Watch CBS 8 Coverage 40-Foot Jet Fuselage on a Residential Roof 0 Other Rooftop Planes in San Diego 0 Community Consent Watch CBS 8 Coverage 40-Foot Jet Fuselage on a Residential Roof 0 Other Rooftop Planes in San Diego 0 Community Consent
Sign the Petition to the HOA Now

A 40-Foot Jet Fuselage
Has No Place on a
Residential Roof

A developer plans to mount a Gulfstream G550 fuselage on the roof deck of a home at 15 Sandpiper Strand in Coronado Cays — transforming a quiet waterfront neighborhood into a spectacle. Here is what is at stake.

40 FT
Fuselage Length
30 PEOPLE
Record Attendees at 23 April CCHOA Meeting
OVER 150
CCHOA Neighbors Have Signed the Petition
10 OF 10
Cays Villages Have Signed
40-foot inflatable fuselage replica on rooftop at 15 Sandpiper Strand, viewed from the Coronado Cays marina
THIS IS REAL. A 40-ft inflatable replica — matching the exact length and 7.5-ft height of the proposed fuselage — now sits on the roof at 4 Sandpiper Strand. This is what you will see forever if installed at 15 Sandpiper.
Silver rendering of fuselage on rooftop
Rendering developer submitted to CBS News
Roof deck plan blueprint showing fuselage placement
Roof Deck Plan — donatellobd.com (developer)
Join the Fight ↓
April 23, 2026 — HOA Board Meeting

Record Turnout. Zero Support for the Fuselage.

Thirty residents showed up to the April board meeting — nearly all first-timers, and every single one opposed to the project. Not one person spoke in favor. When one resident challenged the board to raise their hand if they voted to approve the fuselage, the room went silent. Not one hand went up.

Paid Placement

Architectural Digest “Contributor Content”

The developer behind 15 Sandpiper published a paid feature in Architectural Digest branding himself as an “artist, builder, and icon.” This is not journalism — it is a marketing pipeline. As one resident put it at the meeting: the puff pieces are not accidental. They are designed to draw strangers into our neighborhood to gawk at a spectacle on a residential rooftop.

Independent Coverage

Voice of San Diego Feature

Voice of San Diego published “Rooftop Jet Roils Coronado Yacht Community” — confirming the house is being marketed as “Casa Fatén: The Jet House,” featuring a Gulfstream G550 fuselage, a Bugatti Chiron in the living room, and a 100-foot dock for two yachts. The owner of record is identified as Abdulelah I. Albusseir, also listed as manager of Donatello Bonasera Development LLC.

What Your Neighbors Said

Every speaker opposed the project. Here is what the board heard.

Terry Two different strangers have already rung my doorbell asking where the plane is — and construction is not even finished.
Dawn The owner is a promoter. The press pieces are not accidental — they are a pipeline driving strangers into the Cays to come see it.
Sean Called out the underhanded, behind-closed-doors way this project was approved from the very start — with no transparency and no accountability.
Ed I have lived here 36 years. This is only the second board meeting I have ever attended — because this is that outrageous, and it will fundamentally change the Cays.
Carolyn Challenged the board point-blank to raise their hand if they voted to approve the fuselage. The response: silence. Not one hand went up.
Mandy Spoke on behalf of an engineer neighbor who has serious concerns about both the approval process and the structural safety of hanging a 40-foot fuselage on a residential rooftop.
Garrett Recapped how we got here and asked the fundamental question: how can a decision like this be made in secret, with no resident having any knowledge of how the board voted or why?
Carlos Walked the board through the broken process — notifications that never went out, a public comment period that was never opened, and the HOA’s own failure to follow its CC&Rs and governing rules.
Jim I have lived here 40 years. This will forever change the character of this neighborhood.
Laurie Called out the precedent problem — if this gets approved, what comes next? She also raised a critical point: helicopter tours will inevitably add this house as a point of interest, bringing low-altitude flyovers into a residential community.

This is a 90/10 issue. Over 150 Cays residents are already actively opposed, and that number will grow into the hundreds as more people learn what happened. The board approved this project without notifying residents, without opening a comment period, and without following the community’s own governing documents. The neighborhood is awake now — and the board knows.

