They haven’t spoken for months, and a new backyard apartment on their property line remains unfinished because one won’t allow the other to access his yard to stucco the last wall.
By DAVID GARRICK November 23, 2024 at 12:27 PM PST
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2024/11/23/the-loophole-for-coastal-adus-is-officially-closed-that-hasnt-ended-these-neighbors-war-over-one/
An aerial view of Heidi Martin’s home and new ADU, left, with her neighbor Marc Umemoto’s home, right, in Crown Point on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (Photo by Sandy Huffaker for The San Diego Union-Tribune)
San Diego officials finally closed the zoning loophole pitting neighbor against neighbor in coastal communities — but angst continues over the many backyard apartments it has already allowed directly along property lines.
Two neighbors in Crown Point haven’t spoken for months, and a new backyard apartment on their property line remains unfinished because one neighbor won’t allow the other to access his yard to stucco the last wall.
“Everything’s done except for that wall,” said Heidi Martin, who is building the backyard apartment for her 25-year-old daughter to live in. “My neighbor put up a ‘no trespassing’ sign.”
Martin is in the unusual position of needing access to the yard of her neighbor, Marc Umemoto, because of a loophole that was just recently closed by the City Council and the California Coastal Commission.
The loophole allowed backyard apartments — which many call granny flats, and which city officials call accessory dwelling units — to be built directly next to a neighboring property with no setback or buffer zone.
The City Council outlawed building backyard apartments on property lines in April 2022, but the new rule couldn’t take effect in the city’s coastal neighborhoods without a second approval from the California Coastal Commission.