Wow, I'm in SF east bay with similar question. I hope you get some suggestions....

Any special reason you want to plant so close to the fence?

No special reason really other than trying to keep as much usable yard as possible. The mound was there when we bought the house and is the same height as the neighbors yard. Our irrigation lines run right in front of the mound.

Hollywood Juniper grow to 15' tall and 10' wide, Arizona Cypress grows to 40' tall and 15' wide. Italian Cypress grows 40' tall but only 5' wide. All grow relatively fast and are evergreen.

Keep in mind that if you plant something with any amount of width right along the fence, your neighbor will be trimming it back, which they may not be happy about doing, and the roots from the trees may potentially damage their foundation or any masonry, for which you may be liable. Do you want to do that? Do you want to make them angry? Think carefully about what you select.

At least part of the neighbor's home will soon apparently be screened by one of the neighbor's trees--there on the extreme right. That's going to grow. Will that do the job for you, such that you don't need to screen that area of your yard? You might be faced trimming that tree in future years, if it is one that grows enormous.

The wise thing to do is to select a plant (include medium to large shrubs in your selection process, not just trees) that matures at a size just big enough to do the job and no more, and pay close attention to the potential for root damage, and don't plan to close to your fence, or to your irrigation line--tree roots are powerful things.

Hollywood Juniper is not a bad suggestion. It's gone out of fashion in recent years, but it makes a good not-too-wide, not-too-big screening plant. Italian Cypress can get a lot taller than 40' and to more like 10-15' wide--probably overkill for your needs. There are dwarf selections of a more appropriate size--even the dwarfs can end up 40' tall.

Thank you all.

I'm leaning more towards a large shrub than a tree as suggested by hoovb. They recently planted what looks like some type of redwood along the same fence. Do those have more of a deep root system or will it be something I'll need to worry about down the road? Their back yard sits about three foot higher than mine. I might have to cut back the mound and plant something in front of it. It'll be more work now but might be worth it in the long term.

Any advice on these: Carolina cherry, elaeocarpus (Japanese blueberry), photinia.

I did read that the Carolina Cherry fruit is toxic..so probably not that one.

Thank you hoovb. The Photinia is popular around here as a tall shrub or pruned to become a small tree.

My photo isn't the best but the neighbors yard is about as wide as mine roughly 60ft. Nothing I need to worry about I guess. Thanks again.

Oh, sorry...I meant their back yard only looked 10' "deep", the space from the fence to the house, not the width of the property.

There's Photinia around here also, it makes a very effective screen.

Some options in this post

http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/3035023/drought-tolerant-hedge-near-pool-plumbing

We'd concur on the Photinia. Not the most dazzling or fun plant but it performs well, is readily available, is generally the right price and grows quickly! All good things for most folks trying to establish a hedge in a timely fashion with out breaking the bank on mature shrubs/trees.

Have you considered planting Ficus Nitida "Green Gem"? I planted about 18 3-gallon FN's in a planter about 15 months ago. They've grown very quickly and have created a full privacy screen. I also planted about 24 3-gallons along the edge of my yard where it meets the sidewalk. I drip irrigate to keep water usage minimal.

Many people warned me against FN saying it has an invasive root system. While I don't deny this, it also stands to reason the root system will grow as the canopy does. These trees are staying at 6' or below so I am not concerned. I find that FN is a great privacy hedge. Iit's clean, good-looking and grows quickly into a dense hedge. It does require regular hedging but not so often that it becomes a chore.

Ficus Nitida will not grow reliably in our zone (I'm also in zone 9 in Fresno). They would die on a cold winter.

For a hedge, I would recommend some drought tolerant shrubs, considering the water restrictions that are going into play throughout the state. Toyon makes an attractive hedge, as do coyote bush and some ceanothus (Ray Hartman, Mountain Haze, Julia Phelps and Concha varieties). Coyote Bush (baccharis pumilaris - the standard variety, not the low-growing varieties) is has very aromatic foliage. Carpinteria californica is a bit slower growing, but would also make an outstanding, although informal, hedge. Others that come to mind are Myrica californica (Pacific Wax Myrtle) and Umbellaria californica (California Bay Laurel). This last one can be allowed to grow into a small tree as well.

Some small trees would look nice planted in a line as well. Brachychiton populneus is an attractive evergreen that requires no summer water once established. Arbutus unedo, or Arbutus unedo 'Marina' are very beautiful small trees as well and would cause no trouble for you and your neighbor. (I would argue that your neighbor isn't particularly concerned with root damage since they planted what looks like 3 coastal redwoods along the fence line.) You will need to take those trees into consideration when selecting what to plant because, depending on what orientation (north, south, east or west) they are from your yard, they may shade your [future] plants.

Good luck!

Please don't just throw something utilitarian in there just because it grows fast. This is why we have redwood, eucalyptus and Monterey Pine all over the place, and that has turned out to be very costly for homeowners in the long run.

Ficus nitida might work but keep in mind it has to be trimmed back every year to manage the growth, otherwise it will get huge and the roots will get out of control. Since you'll probably need 12'+ (assuming that's a 6' fence) to achieve privacy, you'll have to pay someone for that service.

Photinia is utilitarian but IMO it's overused and not particularly attractive. Whatever you choose, you'll be stuck with for a long time...why not get something attractive? I'd get a landscape designer out to look at your space and suggest some interesting trees that provide both privacy and visual appeal.

Great advice from all, thank you.

Mexican elderberry and island tree mallow (lavatera) grow like crazy and are native and low water. I planted the mallow 9 months ago and it is already taller than me.

I like Photinia but it will eat into what you previously called "usable" space. It can be sheared to stay in bounds which was simple enough for me when I had them. Everyone does not have the time or inclination to do that amount of plant grooming. Do you have any trees in your yard? If that area gets full sun you have a lot of choices. I would plant Callistemon every eight feet or so. You could use Lagerstroemia as well.