On the subject of dysfunctional zoning: Karrie Hanson,

On the subject of dysfunctional zoning: Karrie Hanson, a resident of the historic town of Westfield, New Jersey, reports that the town’s zoning regulations jeopardize porches. The problem is that zoning rules are based on the footprint of a house – the principal structure cannot exceed 20 percent of the property. A further two percent are allowable for the addition of a deck. For residents who wish to add living or storage space to an old house, this means they have to either enclose or remove their porch to stay within the limit. The ordinance also discourages the addition of a porch to new houses. Hanson is proposing a change in the zoning that would omit porches from the coverage calculation.