The Planning Department is set to review a proposal in Potrero Hill that would allow the owners of a vacant building to expand into a two-unit dwelling. However, the expansion is controversial, as opponents argue it may involve the removal of a rent-controlled unit. The key issue is whether the basement unit was indeed a rental space. A local resident claims to have evidence that the basement has been rented out previously. The outcome will likely influence future housing development practices in the city.
From November 2017 to February 2018, I lived in the basement unit at 695 Rhode Island Street in San Francisco, Califomia. I rented the basement unit for $2,000 a month and paid rent to Michael Kopec. I found the rental from a listing on Craigslist.org. Kopec did not disclose to me that the unit was unpermitted. The unit included a stove, refrigerator and bathroom, and the unit had its own entrance to the street.
The owners of the now-vacant building, Charles Quach and Yen Ming Chen, want to expand into the backyard and build a third story, creating a large two-unit building that they say in planning documents would 'create a dream home for our current and future family's needs.'
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