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Commission approves third‑floor addition at 68 Richardson but denies roof deck after neighbors object
Summary
Commissioners allowed a modest third‑floor addition to create an additional bedroom at 68 Richardson but voted 5–2 to deny a roof deck that neighbors said would invade privacy and generate noise; the commission required the preservation of the existing 'notch' between buildings.
San Francisco — The Planning Commission on Feb. 16 approved a limited vertical addition at 68 Richardson Avenue but ruled against a proposed fourth‑floor roof deck after neighbors testified the deck — which applicants described as the only private outdoor space for the small lot — would bring noise, privacy and safety problems to a tightly packed block.
Neighbors described the parcel pattern and an eight‑foot “notch” that historically separates buildings and provides light, air and emergency egress for rear bedrooms. Several residents and attorneys said filling that notch to accommodate stair access and a roof deck would wall in adjoining homes and place a party deck with a hot tub and fire pit directly above multiple bedrooms.
Project counsel David Silverman argued the plan is a modest ~500‑square‑foot addition to an 898‑square‑foot house and that a variance previously granted made the addition lawful. Architect Jason Einkemmer said the lot’s small size and the rear‑yard constraints made a roof deck the only practical way to provide outdoor space for occupants.
Commissioners weighed competing fairness and neighborhood‑quality arguments. Commissioner Moore and others expressed concern about a new roof deck in the tight mid‑block enclosure; commissioners said they could support the additional bedroom but not the rooftop amenity that would alter the shared rear open space.
The commission approved the addition but denied the roof deck and explicitly left intact protections for the existing notch (motion passed 5–2; Commissioners Johnson and Hillis opposed). Staff and neighbors will monitor future permit submittals to ensure the approved scope conforms to the commission’s conditions.
Why it matters: The decision affirms the commission’s willingness to allow modest additions on substandard lots while curbing rooftop amenity features when neighbors demonstrate privacy, noise or safety concerns.
