowing exceptions undermines the need for the ordinance in the first place.

How will these limitations affect home prices? We think not at all. Many buyers like the one-story option. And there are many two-story neighborhoods left from which to choose.

The city and its volunteers have done a good job of establishing an overlay zone that has reasonable parameters.