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Public and commissioners press DBI on slow 3R report turnaround; department to brief commission on process
Summary
Public commenters described delays obtaining 3R reports and urged DBI to offer expedited (tiered) service; DBI said the 3R report requires procedural checks and will present its workflow at a future meeting; DBI also noted ADA brochures in multiple languages will be distributed at counters.
Multiple public commenters told the Building Inspection Commission they experienced long waits for a TRIAR/3R report and urged improvements to the department’s turnaround time. John Kogan, president of the San Francisco Coalition for Responsible Growth, said he requested a 3R report on Feb. 3, paid the fee and was told it would take five to seven days but did not receive the report until two weeks later; he asked the commission to help accelerate the process. Luke O’Brien, also from CRG, suggested a tiered service that would allow expedited reports for a premium to generate revenue and meet urgent market needs.
Vivian Day and Pamela Levin responded that the 3R report is not purely an automatic computer output and that a procedural review is required; staff offered to bring a full explanation of the 3R procedure to the commission at the next meeting. Levin said DBI would have staff explain the workflow and checks involved so commissioners and the public better understand why some reports take longer and what options exist to speed service.
Separately, DBI said it had added ADA notices and brochures provided by the Small Business Association in six or more languages for distribution at counters and community outreach events to assist small business owners with ADA issues. Levin said the brochures are supplied by the Small Business Association and that outreach has been handled with staff time; commissioners asked whether budgeted outreach funds exist and were told some funds (a figure around $25,000 was discussed in Q&A) support outreach items.
Why it matters: 3R reports are used by property buyers, agents and contractors to check zoning and site information; long delays can materially affect real estate transactions. Commissioners directed DBI to provide a procedural briefing so the commission can evaluate options — including whether expedited services should be offered — to improve timeliness.
Next steps: DBI will present the 3R report procedure and consider options to shorten turnaround time; commissioners asked the item be agendized for future discussion.
