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What is wrong with my Design??????

Ok maybe it is the ahj decoration police



But the additions have not been welcomed by all — in a lawsuit filed in the San Mateo County Superior Court Wednesday, the town of Hillsborough is calling the home a public nuisance, alleging Fang is long overdue in addressing municipal code violations and must remove the landscaping improvements officials say were installed at the home without planning approvals or building permits.


Among the improvements in question are several large dinosaur statues and other figurines, a sign with the words “Yabba Dabba Doo,” a retaining wall, deck, parking strip and steps, all of which were installed beginning in 2017 without required planning review and building permits, according to the suit.

https://www.smdailyjournal.com/news...cle_32a15a56-46cc-11e9-92a7-4bebd373379f.html
 
Not taken sides but I wonder if the Dino's were trimmed shrubbery in the shape of Dino's would that make a difference?

The sign that size Yabba Dabba, IMO would be in violation of most residential subdivision ordinances even if some one called it art. I think the city can win that argument on the sign.

I have seen a variance board allow a sign in a residential zone for a school, you've seen the sign I'm talking about, when ever there's a shooting at a school the news media shows you that lighted school sign. that sez, "Have a great summer!" Our tax dollars at work!
 
Leave the lady alone. Crap like this is what gets us harassed at meetings and is why we get evil looks every time we knock on a door.

The deck, the retaining wall if it's over 4 feet, and maybe the sign could be legitimate complaints. But statues in the yard, or just because something is "ugly" to a different resident or a council member, does not mean the City should have any say in the matter. It's her house - if she wants to pretend she's Wilma, who the heck cares?

I'll sell her a permit right now to build the same thing here. I even have an open lot next to a particularly fussy neighbor in mind.......
 
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California Civil Code says "Nothing which is done or maintained under the express authority of a statute can be deemed a nuisance."

Thus I believe that unless they can show a code violation that they will find that a public nuisance does not exist.
 
But statues in the yard, or just because something is "ugly" to a different resident or a council member, does not mean the City should have any say in the matter. It's her house - if she wants to pretend she's Wilma, who the hell cares?

Agreed.

The stairs or steps are not REQUIRED FOR EGRESS, its all landscaping not a building code issue, maybe zoning if they have a landscape ordinance for residential areas.
 
[QUOTEI"Mark K, post: 196042, member: 539"]California Civil Code says "Nothing which is done or maintained under the express authority of a statute can be deemed a nuisance."

Thus I believe that unless they can show a code violation that they will find that a public nuisance does not exist.[/QUOTE] HOA and civil Issue, not under the civil code.
 
So how does it look from the street, it not fair to fly a drone over and show what may not be seen by most people
I do not count looking at it from the highway in the background
 
Some comments:

A: Remember I-280 has been called the nation’s most beautiful freeway. There’s the Crystal Springs reservoir, the Fr. Serra statute, clouds rolling over the mountains west of 280, cows grazing near Stanford and, of course, the Flintstone mansion.

Q: The Flintstone House is on the hillside facing the freeway. I think people are overacting. … Some people really need to learn to laugh. … That house has made me smile for years. Some people need to get over themselves. … Does everybody have to conform to the same standards? What’s wrong with being different? They aren’t hurting anyone. … That house was always a highlight of my drive to San Francisco when I was a kid. Still kinda is.

Bay Area Native, F.P., B. Newcomb and zillions more

A: And today’s final rant.

Q: The Hillsborough town motto: “Individualism and creativity must be SQUASHED!”

Simon Miller

A: But there are a couple of complaints.

Q: It’s a shame they turned such a potentially beautiful home into an eyesore. The original builders were the ones who built a work of art, not this cartoon person.

Sandra White

A: And …

Q: I used to be a fan of the Flintstone House. It used to be artistic and whimsical. Now it’s just tacky. The dinosaur garden has all the whimsy of a low-grade roadside amusement attraction. Restore it to its former beauty.

H.B.

A: Tacky? Really.¹

I agree with all comments, driving down 280 I always look for it, as well as the huge Father Serra statue, but I prefer the architect's original sandstone color, but I also respect the owner Fang's right to paint her home any color she wants. Hillsborough is a tough town, I was there during a 7 day framing inspection, the town inspector repeatedly made the contractor pull gun nails in sheathed walls to measure and mike them, inspectors can't do destructive testing but ordering the contractor to do destructive testing is questionable, but it's just easier to do it than take something that small to court.

Hillsborough is also the town that blocked Steve Jobs from tearing down an old home for 17 years to build his dream home, when he had his last demo permit hearing he had trucks and excavators lined up at night to start tearing it down the minute he had approval before someone else ran to court, but the poor guy died a few weeks later and never got his dream home, but he did get the old one torn down.


¹ https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2019/0...off-interstate-280-has-wide-support-roadshow/
 
Do drones over ride the "in plain view doctrine" and information collected used in court?
 
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