Planning Commission clears variance to rebuild enclosed rear porch and stairs at 1153 Guerrero Street despite neighborhood opposition

The San Francisco Planning Commission on May 8 voted unanimously to not take discretionary review and to allow the project at 1153 Guerrero Street to proceed; the zoning administrator said he intends to grant a variance with standard conditions.

The project concerns a category-A, two-unit residential building constructed in 1885. Staff architect Trent Greenan described the proposal as a reconstruction of an existing enclosed three-story rear porch and stair that encroaches on the rear yard and property line; because work exceeded repair thresholds the rebuild requires a variance under Planning Code Section 134. Staff said the porch likely existed in substantially the same footprint on Sanborn maps dating to 1919 and 1935 but that replacement — not repair — triggered the variance requirement. Greenan said staff recommended approving the replacement with code-compliant…