A home under construction in Richmond Hill — which is nearly twice the size of others on the street — has heightened residents’ concerns.
“It’s a monstrosity and an eyesore,” says Ward 5 Councilor Karen Cilevtz.  “It’s like someone put a beacon in the backyard of all these residents.”
The number of residents complaining about the project is significant, according to Cilevitz, who says she has received complaints from as many as 20 local residents.
The question among residents is unanimous: How did a house of this size ever get approved by the city?
Despite how much the home stands out, Cilevitz says the property was built to all zoning specifications — if only by a hair.
The height of the house, according to the plan, is 10.97 meters.  The maximum height allowed for the area is 11 meters.

Michael Laney’s massive Richmond Hill home has put some of his neighbors on edge. (CTV News Toronto/Sean Leathong) The house will cover 39.7 percent of the plot. The maximum allowed is 40 percent. As a result, the homeowner, Michael Lanni, didn’t have to get special approval for the project and didn’t have to notify neighbors. “I’m just trying to build a house for my family. We love the area,” he told CTV News Toronto. The father of two has owned the property for nine years. He grew up in the area and attended a nearby school. Lani said he just wanted to follow the rules — but now he’s facing some backlash and the house has already been vandalized. “Unfortunately, people are not happy, there is already a crack in my window. Someone threw a stone or a pebble,” he said. But not everyone in the neighborhood is put off by the big house. Govanna Martacci, for example, has lived across the street for 37 years and said it’s not a problem. “Maybe if I was next door, maybe it would bother me, but I’m across the street,” he said. There are other new buildings on the same street or in the area popping up next to some smaller homes — but some neighbors say it’s the specific location of this project that’s causing concern. Cathy Menzies lives in the street and described the house as a “monster”. “For these small houses, a house like this should never have been built there,” he said. Lani said he believes there will be more redevelopments like his in the future, while Councilman Cilevtz says the city is revising its zoning laws.