253 Hartford St, San Francisco, CA 94114

The two-unit residential building at 253 Hartford Street, owned by Vincent M. Williams, has faced significant recent challenges, most notably a fire incident in October 2023 that caused moderate damage to the lower unit, affecting the living room's walls and ceiling, as well as exterior siding behind the electrical panel. This incident rendered the unit uninhabitable due to utility shutdowns, and the building now requires stair repairs, which are being addressed through an active permit filed in November 2024 with an estimated cost of $20,000.

The property, built in 1895, has a history of infrastructure maintenance work, including a 2016 repair of front patio stairs, a 2011 sewer lateral upgrade with a house trap replacement, and a major electrical upgrade completed in December 2023 involving replacement of the main panel and outdoor sub-panels. Multiple service requests in 2024 indicate ongoing maintenance needs, including water pipe issues (October 2024), tree root damage to the sidewalk, and various utility-related matters. The building's maintenance history shows attention to structural elements, with records of retaining wall construction and roofing work performed in the early 1990s, though some older permits are no longer active. The property has experienced several compliance-related issues recently, with active violations stemming from the October 2023 fire incident and complaints about temporary generator installation in late 2023.

These followed the property's most recent fire damage incident, which reportedly created unsafe stairs to the second floor and required utility shutdowns. Prior to the fire, there were complaints in November 2023 regarding a generator installation and related sidewalk obstruction, though these complaints are no longer active. The building's location continues to be affected by urban infrastructure challenges, as evidenced by multiple requests related to tree root damage to the sidewalk in 2024, which remains an open issue. The property's permitted work shows a pattern of addressing structural and systems maintenance, though the recent fire incident represents a significant and concerning event in the building's history.