Get a Yard Sign

Show your neighbors where you stand. Email savethecays@gmail.com to request yours.

Save the Cays yard sign - Not the right look, not our neighborhood
The Situation

What Is Happening at 15 Sandpiper Strand?

Donatello Bonasera Development LLC, branding the project “Casa Faten — The Jet House,” is installing a 40-foot Gulfstream G550 fuselage on a third-story roof deck in Coronado Cays, an exclusive waterfront residential waterfront community on the Silver Strand. The developer has also said a helipad is being contemplated for another property in the Cays.

An 8-foot parapet wall is planned for part of the roof deck — but it does not cover the fuselage, which is on the extreme North end of the roof and only ringed with a 42” glass railing. This makes the Gulfstream visible from the canal, neighboring properties, and common areas. The developer never presented formal 3D renderings to the HOA, and thus by extension, to the community before beginning construction. Neighbors only learned of the fuselage plans through leaked documents and word of mouth.

Over 150 residents have signed on in opposition to the project. This site exists to provide factual information and help the community take informed action.

View of 15 Sandpiper Strand from the canal
AI rendering based on latest HOA-approved plans
Why It Matters

Six Reasons This Threatens Our Community

Each concern below is grounded in the community’s governing documents, California law, or both.

Severe
⚖

CC&R Violations

The Member Handbook requires that “the scale of exterior improvements must be consistent with the residential character of the community.” A jet fuselage on a roof is an unprecedented departure from every design guideline in the handbook.

Severe
★

Aesthetic & Property Values

The handbook prohibits exterior changes that “detract from the attractiveness of the development.” There are zero comparable structures in any San Diego residential community. Property appraisers may treat it as an adverse condition for nearby homes.

Significant
🚫

Nuisance Prohibition

The CC&Rs contain an explicit nuisance prohibition — no use that is “offensive or detrimental to other property in the vicinity.” A commercial-scale spectacle on a residential roof clearly qualifies.

Severe
🚗

Tourist Traffic & Disruption

Coronado Cays is an exclusive waterfront community for a reason. Once a visible rooftop jet fuselage makes social media, the neighborhood faces drone flyovers, boat rubbernecking on the canal, and a stream of curiosity-seekers that compromise the community’s quiet character.

Significant
🏠

Loss of Quiet Enjoyment

Every homeowner has a right to quiet enjoyment of their property. The visual intrusion of a jet fuselage, combined with increased traffic and noise, directly undermines this fundamental covenant right for immediate neighbors.

Severe
⚠

Dangerous Precedent

If a jet fuselage and helipad are allowed, what comes next? Approving this sets a binding precedent that the CC&Rs cannot restrict unusual rooftop structures — opening the door to anything any homeowner can imagine.

Neighbor Voices

What the Community Is Saying

Real comments from Coronado Cays residents, shared on community Facebook groups.

“When we wanted to put up a vinyl fence/gate the amount of pushback we received was a lot… But an airplane??!!! We do have rules and regulations in the Cays and I can’t believe this falls within those guidelines. Please add me to your list. This is ridiculous.”

— S.A., Coronado Cays Resident

“This is NOT acceptable. This is what the HOA is supposed to prevent. We should all be concerned on what will now come next if this is the new precedent. We were just denied a roof top deck! The HOA says YES to airplane that everyone can see and NO to a rooftop deck. This is the definition of hypocritical.”

— S.B., Coronado Cays Resident

“It’s gaudy. When we were building our house in Green Turtle, the same village this will be at, we had trouble getting our colors approved… Off white for the house, grey for the roof. How was this approved???”

— P.G., Coronado Cays Resident

“Our former village director did not approve a vinyl gate when she has one at her own house. But the hull of a plane on the roof? No problem!”

— S.V., Coronado Cays Resident

“Seeing as we were told to remove a security camera this is nonsense!!! Add me to your list of protests!”

— M.A., Coronado Cays Resident

“And our neighbors had to fight for their kid to keep a basketball hoop on the side of their yard. I guess planes are ok.”

