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Board revokes demolition permit for 1619A Laguna after finding improper review
Summary
The board granted an appeal by the tenant and revoked a permit to remove cabinets and a sink from a space used residentially, concluding the Department of Building Inspection did not properly route the application through Planning and that current rules require attempting legalization before removing an unauthorized unit.
San Francisco — The Board of Appeals unanimously granted an appeal and revoked a permit for work at 1619A Laguna Street after finding the Department of Building Inspection had not followed current requirements for handling unauthorized dwelling units.
Appellant counsel argued the unit was in residential use since Dec. 1, 2015, and that a demolition‑type permit listing the space as commercial should have been routed through Planning because city rules now require attempting legalization before removal of an unauthorized unit. DBI’s Bernie Curran told the board the department’s intake and representation of the project created confusion and that, under recent ordinance changes, even unlawfully converted units cannot be removed without the appropriate planning review.
Scott Sanchez (Planning) similarly said the permit appeared to have been improperly issued without proper documentation demonstrating there was no path to legalization. The board found the permit was improperly reviewed and revoked it by a 5 to 0 vote.
What happens next: The property owner may pursue the proper Planning process to either legalize the unit or follow the conditional‑use pathway to remove an unauthorized unit, and DBI/Planning will coordinate next steps.
