Former Yahoo CEO’s plans to renovate property face hurdles from city ordinance

Former Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer’s plan to demolish three of four townhomes on her residential property and build a swimming pool is facing hurdles from city and state law, according to reports. 

Since July 2020, Mayer has twice applied for a permit to tear down three of the four townhomes she owns next to her family’s main dwelling on Addison Avenue in Palo Alto, California, according to Palo Alto Online. 

Per a city housing ordinance, residents can build multiple properties but are forbidden from tearing them down or replacing them with larger structures like a swimming pool. The ordinance, designed to address housing shortages in California, is part of the Housing Accountability Act, ensuring that there is no net loss of homes for the city. 

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"We don’t have a means of preventing folks from owning adjoining properties, and we don’t have a fence requirement," Palo Alto Mayor Pat Burn told the Mercury News." "Presumably now they can come back with something that better conforms with our current code, and you know there’s still a fair amount of latitude with what they can do with the property." 

A family spokesperson told Fox Business that Mayer's family is "continuing their constructive discussions with the appropriate Palo Alto departments."  

No plans for the time being, however, are finalized. 

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A city councilman who spoke to Fox Business said the permit process has been especially backed up during the pandemic.