— C.M., Coronado Cays Resident

“We weren’t allowed to build a deck or add a second story but this seems totally fine. Nice work HOA.”

— A.T., Coronado Cays Resident

“There is also a helipad planned for another one of this developer’s homes in the Cays. If this plane is allowed to go through, how could a helipad or helicopter be reasonably disallowed? Or anyone else’s harebrained idea for their rooftop?”

— G.O., Coronado Cays Resident
How We Got Here

Timeline of Events

A chronology of the key events surrounding the 15 Sandpiper Strand project.

Fall 2023
Initial Plans Submitted
Developer submits initial architectural plans for 15 Sandpiper Strand to the Coronado Cays HOA, including a rooftop fuselage concept.
October 2025
No-Renderings Revelation
It emerges that no 3D renderings were provided to the community before the project was approved — a critical oversight by the HOA, as 3D renderings would be required to determine the impact on neighbors and whether the project is in character with the community.
Late 2025
Revised Plans Submitted
Developer submits revised plans under the project name “Casa Faten — The Jet House.”
Early 2026
Community Organizes
Dozens of residents sign on in opposition to the project. Homeowners begin coordinating through social media groups and in-person meetings. Media coverage from CBS 8 brings wider attention.
May 2026
Lawsuit Filed
Community members file a formal legal complaint in San Diego Superior Court challenging the project and seeking a Temporary Restraining Order to halt construction.
Present
The Fight Continues
Legal proceedings are underway. The community continues to organize and advocate for enforcement of the CC&Rs and the preservation of Coronado Cays’ residential character.
Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers based on public records, governing documents, and community reporting.

A 40-foot section of a Gulfstream G550 fuselage is planned for the third-story roof deck of 15 Sandpiper Strand. The developer has branded the project “Casa Faten — The Jet House.” The developer has also indicated a helipad is being contemplated for a separate property in the Cays.

The developer has said a helipad is being contemplated for a separate project at another one of their properties in Coronado Cays. While it is not part of the 15 Sandpiper Strand fuselage plans, it raises the same precedent concern: if a rooftop jet fuselage is allowed, on what basis could a helipad be denied?

The project appears to have moved forward through the HOA’s architectural review process. However, many residents contend the approval was procedurally flawed — no formal renderings were presented to the community, and the review did not adequately consider the CC&R provisions governing scale, aesthetics, and nuisance.

The Member Handbook contains several relevant provisions: Section 9.4.1.3 requires improvements to be “consistent with the residential character of the community” in scale. Section 3.16 prohibits any use that is “offensive or detrimental to other property in the vicinity.” The handbook also gives the Architectural Committee authority to deny modifications that “detract from the attractiveness of the development.”

Yes. An 8-foot parapet wall is planned for part of the roof deck, but it does not cover the fuselage, which is on the extreme North end of the roof and only ringed with a 42” glass railing. This makes the Gulfstream visible from the canal, neighboring properties, and common areas.

No. There are zero rooftop aircraft fuselages in any residential community in the San Diego area. The installation would be completely without precedent in the neighborhood or region.

Unique, non-residential structures visible from neighboring properties can be treated as adverse conditions by property appraisers. Additionally, increased tourist traffic, drone activity, and media attention can diminish the quiet residential character that attracted homeowners to Coronado Cays in the first place.

Residents have been cited by the HOA for minor exterior violations — paint colors, patio furniture, flag poles, and similar items. The apparent willingness to approve a rooftop jet fuselage while enforcing these minor rules raises serious questions about consistent application of the CC&Rs.

Add your name to the growing list of neighbors who oppose this project. Attend upcoming HOA meetings and make your voice heard. Contact the HOA board directly in writing to express your position. Share this page with fellow residents. If you are a Coronado Cays homeowner, your participation in community surveys and formal proceedings carries significant weight.

Add Your Name Before the Meeting

Over 150 neighbors have joined the movement to stop the fuselage from ruining the character and quiet enjoyment of the Cays. Every name is used confidentially to show the HOA the true scale of opposition. Takes about 30 seconds.

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