I don't have a design background like many of the folks here do, but I have dealt with a problem similar to yours. I've planted Thuja Green Giant here and elsewhere, and per the name, they get big very fast. Unless your neighbors are on a hill overlooking your property, the thuja are way more than you need. I don't know how their roots would be when they are large, but I believe there would be a risk they would over time start to lift your wall. An inch would be more than enough to crack it. I imagine the frost line there is not very deep?

How high a privacy screen do you need? If it's just 12-14 feet, there are many shrubs that would work, with essentially no risk to the foundations of any structures. Plain old forsythia would work. Or do you need an evergreen?