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Public commenter alleges DBI favoritism in permit approvals for 2650 52 High Street
Summary
Ellen Sang told the commission DBI allowed property owner Chris Greenwood to submit incomplete permit applications and to excavate large amounts of soil without adequate review, and asked DBI to apply the code equally; DBI invited her to submit documentation for follow-up.
San Francisco — During general public comment at the Dec. 20 Building Inspection Commission meeting, Ellen Sang alleged that the Department of Building Inspection favored the owner of 2650 52 High Street and did not enforce code requirements equally.
“My name is Ellen Sang,” she began. She said DBI approved a recent permit for the property without requiring the applicant to describe the full scope of work, allowing construction of a new large dormer and extensive soil removal near her property. Sang alleged the owner, Chris Greenwood, has repeatedly submitted inaccurate permit applications and claimed DBI allowed him to mischaracterize the building to avoid earthquake‑retrofit requirements. “The code is the law. The code should not be used to pay favoritism to certain property owners,” she told commissioners.
Commissioners asked Sang to submit documentation; DBI staff told her to leave copies at the department and said the commissioners would receive the materials. There was no immediate staff rebuttal at the hearing; staff accepted Sang’s paperwork and indicated they would review it after the meeting.
The complaint was not resolved during the meeting; DBI did not provide an on-the-record finding at the session. Sang asked that DBI apply the same standards to all applicants and investigate the permit sequence for 2650 52 High Street.
