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Board upholds permit to remove illegal kitchen; owner cites family relocation
Summary
A permit to remove a kitchen at 2250 Sixth Street — which opponents said could be used to displace tenants — was upheld by the Board of Appeals after the planning and building departments reviewed the application and found the permit properly issued.
The Board of Appeals on Feb. 11 upheld a DBI permit for 2250 Sixth Street that removes an unpermitted kitchen at garage level and converts the area to laundry and storage. Appellant Graham Bell and his supporters said the permit was part of a pattern of landlord actions that could displace tenants.
Owner representatives said the removal targets a common‑area kitchen and is part of a family consolidation plan; counsel Robert Cohen said the owner’s intent is to reunite family members (including elderly parents and a disabled relative) and that the owner had offered assistance and would comply with relocation rules if necessary. One downstairs occupant told the board he would accept assistance and move voluntarily if the family reunification occurred.
Planning staff reviewed permit history and concluded that while the property could be legalized in another process, the specific permit at issue (removing cooking facilities) was consistent with code and was properly issued. DBI said the over‑the‑counter permit described removing cooking facilities and capping utilities.
The board voted 3–0 to uphold the permit, noting the work converts a space that functioned as laundry/common area rather than a legally defined separate dwelling.
