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Building Inspection Commission backs moving sprinkler rules into fire code, urges cost and displacement studies for retrofit ordinance
Summary
The commission adopted staff amendments to move existing high‑rise sprinkler requirements from the building code into the fire code and recommended approval of Supervisor Peskin's ordinance requiring sprinklers in older high‑rise residential buildings, while requesting cost studies, tenant‑displacement analysis and a timeline before final action.
The San Francisco Building Inspection Commission on April 20 voted unanimously to adopt amendments that shift code language about sprinklers for existing high‑rise residential buildings from the city's building code to its fire code, and to recommend approval of a broader ordinance requiring sprinkler retrofits — while asking the sponsor and staff to return with a cost study, a tenant displacement plan and a clearer implementation timeline.
The commission's action came after a multi‑hour discussion with staff from Supervisor Aaron Peskin's office, fire‑safety officials and members of the public. Lee Hepner of Supervisor Peskin's office described the proposal as a response to a November 2020 Gateway Apartments fire and said the 1993 ordinance left about 130 older high‑rise residential buildings under‑sprinklered. "If we do nothing, we are only waiting for the…
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