Committee approves two-year extension for accessible business-entry requirements

The Land Use and Transportation Committee voted to recommend amending the city building code to extend timelines for the Accessible Business Entrance program by two years, citing COVID-related operational impacts.

Jeff Buckley of the Department of Building Inspection told the committee the program, created by ordinance in February 2016, helps property owners comply with state and federal accessibility laws. Buckley said the department "currently have 11,398 addresses that are out of compliance, which is equal to 5,589 property owners" and recommended a two-year extension. He outlined the revised compliance schedule: compliance checklists due 06/30/2022, building-permit applications due 12/31/2022, and required building permits by 09/29/2023.

Committee members asked whether the extension affects federal or state obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Nicole Bond from the Mayor's Office on Disability clarified the local standard: "it doesn't matter what the federal law says in San Francisco, we're asking you to comply by having an accessible entrance." Buckley said the amendment also incorporates a six-month pre-checklist period recommended by the Building Inspection Commission.

The committee voted to adopt the amendment to the compliance schedule and to recommend the ordinance with a positive recommendation.