A Lot of Dog Wash

Why is San Francisco "suffering from a glut of empty storefronts"? The answer: City Government [bold added]

Oct, 2018: Market St. storefront (Chronicle photo)

building permit applications for commercial property alterations, additions and repairs submitted in 2017 to the Department of Building Inspection took an average of 172 days — that’s nearly six months — to be approved.

It took another 88 days, on average, for the permitted construction and renovation work to be completed and get a final sign-off, for a total of 260 days or more than 8½ months.

If the Planning Department gets involved, the delays could easily double:

If the new business needed a conditional use authorization change from the Planning Department — they’re required for more businesses in the Upper Market-Castro than in some other neighborhoods — it took an average of 332 days, or nearly one year, to be approved.

When combined with the time it takes to get a building permit and the final approval, the entire process can take a year and a half for projects requiring both Planning and Department of Building Inspection approvals, the report said.

Meanwhile, the storefronts remain vacant and the businesses are stuck paying rent.

Since the government is the chokepoint, some businesses are turning to that time-honored solution, i.e. graft:

Bergerac* said store owners are joining the ranks of people who hire professional “expediters” to get their permits approved faster — it’s a longtime, winked-at practice.

*Daniel Bergerac, Castro Merchants president and co-owner of Mudpuppy’s Tub & Scrub dog wash(!)

Some in the City's leadership blame the empty storefronts on greedy landlords. They propose that empty units be penalized (taxed) $250 per day.

Aside to the younger generation: this is a small example of why many people are opposed to socialism. Problems (empty storefronts, power blackouts, high medical costs, crumbling infrastructure) occur in all societies, but socialist governments, which are in charge of everything, don't blame themselves but "profiteers". Taxes and penalties are the answer, and greedy behavior the problem. The wealth-producers stop working and flee. To the ideologues' confusion, the problems get worse.

In one respect your humble blogger agrees. Property owners, don't be greedy; take your profits or cut your losses. Save yourselves. Get out of San Francisco. If you can, get out of California.