|
This month, I invite
all customers
(residents, property owners and contractors) to
join
DBI in the
the nationwide Building Safety Month celebration
. Each of us has a r
ole in ensuring building safety in
our
home, property or business
. I encourage you to take the time
to
periodically inspect or assess your building or property for potential
hazardous conditions
. Being proactive now can
stave
off costly repairs and protect yourself and others from harm.
DBI
will be
offering lunch-time brown-bag discussions
on May 11 and May 18
, focused on equipping owners with hands-on knowledge about the Mandatory Soft Story Program and the Additional Dwelling Program, respectively. Earthquake Preparedness workshops are
also
offered in three supervisorial districts throughout the City to local residents by our partnering community organizations.
Additionally, as part of our Building Safety Month outreach, San Francisco Muni buses will feature an informative advertisement that focuses on DBI's main goal of "Protecting Building and Life Safety Every Day." As the regulatory enforcement agency for the more than 200,000 commercial and residential buildings in San Francisco, DBI not only provides review of construction plans, issuance of construction permits, approval of inspections, and investigates code violation complaints, we are instrumental in ensuring that building and life safety is protected every day.
I encourage
everyone
to do their part to promote building safety, not only this month but throughout the year, by keeping your homes and buildings safe for all who live, work, and recreate in San Francisco.
Sincerely,
Department of Building Inspection
|
|
Register for our Building Safety Month Workshops
 |
|
DBI has partnered with City agencies and neighborhood partners to provide the following workshops, which will be held at the DBI office located at 1660 Mission Street, Room 2001 from 12:00-1:00pm
(unless otherwise stated)
.
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Complying with the Soft Story Program and Role of Rent Control Provisions
Is your property on the Mandatory Soft Story Program list? If so and you fall under tiers 2-4, join us for this informative workshop to learn about the steps you need to take to have your building seismically retrofitted by the due dates and have your tenant related questions answered by the Rent Board.
Register Me for this Workshop
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Building Additional Units On Your Property
Interested in converting available space in your building into additional dwelling units? Join us for this informative workshop to learn about the steps you need to take to add a unit within your property's existing building footprint and the requirements you need to address for construction.
Register Me for this Workshop
Earthquake Preparedness Workshops Available in Supervisorial Districts 3, 5 and 10:
Through our Seismic Safety Outreach Program, in-language earthquake safety workshops are available to San Francisco residents in three Supervisorial districts, which include District 3 (Chinatown/North Beach), District 5 (Western Addition) and District 10 (Bayview/Visitacion Valley). Visit
www.sfdbi.org/seismicsafety
for more information and to attend a workshop near you.
Be sure to follow us
on
 and  all month long for safety tips and online contests.
|
|
Fee Waivers for Awning Replacement Projects in May
Also, in celebration of Small Business Month this May, permit plan review fees for awning replacements, signs on awning replacements and pedestrian level lighting are mostly waived for all those who apply with DBI and the Planning Department.
Established in 2014, the fee waiver program was made permanent in 2015 and added related awning fee waivers for the Fire Department and Public Works. Awning improvements help invigorate businesses and the commercial corridors where they are located, and contribute to neighborhood improvements.
Small businesses with 100 employees or less are encouraged to take advantage of this fee waiver opportunity as it can save over $1,000 dollars in plan review fees. Program ends on May 31, 2016. For more information, please visit
www.sfdbi.org/awning-fee-waiver-program.
|
|
Codes Corner
Read up on our most recent code updates:
|
|
DBI Reminds Building Owners and Tenants to Inspect Properties for Fire Safety
Apartment building owners and tenants are reminded to increase their vigilance about fire safety. Everyone has a role to prevent fires by taking immediate steps to ensure that properties are habitable and fire-safe
by taking proactive measures, like checking smoke alarm batteries, maintaining clear hallways and fire escapes and also, by
reporting any lapses
,
such as blocked fire escapes or building exits
, to the City
.
Property owners are asked to inspect their buildings on a regular basis, just as tenants are asked to pay attention to building conditions and
to
preemptively address unsafe conditions. It is the property owner's responsibility to maintain minimum maintenance standards for their properties. Building owners are encouraged to create regular communication channels with their tenants to ensure a safe and habitable housing environment. Tenants should report unsafe building conditions to the building owner promptly so the problem can be remedied, and to both the Fire Department and to DBI directly, or through 3-1-1, for quick follow up actions.
Fire Safety Legislation Introduced
On April 26, an ordinance was introduced at the Board of Supervisorsto improve Fire Safety Measures for Existing Buildings. Under this proposed ordinance, it will require building owners file a statement of compliance with annual fire alarm testing and inspection requirements every two years, as well as require building owners to upgrade existing fire alarm systems by July 1, 2021, or upon completion of $50,000 or more of construction work, whichever occurs earlier. Keep up to date on the status of this legislation here.
|
April/May 2016 Vol. 2, 2016-3
|
|
