Supervisors press DBI, city attorney after hearing on 30 illegal units at 2867–2899 San Bruno Ave

A prolonged hearing on Sept. 13 before the Land Use & Transportation Committee focused on allegations that developers built 30 units at 2867–2899 San Bruno Avenue despite permits and approvals for far fewer units and that Department of Building Inspection (DBI) oversight failed to detect the changes.

Supervisor Catherine Ronan, who called the hearing, said the case exposed both an individual and systemic failure: “In 2019, my office was informed … that 30 units were constructed illegally at the site,” she said, describing a chain of violations that included altered egresses, changed staircases and the conversion of open space to parking. Her immediate priority, she said, was tenant safety after the violations were discovered and enforcement began.

Corey Teague, the Planning Department’s zoning administrator, told the committee that Planning first flagged the problem when a property owner sought to convert an approved on-site affordable unit to a fee and that a subsequent site visit revealed the broader scope of work. DBI interim director Joe Reardon said his office responded with enforcement, audits and reforms once the irregularities were identified and added: “I’m outraged by what happened here.”

Committee members focused on DBI recordkeeping and the role of a senior inspector. DBI officials said final inspections for the five buildings in the…