Local News in Brief : Woodland Hills Building Ban on Small Hillside Lots Extended

A 2-year-old prohibition on the building of large houses on small lots in a hillside area of Woodland Hills was extended for six months by the Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday.

The moratorium was proposed in late 1986 by Councilman Marvin Braude because of concern about problems caused by the construction of large houses on substandard lots in the Giraud tract, a 1 1/2-square-mile area south of Ventura Boulevard and east of Topanga Canyon Boulevard.

The area was developed by Woodland Hills founder Victor Giraud in 1922 as a weekend retreat for Los Angeles residents. Lots were subdivided to average about 3,500 square feet--less than a third the size that now would be required for a building lot.

The moratorium is designed to give city planners time to review ways of regulating development in the area, such as restricting the size of new homes or requiring parking, sewers and street improvements before building. It prohibits building on any lots less than 5,000 square feet. Property owners can seek exemptions from the City Council.