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Board conditions 654–656 Third Avenue site permit with limited work hours after neighbor sunlight concerns
Summary
The Board approved the site permit for 654–656 Third Avenue on Nov. 9 but imposed work‑hour restrictions (8 a.m.–5 p.m., weekdays) and encouraged the permit holder to resolve flashing/roofing details with neighbors to minimize water intrusion and disruption.
The San Francisco Board of Appeals on Nov. 9 approved the site permit for 654–656 Third Avenue while adding conditions intended to reduce neighborhood disruption. The board voted 4–0 to grant the permit (the project had been found code‑compliant by Planning and reviewed by DBI) and to condition issuance on restricted construction hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday; the board also urged the permit holder to coordinate appropriate flashing and waterproofing details with adjacent owners to avoid rain/runoff problems.
Appellants Thompson and Eleanor Wong limited their appeal to the proposed fourth‑floor addition and told commissioners the vertical expansion would cut off winter sunlight to their kitchen and breakfast area, where they said they spend much of their time. Andre Volkov, one of the property owners, said the project had passed Planning review and that the vertical addition was set back 15 feet from the front, which Planning staff said made the fourth story code‑compliant in the subject RH2 district. Volkov also said short‑term rentals at the property had been temporary and that renovations were needed to make the dwelling habitable.
Scott Sanchez (Planning) showed residential design team review materials and aerial context photos, explained the 15‑foot setback requirement for a fourth story, and said the application matched residential design guidelines and code. Joe Duffy, senior building inspector with DBI, told the board he found no unresolved building‑code issues and encouraged permit holder and neighbors to coordinate flashing and roofing details before construction to avoid disputes.
Commissioners debated whether a fourth story was contextual in the block and whether limiting construction hours would reasonably protect neighbors; appellants asked for restricted hours and the board adopted 8 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday–Friday as a condition. The motion also noted the permit was code‑compliant and that DBI would handle any building details as part of normal inspection and enforcement processes.
The board’s conditional approval allows the permit to move forward while preserving enforceable constraints designed to reduce noise and neighbor impacts during construction.
