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property owner who wanted an addition of his/her home. Thus, the ordinance specified that FAR requirements would apply to: • New construction of single and two family houses. • Reconstruction of such structures where more than 50% of an existing structure is demolished. • Construction of a two family house that replaces a demolished single family house: . • Construction of a second unit in a multi-residence zoning district. 4.0 CONCLUSION. What.can be learned from all of this? First, it is important to define the issue carefully.Is reaction to the construction of"monster homes".economic, the loss of affordable housing; the pace of demolition, the perceived loss of open space or change-to neighborhood character. Second,there is no one "fix" for curbing"monster homes''. A multi-step approach may be needed. The Newton aldermen, despite all of the amendments that they . adopted, still feel as though the "monster homes" are still somewhat out of control "There is something missing", one alderman said recently, "but I don't know what it is," referring to why one large house looks okay, but another does not. The.answer may be in design regulations, but the aldermen are reluctant to impose design limitations. A house may appear large to one person and modest to another. Keeping new homes,in scale with their surroundings.is still going to be difficult. Even when Newton reduced,height, number of stories,,and instituted an FAR, big houses are still being built and the aldermen are reluctant to change the zoning ordinance again for fear of unintended consequences. While_the real estate market is hot, developers will build to the maximum allowed. When the market cools off, they may not.The real estate market has been driving up the size of homes,but it may not go on forever. As one.recent:(March 17") article in the Wall Street Journal put it, "The bloating of the nation's homes may finally be peaking .... as the (baby)boomers ....:become empty nesters, and families.with children become a less significant segment of the population." In the,meantime, planners will have their hands full keeping the "monster homes" under control. #456-96. CITY OF.NEWTON BOARD OF ALDERMEN April 23, 1997. ORDINANCE NO. V-1 11 BE IT ORDAINED BY THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN OF THE CITY OF.NEWTON AS FOLLOWS: That the Zoning regulations, Chapter 30 of the Revised Ordinances of the City of Newton,Mass. 1995, as amended, be and are-hereby further amended-as follows: 5