Building Inspection Commission hears emergency-demolition briefing; staff pledges review after delays

Acting Deputy Director Carla Johnson told the San Francisco Building Inspection Commission on April 16 that the Department of Building Inspection (DBI) issues emergency demolition permits only when a structure presents an imminent hazard and DBI engineers and senior inspectors concur with that assessment. She said fire-department referrals are processed rapidly, owner-submitted engineering reports are reviewed by DBI staff, and the city may demolish dangerously unstable buildings and place a lien on the property for recovery of costs.

Commissioners pressed staff on who has final authority to make an emergency call and whether those determinations should be appealable. "We either receive a referral from the fire department... or we receive a request from a property owner," Johnson said, describing on-site inspections and oversight by the chief building inspector or deputy directors. Commissioners reiterated the commission—s role in appeals when an emergency order is denied and debated whether emergency determinations should be strictly engineer-driven.

Public commenters urged clearer, faster processes. Francisco de Costa called for empirical data on building vulnerability across the city; structural engineer Kelton Finney said, "Emergency demo is not about preserving affordable housing. It's about protecting public safety," and argued that licensed engineers should lead such decisions. Henry Woods warned that leaving unsafe buildings standing causes hazards, including vermin and toxic contamination of soil.

Several commissioners raised concerns about the intersection of emergency demolition and planning review. They noted examples where a building that DBI deemed appropriate for demolition nonetheless was delayed by the planning process and community opposition. Commissioners warned this can create a perverse incentive for owners to let buildings deteriorate to the point they can argue demolition is necessary. At least one commissioner asked DBI to limit emergency orders to building-safety criteria and to avoid non-safety considerations.

In response to service-capacity questions, staff acknowledged recent slower response times during a period of stretched resources (a major rock-slide response) and pledged to review the department—s policies and procedures with Planning to identify opportunities to streamline processing and clarify when emergency authority applies. Director-level staff said they will bring proposed policy clarifications back to the commission for further discussion.

The commission did not take a formal action on emergency-demolition policy at this meeting; staff committed to report back with recommendations and potential code/policy adjustments at a future meeting.