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San Francisco commissions weigh broader permit extensions to keep stalled projects viable
Summary
Planning and Building Inspection staff told a joint hearing they are proposing coordinated permit-extension procedures and software changes after developers and small builders reported loans pulled or projects dormant. DBI outlined valuation-based extension rules; planning staff said revocations require a public hearing.
Planning and Building Inspection staff told a joint hearing Thursday that they are taking steps to make permit extensions clearer and easier to process as many local projects stall amid the economic downturn.
Larry Badner, zoning administrator and assistant director in the Planning Department, summarized how planning approvals are governed by timing conditions and said the city attorney has advised that approvals cannot simply be declared expired. "Failure to commence construction within 18 months shall be grounds for revocation," he told commissioners, adding that revocation requires a new public hearing rather than an automatic expiration.
Vivian Day, director of the Department of Building Inspection, explained DBI's current valuation-based limits for issued permits and extensions. For example, DBI told the commissions that projects under $1 million generally get one year to complete plan check plus one one-year extension; projects over $1 million may have two years and one extension. For issued permits, Day summarized DBI practice: projects with valuation at or under $300,000 have one year to complete work with a 90‑day extension available; projects $300,000–$2.5 million generally have three years with a six‑month extension; projects above $2.5 million get four years with a one‑year extension.
Commissioners pressed staff on administrative tracking and notifications. Commissioner Walker asked whether the systems automatically flag permits approaching expiration; Day said current tracking of issued permits is manual and inspectors have been auditing records, but both departments are evaluating new software that would notify applicants by email or written notice when permits are nearing expiration.
Public commenters urged clarity and assistance for small builders. Architect Jeffrey Heller and representatives of the San Francisco Coalition for Responsible Growth warned that large projects often take a decade to realize and that small owners have been hit by withdrawn loans. Rodrigo Santos, structural engineer and president of the Coalition for Responsible Growth, recommended one-time extensions in the range of 18 months to three years to preserve small projects.
Planning staff said they will coordinate procedures so DBI and planning do not inadvertently grant extensions that conflict with updated planning codes; any change that affects the planning commission's prior findings would still return to the Planning Commission for review. Day said DBI is preparing legislation to allow the department to grant more than one extension but only after routine concurrence with planning to ensure code compliance.
The commissions did not take formal votes on extensions at the hearing; staff said implementation of procedural changes would follow ordinance or code amendments and software updates. Commissioners asked staff to return with proposed procedures and to keep the public and applicants informed about any changes to notification or extension rules.
