Board conditions 339 Eighteenth Ave permit on extra notice after neighbors raise excavation and shoring concerns

The San Francisco Board of Appeals upheld a site permit for a three‑story, two‑family dwelling at 339 Eighteenth Avenue while imposing an additional notice requirement after neighbors raised safety concerns about excavation and foundation work.

Appellants, through counsel Michael Phelps, argued that the permit’s structural documentation (as a site permit) lacked specific shoring, grouting or underpinning details that would protect adjacent foundations in sandy soils. Phelps said the appellants had difficulty obtaining timely copies of engineering materials and requested both clearer written commitments and the ability to have monitoring or observation when excavation begins.

DBI Inspector Joe Duffy and planning staff told the board that the site permit stage does not require final structural addenda and that DBI engineers will review underpinning/grouting and structural methods during later addenda/submittal stages. Duffy reiterated that underpinning or grouting techniques and monitoring are typical protections and that the building code requires a statutory 10‑day notification prior to excavation.

To address neighbors’ monitoring concerns, the board granted the appeal in part and conditioned approval on an additional, duplicative notice: the permit holder must provide the appellants with a separate 2‑day notice before excavation in addition to the code‑required 10‑day notice. The motion clarified the board would not supersede statutory requirements but sought to ensure the neighbors receive a closer‑in alert so they may arrange monitoring or inspections. The motion carried 5–0.