Board revokes permit tied to 331 Filbert amid dispute over billboard ownership and notice

The Board of Appeals voted unanimously Dec. 13 to revoke a permit tied to a controversial billboard case at 331 Filbert, finding the issued permit had factual irregularities that justified rescission and further findings. Commissioners and department officials debated whether the permit properly belonged to the property owner or the billboard company and whether the property owner had been adequately noticed before issuance.

Attorney Brett Gladstone, representing appellants who challenged the permit, urged the board to rescind the authorization and require the property owner to seek any new permit with accurate information; he and other speakers said the planning and building records showed inconsistent notice and potential preferential treatment. DBI Chief Building Inspector Lawrence Kornfield told the board that the building code does not allow permit withdrawal by a third party through a simple letter and that, once issued, a permit becomes a legal obligation on the property owner unless administrative revocation processes are followed.

After extended discussion of the legal and procedural options — including the possibility that the matter would be addressed in federal court concerning lease/ownership rights — Commissioner Fung moved to revoke the permit with an agreed finding about faulty representation in the application. The motion carried 5‑0. The board directed that formal findings be drafted and adopted at a later date and indicated the decision was intended to preserve the status quo while legal questions about ownership and injury are resolved.