Committee advances permit-expiration ordinance over Vice Chair Chen’s concern about tenant timelines

The Land Use and Transportation Committee on Dec. 1 forwarded an ordinance amending the building code to revise the timing and expiration of certain building permits to the full Board with a positive recommendation.

Supervisor Mahmood, who introduced the ordinance, said it aims to reduce “red tape and bureaucracy” by requiring proof of demonstrated progress to avoid repeated permit renewals and to curb speculation where project sponsors have no intention of building. He said the expiration applies only when no progress has been shown and that the department already grants extensions for projects making demonstrable progress.

Vice Chair Cheyenne Chen said she supports reducing unnecessary delays but opposed the ordinance as drafted because, she said, permit-expiration rules could fall out of alignment with the city’s Residential Tenant Protection Ordinance. Chen noted that displaced tenants may receive a maximum of 42 months of relocation assistance and warned that if building permits can be extended longer than that, tenants could exhaust relocation benefits before a project is completed. Chen said she would vote no without an amendment to align the timelines.

Tate Hanna, legislative affairs manager at the Department of Building Inspection, told the committee the share of projects affected is small and that the department has historically been generous with extensions; he said the proposal aligns with state building code practice and targets only permits with no shown progress.

There was no public comment on the item. Supervisor Mahmood moved to send the ordinance to the Board with a positive recommendation. The committee recorded two ayes (Supervisor Mahmood and Chair Mirna Melgar) and one no (Vice Chair Cheyenne Chen); the motion passed.

Next steps: the ordinance will appear on the Board of Supervisors agenda on Dec. 9 with the committee’s positive recommendation.