OB Rag Photographer Witness to Neighbor Inn’s Patio Damage From Storm Surf

A local woman who is also a photographer for the OB Rag was a witness to damages to a neighbor’s patio from recent storm surf. And she was quoted by abc10.

Meredith Houlton lives next door to the Inn at Sunset Cliffs, and had a close view to last weekends storm surf which brought huge waves that battered the Inn’s patio.  Meredith is quoted as saying:

“It’s taking a toll on our neighbors her. The ocean splashes all the way up here; 20 feet up onto the street when the tide’s really high.”

Her neighbors now have repairs to make – the patio couldn’t take the pounding of the rough surf. Railing was broken and there’s now a gaping hole on the deck.

abc10 also reports:

The nonprofit group Coastal Environmental Rights Foundation says the deck was built without a permit. The group filed a lawsuit five years ago against the hotel’s owners claiming they never got the necessary permits to build the patio decades ago.  The group is also suing the city of San Diego, claiming it has failed to enforce the law.  The foundation says it’s been waiting for the city’s response. 10News called the city but it wouldn’t comment on the lawsuit itself.

The hotel’s management declined to comment on the lawsuit as well, but did say it’s going through the process to obtain the necessary permits to repair the damage from the recent high surf.

The city’s code enforcement division acknowledged there is an active case ongoing and the applicant has made a request for an emergency coastal development permit to conduct the repairs. City staff is evaluating the site conditions in order to respond to the request. The state Coastal Commission, which agreed that the patio was never permitted, is also waiting for the city’s next move.

10NEWS