The Academy of Art University has squeaked by just under the deadline to meet some Planning Department requirements avoiding a nasty $5500/day fine. The school has been violating land use laws for the past seven years by purchasing properties used as hotels, businesses, offices, and apartments and converted them to academic uses or student housing. The City cited 22 of the academy's 42 properties for planning code violations, but the fines were suspended as long as the school kept meeting 14 specific conditions, including appointing someone to deal with code violations and not acquiring new property until a comprehensive study of its environmental impacts was finished. [SF Gate/Photo: acebal]
Filed under: