DANA POINT : High-Rise Garage Will Bow to City

A Capistrano Beach man will remove a half-completed third-story addition to his garage as part of an agreement with the city.

In late June, the city mistakenly gave Gary Geisel building permits for his project, which added second and third floors to his garage.

But when a neighbor complained after work began, city officials took another look, discovered their zoning blunder and halted construction.

As part of a compromise worked out between Geisel and the city, the Planning Commission on Wednesday approved a zoning variance that allows a second-story addition to the garage. Such a project would normally be prohibited because of setback requirements for that structure. Many of the homes in the neighborhood, however, have two-story structures.

Geisel said Thursday that he was unsure how much time and material had gone into the third story. He did the job himself and said he cannot reuse the lumber that he must tear down.

Geisel said he is negotiating a compensation settlement with the city.

“As hard as it’s been, I’ve got to give the city credit for working with me,” Geisel said.

Geisel’s wife, Donna, said she is anxious to put the incident behind.

The couple plan to build a second story to their house that will connect with the addition on the garage.

“It’s not what we originally planned, but it will turn out better,” Donna Geisel said.

Some neighbors are certain to be pleased. Two months ago, one neighbor likened the original three-story structure to putting a skyscraper in downtown Dana Point.