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Public commenter urges fire department to allow time to legalize longtime artist live/work space
Summary
A permit consultant asked the commission to allow residents of a long‑running artist live/work space called "The Farm" time to legalize occupancy after an anonymous complaint prompted an inspection notice; the city's fire marshal said no vacate order had been issued and explained the enforcement process.
During general public comment, Jeremy Paul, who identified himself as a San Francisco permit consultant with decades of experience, urged the commission and department to allow a voluntary, time‑limited process for legalizing a historical artist live/work space he called "The Farm." Paul said an anonymous party reported people living in a commercial space, prompting an inspector to post a notice that could lead to red‑tagging and evacuation.
"We would ask this commission, we would ask this department to allow us to proceed on a voluntary basis... we have the funds, we have the commitment of the property owner," Paul said, asking the department not to close the space while the owner and occupants pursue plan check and permit processes.
Commissioner Ken Cleveland asked the fire marshal to brief the commission on code‑enforcement options. The fire marshal (speaking from the department) said he did not have intimate knowledge of the particular site but described standard procedure: when the department receives a complaint it responds and inspects; if violations present an imminent hazard an order to vacate may follow, but the office has issued relatively few orders to vacate over the past four years.
"We're not at a point where an order to vacate has been issued," the fire marshal said, and added that the department generally works with occupants and the building owner to obtain a change of use through the building department unless the building rises to an imminent hazard.
The commission asked the fire marshal to keep the commission informed about the farm property case. No formal action or enforcement order was announced during the meeting.
