Neighbors worry about squatters in burned San Francisco building
SAN FRANCISCO - It's been more than a year since an apartment building under construction on San Francisco's Octavia Street caught fire.
Since then, it has become a pain point for the entire neighborhood. That site is still fenced off, but now neighbors are worried that it could cause even more problems.
From outside the property, you can see the site is fenced off. What you can't see is evidence that people are getting inside and living in and using that space illegally. Neighbors worry that it could catch fire again.
The sight of 300 Octavia burning in August of last year is seared into the neighborhood's memory.
The cause of the fire is still officially under investigation, but since that fire, the owner has been hit with a series of violations from San Francisco's Department of Building Inspection.
Neighbors say a look behind the fence shows clear evidence of what they already know, that people are breaking in and living in what was left after the fire.
"We hear them climbing up the stairs, hanging out on the roof, using, really using it as a squat. Toilet facilities, whatever," said Ana Canillas. "I mean, we can smell it when we walk by, right?"
Inside the fence you can clearly see piles of trash, and signs that people are living here, even indications that they may have illegally tapped into an electrical line.
Neighbors have complained to the city for months. "It's frustrating because we as neighbors haven't really been getting a response as to what the status is," said Canillas.
In fact, there is a long list of complaints neighbors have made to the Department of Building Inspection; worried about people living in and using the site and the possibility of another fire.
The Department of Building Inspection has reached out to the owner repeatedly. DBI has issued a series of violations, and ordered the owner to secure the site, issuing numerous notices of violation.
The most recent of which came in July. The DBI even took the issue up at a director's hearing on Tuesday, which could result in a lien on the property.
Supervisor Dean Preston's office says they've also been trying to reach a resolution. The supervisor's office sent a statement reading in part, "We share the frustration of neighbors that the project remains stalled, and have urged departments to use every tool at their disposal to push the property owner to be a better neighbor and hope that the latest notice of violation offers the city a path to secure the site."
Neighbors say they just want to see the property secured, and made safe. "It's just a sad situation, especially if the property owners don't have the funding to really take care of it," said Canillas.
KTVU has been trying to get in contact with the property owner to get their input on what is going on with the property, but so far has not been able to communicate with them.
The property owner has 15 days to respond to this latest hearing about the notice of violation.
Now the city attorney may get involved to determine what happens next.
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