3251 Washington St, San Francisco, CA 94115

The 5-unit, 3-story multi-family residential building at 3251 Washington Street in Pacific Heights, owned by Allan P Gold and Alan C Ferra, has undergone several significant safety and maintenance improvements since its construction in 1917. Most notably, the building completed its mandatory soft-story retrofit in 2014 (as a Tier 3 property), which included the installation of a concrete-encased grounding electrode for enhanced seismic safety.

Recent improvements include the installation of a new fire alarm system (2024) with low-frequency sounders in sleeping areas, the replacement of the steam boiler (2022), and a major remodeling project in 2017 that updated two bathrooms and the kitchen in Apartment 5, including associated electrical and plumbing work. The building has experienced some safety concerns in recent months, with multiple complaints in October 2023 regarding improper paint removal practices that allegedly affected neighboring properties, though these complaints are now inactive. Historically, the building had several fire safety violations in 2008 related to fire proofing, fire escape maintenance, and self-closing door requirements, which were all abated by August 2008.

The property has also undergone various maintenance work over the years, including reroofing projects in 1998 and 2017, and structural improvements such as staircase repairs and dry rot remediation in 1991. While there have been occasional fire alarm activations in the past, these incidents have all been determined to be due to system malfunction or no detectable issues (with no civilian injuries reported). The building's parking situation has been marked by recurring issues, with numerous complaints about blocked driveways recorded between 2022-2024, though these are unrelated to building conditions.