The city council in Portland, Oregon, has voted unanimously to prohibit the construction of "snout houses" — homes where the front elevation is dominated by a projecting garage. The new ordinance, which went into effect September 3, requires that a garage cannot be wider than half of a house's front wall. The rules also limit how far a garage can project forward from a house. Before voting, the city council heard emotional testimony from two opposing camps: community activists who see snout houses as ugly intruders into their neighborhoods, and builders who object to design regulations. No Room for a Two-Car Garage The new ordinance makes it hard to include a
