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Board continues Portola Drive appeal, orders site survey and elevations
Summary
Neighbors appealed a 3‑story permit for 1325 Portola Drive citing multiple plan versions and potential excavation; the board required a topographic survey and finished floor elevations from the permit holder and a reduced permit set from departments, and continued the matter to Sept. 22.
The San Francisco Board of Appeals continued an appeal of a building permit for 1325 Portola Drive to Sept. 22 after neighbors and the Saint Francis Wood Homeowners Association said multiple, conflicting plan sets had been circulated.
Appellants said the project had shifted from a two‑story over basement design to a three‑story building in later drawings, raising concerns about excavation, retaining walls and rear‑facing windows that could create new habitable space at grade. Planning and building staff told commissioners their office holds a single official approved set and said they would enforce the approved plans; Scott Sanchez (Planning) said the approved plans were issued by the Department of Building Inspection on 03/29/2010 with plan dates on architectural sheets of 04/08/2008.
Senior building inspector Patrick OReardon described how grade‑plane calculations determine story count and told the board the submitted permit set is consistent with a three‑story reading under the building code. After discussion, Commissioner Fung moved to continue the appeal to Sept. 22 and ordered the permit holder to provide a topographic site survey and calculated finished floor elevations tied to that survey, plus a reduced permit set for the boards records; the motion passed unanimously.
The continuation preserves the appellants right to appeal subsequent addenda and lets staff and the permit holder resolve the technical question of how the building sits on the sloping lot.
