Santa Cruz County homeowner David Bernstein says he expected the county to enforce its building codes when a neighbor built a workshop without a permit, directly on his property line. Instead, the county granted a variance allowing the building to stay — and upheld that decision on appeal. His review of county records found that staff recommended approving all 72 variance requests reviewed since February 2023, including several for construction already completed without permits. He argues that the county is rewarding people who build first and ask permission later. He wants the county board of supervisors to tighten rules against those who build first and ask later.
