REASON
Back in December, the San Francisco Planning Commission ordered property owner Ross Johnston to rebuild an exact replica of a mid-1930s home he had torn down, lambasting him for destroying a historic home without obtaining the necessary permits.
Johnston is now hitting back, calling the city’s decision both absurd and lawless, and demanding that he be allowed to continue with the redevelopment of his property.
“The Planning Commission decision is invalid, bizarre, and illegal,” said Andrew Zacks, an attorney for Johnston, in a statement. Zacks argues that the order is baseless and runs against both the city’s designation that Johnston’s house—also known as the Largent House, after its original owner—was not of historical significance, and permits it had already issued that allowed for substantial renovations to his property.
