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Supervisors press city agencies for a cumulative dewatering and safety review after Millennium Tower revelations
Summary
City Administrator Naomi Kelly and agency staff told the committee the city has retained independent geotechnical and structural reviewers for the Millennium Tower (301 Mission), DBI has issued notices of violation and SFPUC cited enforcement gaps in Transbay dewatering meters; supervisors called for a comprehensive groundwater monitoring regimen.
The Government Audit & Oversight Committee on Jan. 12 pressed city agencies for clearer, cumulative oversight of dewatering and building safety after testimony about the Millennium Tower (301 Mission Street).
City Administrator Naomi Kelly said the city retained independent consultants—a geotechnical reviewer, a structural engineer and an academic expert—to peer review the reports submitted about the tower, including the Hamburger Report by SAGE. Kelly said reviewers toured the building, requested additional data from Millennium Partners and will report back after the developer and homeowners association provide requested information.
Ron Tom of the Department of Building Inspection told the committee DBI had issued two notices of violation related to ramps and handrails at street and basement levels; those NOVs are under remediation and plans to correct the violations were expected next week. DBI said water intrusion was addressed with a correction notice and more complex mitigation (injection and concrete repairs) is underway.
Tomio Takeshita of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission described the SFPUC’s pretreatment batch discharge permit program (San Francisco Public Works Code 4.1) and said dewatering at the Transbay/Salesforce Transit Center had a period in 2014 when a flow meter failed. The SFPUC issued a notice of violation, later received estimated flow data, and is moving the volume estimates to finance for invoicing. PUC staff estimated roughly 4.2 million gallons were discharged during the permit period (including metered and estimated portions).
Committee members pressed whether DBI monitors dewatering cumulatively for impacts on neighboring buildings. DBI staff said it does not have a cumulative monitoring program with a building‑safety lens and would need to engage outside expertise. Chair Erin Peskin said the city should consider a comprehensive groundwater monitoring and permitting regimen—citing Boston as a model—and indicated she would pursue legislation or administrative change to add a building‑safety perspective to dewatering oversight.
Public comment included owners and residents of Millennium Tower who described personal concern and financial exposure. One owner said living in a building that may not be seismically safe was a constant burden and said owners felt misled about the building’s condition at sale.
The committee requested the peer‑review scope of work, a list of firms considered for the peer review panel, and DBI’s report on correction notices. City Administrator Kelly committed to provide the requested materials and a timeline for the consultants’ final work once Millennium Partners responds to data requests.
