Zoning laws require a minimum lot width of 60 to 80 feet at the front of a single-family house in Brooklyn Park, but "lots that may be narrower are still legal because of the age of the lot," he said.
"If you own a legal lot, you have the right to build on it, so long as you can meet all of the zoning code provisions regarding setback and height," he said.
The Arundel civic association is challenging that, appealing the variance granted to McCarthy at a county Board of Appeals hearing Wednesday. And County Councilman Daryl Jones, who represents Brooklyn Park, is drafting a bill this summer that he says could help alleviate the problem, but he declined to elaborate.
But residents fear that more small properties will be sold in the coming months before the bill will be done, especially by older residents who need the money in a sputtering economy. An additional 1,600 townhouses are slated to be added to the community, which will be a major problem for the county police and schools, O'Neil said.
"We're hitting the point of oversaturation," O'Neil said.
These smaller houses, however, might be helping the neighborhood by providing affordable housing, said Diane Kenworthy, real estate agent for the vacant 12-foot-wide house, located in Pumphrey on Belle Grove Road. Many people showed interest in the several months it has been on the market, and it is now under contract for just under $240,000, she said.
"Everybody loves that house," she said. "There are a significant amount of people who want to live in that area who need affordable housing."
karen.shih@baltsun.com
