533-537 Union St, San Francisco, CA 94133

The three-story multi-family residential building at 533-537 Union Street in Telegraph Hill, owned by Dewey Yee & Phillip & Truma, was constructed in 1906 and contains 8 units. The property underwent significant changes and faced several compliance issues in recent years, most notably regarding illegal unit conversions and mandatory soft-story retrofit work. In 2019, there were serious concerns when a site investigation revealed unauthorized alterations and two illegal units, resulting in an active building violation.

This followed a pattern of violations and non-compliance issues, including an expired mandatory soft-story permit and illegal unit modifications. While there was a $120,000 permit issued in 2019 to legalize one first-floor unit with multiple rooms and bathrooms, and subsequent work was completed on the soft-story retrofit with a Certificate of Final Completion issued, the building has a history of plumbing and electrical work done without proper permits, particularly during 2019. The building's maintenance history shows attention to basic infrastructure, including a house trap replacement in 2017 and water line rerouting in 2019, though these permits have since expired.

Earlier violations from the 2000s included various fire safety and security issues, such as problems with fire extinguishers, glazing on entry doors, and smoke enclosure door closers, all of which were eventually abated. The property has required multiple street space permits from 2017 to 2019, and there have been several 311 calls related to street cleaning and parking enforcement in recent years. A sewage backup incident was reported and resolved in January 2019, and routine inspections have been conducted over the years. The soft-story retrofit was completed as a Tier 3 building, indicating significant seismic upgrades have been performed.