Board continues 16th Street appeal to June 7 after DBI finds new plans inaccurate

President Rick Swig opened the hearing on appeal 23‑004 on April 12, 2023, involving a dispute over an alteration permit for 3420–3424 Sixteenth Street. The appellant, Jim Reid, told the board the landlord proposed removing pantry space and putting stacked laundry into his kitchen unit without adequate notice, arguing that would “take away a third of your kitchen” and asked the board to deny the permit and send the plans back to plan check.

The permit holders, Jay Davidson and co‑owner Susan Stanford, presented an alternate plan developed after a DBI site visit that they said would restore access to the washer and dryer and yard without removing the pantry. The owners’ architect and representatives displayed existing and proposed floor plans and described options including putting a new door adjacent to the refrigerator to provide access while keeping pantry cabinets accessible beyond the new door.

Kevin Birmingham, senior building inspector with the Department of Building Inspection (DBI), told the board he received the permit holder’s new plans the day before the hearing and that preliminarily the drawings appeared mislabeled and inconsistent with photographs and site conditions. Birmingham said the proposed scheme, as submitted, did not provide required clearances and would require further modification and another site visit before DBI could deem the plans approvable.

Commissioners pressed both sides on whether converting a window into a door, relocating electrical and plumbing conduits, or widening an alcove would resolve the tenant’s access concerns and whether those changes were feasible or unduly burdensome to the owners. Commissioners also noted the underlying notice of violation (NOV) stemmed from laundry equipment intruding into an egress and that if the board found for the appellant the consequence could be removal of the washer and dryer in the unit.

After discussion the board voted to continue the matter to June 7, 2023. The motion required the permit holder to submit an accurate set of plans that reflect existing conditions and to submit those plans to DBI (and to the board office) by the Thursday before the June 7 hearing so DBI can review them in advance. The motion carried 4–0.

The hearing record shows the board sought a DBI‑approved set of plans and encouraged parties to meet to attempt a resolution; if no DBI‑compliant alternative is found, the board indicated it may proceed on the original DBI‑approved plan previously issued with the permit.

The item was continued to the June 7 Board of Appeals calendar with those submission requirements and directions to the parties.