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Board of Appeals Upholds Planning Denial for 555 Haight After Heated Public Hearing
Summary
The San Francisco Board of Appeals voted 4–1 to uphold the Planning Commission’s denial of a permit to operate 555 Haight as group housing with 40 beds, citing code violations and neighborhood public‑safety complaints; the decision leaves abatement actions and possible reapplication as next steps.
President Randall Knox and the Board of Appeals affirmed the Planning Commission’s decision to deny a permit allowing 555 Haight to operate as group housing with up to 40 beds, voting 4–1 to uphold the denial.
Planning Department senior planner Tina Tam told the board the planning commission denied the permit because the proposed density (about 40 beds) exceeded the planning code maximum of 24 beds for the zoning district and because staff had documented health, fire‑safety and nuisance concerns during inspections and a task‑force review. Tam said inspections found short stays by many guests and evidence the building was being used in part as short‑term lodging rather than long‑term housing.
Attorney Gabriel Levine, representing appellant Frank Swise, argued the property provides low‑cost housing and urged approval. Levine…
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