San Francisco's highest governing body on Tuesday announced something that most residents probably don't consider a major priority for the city: Julie Park and Tom McDonald's roof on their $2.1 million Victorian home. We spent time debating whether it could be made 7 feet 3 inches taller.
The project complies with city code and was unanimously approved by the San Francisco Planning Commission several months ago. In many cities, that would have been enough to move forward with remodeling. But in San Francisco, neighbors wield unusual power over renovations and modest improvements next door, and can even sue to replace rotten front steps.
So on Tuesday, 11 members of San Francisco's Board of Supervisors, acting as judges in the housing construction case, heard opinions from Mr. Park, an attorney representing the neighbors, and experts from the Planning Department.
The feud between wealthy neighbors symbolizes the city's sluggishness in building anything. San Francisco has already drawn the ire of state housing officials, who want the city to add 82,000 units over the next seven years, but many projects involve multiple challenges and years of delays. Therefore, this goal seems out of reach.
“This is not to say that similar planning battle royales don't exist in other California cities, but historically speaking, San Francisco has established itself as the leader of the pack.” said Dan Sider, chief of staff for the Planning Department. He said.
Park, a 40-year-old consultant to start-ups and small businesses, began her quest during the pandemic when she and McDonald, a 38-year-old climate researcher, bought a three-story house on Harper Street. This area is popular with families and there are nearby hilltop hiking trails with great views.
The four-bedroom, one-bath home was built in 1905 and still has its original foundation and old plumbing. The couple's idea was to create a separate living unit for McDonald's parents on the first floor, and convert the middle floor into a family living space and kitchen.
The plan was to raise the upper gable roof to provide two bathrooms and three bedrooms for the couple and their future children.
As required by city law, Ms. Park and Mr. MacDonald notified their neighbors in February 2023, some of whom complained that the high-rise building would affect and cast shadows on the city's landscape and that the couple's I quickly learned that he was worried about people looking into his house. .
In a city full of high-tech workers, the altercation prompted one neighbor to place a sign on a utility pole with a QR code and the words “Save Your Neighborhood.” The QR code led to the website whatupsf.com, which encouraged people to sign a petition against the renovations and attend Tuesday's rally to fight against the “monster homes.”
“This whole thing has become a legal and financial nightmare,” Park said in an interview, adding that she has already spent $250,000 on construction, permits and lawyers.
Building new projects in San Francisco is notoriously expensive and time-consuming. Building the new public restrooms would cost $1.7 million and take up to three years before donors would provide them free to the city. His 2.7 miles of new central subway line took him 12 years and went hundreds of millions of dollars over budget.
Although states and cities recently enacted laws that rubber-stamp some housing projects without neighborhood input, getting approval for changes to single-family homes can still be excruciating.
The Planning Department approved Park's plan in October, but a month later, four neighbors complained and asked the Planning Commission to review it. The commission unanimously approved the project, calling it “modest” and “excellent,” praising it for adding another home to the city.
But neighbors argued that the Planning Department erred in exempting the project from the California Environmental Quality Act, which requires Harper House to consider a variety of impacts.
Neighbors asked city leaders Tuesday to consider keeping the building intact, citing, among other things, “the property's history as a home for working-class San Franciscans in the post-Civil War era.” I was thinking that I would like you to do it.
Ryan Patterson, an attorney for the neighbors fighting the project, declined to comment before the hearing, saying neighbors should have their voices heard. Only one of them did.
David Garofoli owns the house next door. He doubled the size of the 1908 home in a major renovation eight years ago, but said he has done a better job of preserving its historic facade. Garofoli, a former developer and current business coach, said he has since moved to Boston and is renting out his home.
But he continues to invest in his old neighborhood. He paid a lighting expert to study the shadows cast by Park's raised roof. An architect researching whether her house is historic. Lawyers then work on appeals.
“I care about the neighborhood and I care about the historic nature of our home,” he said.
State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, said he used to head a neighborhood watch committee and spent much of his time mediating disputes between neighbors. He said most cities in California automatically approve projects that comply with city ordinances.
“Good government means setting clear rules up front and following those rules to get permission,” Wiener said. “In San Francisco, we've chosen to make everything political instead of predictable. That creates a lot of bad blood.”
Board of Supervisors Chairman and mayoral candidate Aaron Peskin generally supports the current system. He said the project review takes up less of supervisors' time and recognizes residents' right to due process.
“Some people file frivolous lawsuits, but they get their day in court and a judge can order them to pound sand,” he says. “This was not a distraction.”
There have been similar conflicts in the neighborhood before. A few years ago, property owners behind the home owned by Park and McDonald demolished an 875-square-foot vacation home built in the early 1900s and replaced it with a 5,100-square-foot building with an elevator and two appliances. I was thinking of converting it into a house. Outdoor kitchen and glass walls. Neighbors fought the project vigorously but lost.
The house was built and called “Noe Looking Glass” until it was sold in 2018 for $7.4 million.
The current owners, who did not respond to requests for comment, were among those objecting to Park and MacDonald's project.
None of the neighbors spoke personally to the board Tuesday, instead having their attorneys speak to them. But he failed. When one supervisor asked why they were discussing the issue, the board unanimously sided with the couple.