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Board continues Twentieth Street excavation appeal to allow DBI site review
Summary
An appeal by a neighbor alleging excavation without permits and inadequate notification at 4121 Twentieth Street was continued one week to Nov. 19 so DBI staff can inspect the site, meet the parties and report whether a revision permit or other corrective action is needed; the motion carried 4–0.
The San Francisco Board of Appeals on Nov. 12 continued an appeal regarding excavation work at 4121 Twentieth Street after neighbors raised safety and notification concerns.
Thomas Goddard, who lives at 4119 Twentieth Street, appealed a permit issued to Twentieth Street Trust and said work began before the owner applied for a permit. Goddard presented photos taken Aug. 4 showing excavation and vertical dirt faces adjacent to his property and argued the excavation removed what appeared to be a retaining wall. He said he was not notified and cited California Civil Code requirements for adjacent excavation notification; he further said his engineer had been denied access to inspect the site.
The permit holder’s counsel and engineer (Jonathan Black and Antonio Prado) described the approved plans, said DBI plan check had approved the work as described (two feet of excavation to increase basement ceiling height from 6 to 8 feet), and explained a sectional sequencing pour intended to protect adjacent foundations. DBI Inspector Joseph Duffy said DBI had issued a stop‑work and a notice of violation (Inspector Matt Green visited Aug. 6) and that inspectors observed excavation before the permit was filed; Duffy stressed that adjacent‑property notification is appropriate when excavation reaches near a neighboring footing and that engineers for both sides should confer.
Given disagreement about site conditions — including appellent estimates of 4–8 foot differentials at the rear and the permit holder’s engineer’s estimate of about 2–2.5 feet — commissioners recommended a site visit and a DBI review to determine whether a revision permit is required. Commissioner Fung moved to continue the matter to Nov. 19 to allow DBI and the permit holder to review site conditions and report back; the board approved the continuance 4–0.
DBI offered to meet both parties, conduct a site visit with senior inspectors, and return findings to the board on the timeline. The board instructed that any stop‑work order remain in effect as appropriate pending follow‑up.
