3655-3657 20th St, San Francisco, CA 94110

The property at 3655-3657 20th Street is a two-story, five-unit multi-family residential building constructed in 1905, currently owned by John F. & Daphne Knowles. The building has experienced several significant structural issues in recent years, most notably concerning its retaining walls.

In November 2022, an emergency permit was issued for the removal of a 4-foot section of a 3-foot high retaining wall due to collapse risk, followed by September 2023 revisions to address additional problems with the rear yard retaining walls, including repairs to steps and the construction of new planters. An active Notice of Violation from September 2022 remains regarding deteriorating perimeter retaining walls. The building's historical records show a cluster of violations in January 2002 related to safety systems, including fire escape maintenance, fire alarm systems, stairs repairs, and emergency egress requirements, all of which were abated by June 2002. More recent concerns include a 2011 complaint about a hall window repair, and multiple complaints about retaining wall conditions in 2022-2023.

The property has also faced parking-related challenges, with numerous complaints about driveway blocking in 2024, though these are external to the building itself. Additional records indicate two minor incidents requiring fire department response: one for a gas leak and another for electrical wiring issues, neither resulting in civilian injuries. The building's maintenance history includes a 1995 reroofing project, and more recently, multiple service requests for building-related issues, including a 2024 complaint about unresponsive code enforcement responses regarding retaining wall concerns. The property has been subject to regular routine inspections over the years, with the most recent significant structural focus being the retaining wall issues that remain a concern as of late 2023.