2020-2022 Lawton St, San Francisco, CA 94122

The two-unit multi-family residential building at 2020-2022 Lawton Street in San Francisco's Central Sunset neighborhood has experienced several significant safety-related events since 2018. Most notably, in October 2018, the building suffered a serious incident when a second-story balcony collapsed, resulting in injuries to two individuals who required hospital treatment. This incident triggered an emergency response, and subsequent investigations revealed that six bolts had failed due to a combination of weight, dry rot, and rust issues.

The building underwent substantial work to address these safety concerns, including scaffolding placement, stucco removal, and the installation of new balcony materials with stainless steel through-bolts, completed by March 2019 at a cost of approximately $20,000. The electrical system was also upgraded with new service conduit installation in October 2018, and a complete roof replacement was carried out in February 2023 at a cost of $18,000. The property has experienced various maintenance and infrastructure issues over the past few years, including a sewage backup incident in December 2021 that was resolved by the Public Utilities Commission, and multiple reports of garbage and debris on nearby streets in 2024-2025.

A streetlight malfunction was reported and fixed in February 2018, prior to the balcony collapse. In addition to these incidents, the building has undergone several permitted improvements, including stucco repair and balcony reinforcements, with proper compliance to Planning Code requirements. The balcony structural failure and the associated repairs represent the most critical safety-related incident in the building's recent history, though subsequent improvements appear to have addressed the immediate concerns.