Public commenter alleges uninspected $2.3 million Tesla showroom work; commission notes director update forthcoming

A public commenter told the Building Inspection Commission on March 19 that $2.3 million in Tesla showroom work in San Francisco was never inspected by the San Francisco Fire Department and raised questions about expired permits and missing special inspections.

The comment matters because the speaker alleged potential life-safety gaps, unapproved changes in occupancy and use, and gaps in Department of Building Inspection (DBI) review processes. Commission President Alexander Toot acknowledged the public attention and said the director is taking action: “we look forward to having an update in April or in May on that.”

Jerry Drattler, who identified himself during general public comment, said the work included a $1,000,000 tenant-improvement permit and a $1,300,000 mechanical permit and that DBI issued a notice of violation (NOV) that, in his view, misstates permit histories. “The $2,300,000 unpermitted Tesla showroom work has never been inspected by the San Francisco Fire Department,” Drattler said. He told commissioners that six of the eight permits listed in the NOV are signed permits, that the mechanical permit had no DBI field inspections, and that eight required special inspections were never approved.

Drattler also said some permits became null and void under what he cited as “code section 1068.4.4” between 2017 and 2019 and argued the permits were not entitled to rely on original approved plans because the work began and the permits expired. He asked whether newly issued permits will be reviewed by the fire department.

Commission staff did not provide a substantive response in the public-comment segment; the commission’s public record shows President Toot’s earlier opening remarks that the director is addressing alleged permit violations by Tesla and that a departmental update is expected at a future meeting. The commission did not take a formal action at the March 19 hearing on the Tesla matter.

The exchange was part of a longer meeting dominated by hearings on residential hotel amortization extensions; commissioners also reminded the public how to submit documents for ongoing items and reiterated administrative deadlines.

Clarifying details from the public comment include the dollar figures Drattler cited (a combined $2,300,000 in permits composed of $1,000,000 and $1,300,000 permits), the claim that some permits had pre-final inspections in August 2016, and the assertion that the building’s occupancy/use code was listed as F-1 (moderate hazard) in a March 2025 notice of violation (source: Jerry Drattler).

Next steps: President Alexander Toot said the director is taking action and an update is expected in April or May; no formal vote or departmental finding was recorded at the March 19 meeting.