Board continues rehearing request on 3751–3753 20th Street to March 8

The San Francisco Board of Appeals continued a rehearing request for 3751–3753 20th Street (appeal 16-165) to its March 8 meeting, saying a full board should consider questions about height calculations, programming and historic-preservation review.

Appellant Ingrid Eggers told the board the proposed three-story rear addition "goes beyond the height limit" and questioned whether the zoning administrator correctly applied the code. Eggers said she hired an expert who found errors in how the height limit was calculated and asked the board to re-examine the matter.

Shane Kernan of Juniper Architecture, representing permit applicant Justin McBain (currently traveling), told the board the plans have not changed since the previous hearing and argued the rehearing request did not meet the criteria for a rehearing. Planning Department staff (Scott Sanchez) explained the variance and height calculations, saying the project sought a rear-yard variance under the relevant code section and that the variance was issued and final; he maintained the height calculation was correct for the permit review.

Commissioners debated whether the appellant had presented new, material information and noted that to grant rehearing the board would need four votes. Vice President Fung moved to continue the item to March 8 so absent members and planning/preservation staff could attend; the motion carried.

The continuance postpones a final resolution until a full board and the Historic Preservation Commission representation can consider the contested technical and massing questions.