With little fanfare, Mayor Ed Lee has nominated controversial developer Mel Murphy to the influential Port Commission. The limit of public notice appears to be this blink-and-you-miss-it statement on page 15 of next week's Board of Supervisors' agenda. Read More
San Francisco developers are being encouraged to start putting shower water or rainwater to better use in their new large developments.
Calling on developers to reach new heights in green building, Board of Supervisors President David Chiu has introduced legislation that will create new and clear regulations for developers opting to incorporate advanced water-recycling systems. Read More
Officials hope that problem landlords note an $800,000 settlement recently reached with a property owner who amassed numerous building code violations.
Supervisor Malia Cohen, who represents the Bayview, held a news conference Monday afternoon to highlight the neighborhood violations. She said tenants endured deplorable conditions such as fallen ceilings, mold infestations, and flooding and human feces flowing up on the grounds. Read More
Although there may not be a towering construction crane on every corner of San Francisco, it can sometimes seem that way.
From the second Rincon Hill tower to the Central Subway transit project, San Francisco is undergoing a massive wave of new construction. Some 56 major developments — totaling $3.137 billion in construction costs, 500 stories and 5,188 residential units — are in various stages of the approval process, according to The City’s Department of Building Inspection. Read More
Your editorial (“Bill’s defeat a win for animal welfare,” June 25) misrepresents my efforts to establish a national standard for the humane treatment of egg-laying hens.
In 2008, California voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition 2. This initiative required egg producers to increase cage size so birds could stand up and extend their wings. Read More
Four years after taking over a department plagued by corruption, the director of The City’s building inspections resigned Wednesday amid accusations that Mayor Ed Lee’s office had orchestrated her ouster.
While the departure of Department of Building Inspection Director Vivian Day was officially called a resignation, one agency commissioner, Debra Walker, said she had been “forced to resign.” Read More
Newly inaugurated District 6 Supervisor Jane Kim wasted little time to take up issues, introducing two hearing requests during her first Tuesday board meeting. One hearing will address the problems of bed bugs and the other pedestrian safety in the South of Market neighborhood. Read More
The owners of more than 300 problem properties in The City that attract graffiti, squatters and other unwanted attention are now facing a new annual fee of $765 if the buildings are not cleaned up.In the year since San Francisco instituted the fine for neglected and abandoned properties, the Department of Building Inspection has acquired a list of 365 offending addresses. Read More
Plans to redevelop Hunters Point Naval Shipyard will again be discussed by city leaders this week.
A decades-long project to build 10,500 homes, shops and other buildings at the shuttered shipyard is currently the subject of intense public scrutiny, with final city approvals expected to be sought in the coming months. Read More
The City is cracking down on property owners that haven’t installed, or proven that they plan to install, sprinkler systems in skyscrapers to help fight fires.
Beginning next month, the Department of Building Inspection will stop issuing building permits needed for tenant renovations and other improvements in skyscrapers that are not fully equipped. Read More
