Board revokes repair permit, continues Haight Street billboard dispute for DBI review

A complex dispute over a billboard at 1630 Haight Street prompted the Board of Appeals to revoke a permit issued to a sign company and to continue the broader case so the Department of Building Inspection (DBI) can provide a final structural recommendation.

Front Properties, the property owner, argued the sign is termite‑infested and needs full deconstruction and replacement. Brett Gladstone, counsel for the property owner, described parallel filings by the sign company and said the owner refused to sign an application that would surrender future sign rights. “CBS then drafted an application to merely repair a corner of it because it has termite damage,” Gladstone said, and argued the repair permit should not have issued to a party that lacked authority.

CBS Outdoor and its counsel said their application responded to a notice of violation and was aimed at repairing the affected corner and treating the remainder; they argued that the Planning Code and prior resolution require only replacement when DBI finds a sign must be completely deconstructed for safety. DBI and Planning officials described inconsistent procedural timing: DBI issued a letter indicating replacement may be necessary but later said the department would re‑inspect parts of the structure that were inaccessible prior to making a final determination.

After hearing expert testimony on active powder‑post beetle infestation and debating the applicability of Planning Resolution 17,258 and Planning Code §604, the Board voted to revoke the repair/alteration permit that had issued to the sign company on the ground that the application did not show authority consistent with Building Code section 106A.3.1.6. The board also continued the appeal to March 17 to allow DBI to complete a fuller inspection and produce a technical report; parties may file limited written responses to DBI’s report in advance of the continued hearing.

The dispute turned on three questions: who can lawfully apply for and receive a permit (property owner versus sign lessee), whether DBI’s inspection supports deconstruction and replacement rather than repair, and how the Planning Department should apply Resolution 17,258. The board’s temporary actions preserve the record while DBI completes its review.