1229 Chestnut St, San Francisco, CA 94109

The three-story, 24-unit multi-family residential building at 1229 Chestnut Street in Russian Hill, owned by David R. & Marilyn Zimmerman, has undergone several significant upgrades and faced multiple maintenance challenges since its construction in 1926. Most notably, the building completed its mandatory soft-story retrofit in 2016 (at a cost of $60,000) and received a substantial electrical upgrade in 2013 with the installation of a 400-amp service with 25 meter and circuit breaker panels.

Recent concerns have emerged regarding the building's maintenance, particularly with a February 2024 complaint about deteriorating conditions in the common garage affecting multiple units, where residents reported loose ceiling and wall materials and water issues. The building has a documented history of resolving violations, including a cluster of December 2015 violations related to fire safety, plumbing permits, and smoke detection systems, all of which were abated by January 2016. Earlier improvements included a 2012 kitchen and bathroom renovation, plumbing upgrades, and responses to various maintenance issues such as a 2005 ceiling/wall repair due to a pipe leak. The property has experienced several minor fire-related incidents (all with no civilian injuries) and completed its soft-story retrofit as a Tier 2 building, demonstrating compliance with seismic safety requirements.

Regular inspections have been conducted over the years, with the most recent routine inspection flagging multiple fire safety-related items that were subsequently addressed. The building's maintenance record shows ongoing attention to upgrading systems and addressing violations, though recent complaints about the common garage conditions suggest potential emerging maintenance challenges. The property has maintained compliance with major safety requirements such as the soft-story retrofit program, and historical records indicate that most identified violations have been promptly addressed. Recent 311 calls regarding the property primarily relate to external issues such as street cleaning and debris, rather than internal building conditions.