Complaint filed against WL Butler (published Aug. 5, 1998)

By John Baker

Staff Reporter

A well-known Redwood City building contracting business was accused Friday of doing extensive remodeling work on its downtown headquarters without having acquired the city permits to do so.

W.L. Butler, Inc., was reported to the Redwood City Building Department last week by a former employee who said that in the past four years the company has added as many as 15 offices and done other miscellaneous work to its company-owned headquarters at 204 Franklin St. -- without having permits.

The construction was done in secret and precautions were taken to prevent Redwood City officials from knowing about it, former employee Jeff Lyles said.

"At various times it was made known to me through (a supervisor) that we should keep the doors closed most of the time, or only slightly open, so in case the inspector did drive by he would not detect any kind of building construction," said Lyles, who added he worked six years for the company.

"I'm sure it was passed down from higher up."

Lyles said he was laid off from W.L. Butler last month.

Lyles presented the city and the Tribune with a floor plan, reportedly from the fall of 1997, which showed numerous offices and other rooms that were not in the city's floor plan of the building or that -- in the case of some offices and restrooms -- had been moved.

The company's owner said he was unclear on the charges, as they had not yet been presented to the Building Department at the time he was contacted, and could not confirm if W.L. Butler had the necessary permits for the construction.

"I know we have permits for stuff that's been done here," William Butler said. "But, you know, that's a great question.

"We absolutely would like to look at it and respond."

Butler's office was provided July 29 with copies of the floor plans in question, and was asked to confirm their authenticity and asked to give permit numbers for any work done, but the company did not respond to follow-up calls before the Tribune went to press late last week.

"Bill personally is a very reputable guy and has a great reputation in the industry," said Redwood City Council Member Jeff Ira, who knows Butler. "He's a real stand-up type of guy, so it's a little shocking.

"You need a permit to redo your roof, for godsakes."

The view from the company's lobby - as far as a reporter was allowed to enter - seems to confirm at least the new plan's first-floor layout, with restrooms and offices in the expected places.

An examination of all city permit records regarding the building, from the time it was constructed in 1980 until the present, showed none that authorized the large-scale renovations seen in the new plan.

The most recent full floor plan the city has dates from a 1992 permit allowing an auto detailing shop to occupy the northern part of the first floor.

The 1992 plan is consistent with the original 1980 plan. W.L. Butler has since occupied the entire building.

John LaTorra, a Redwood City building official, compared the old floor plan with the current one and said that if the new drawings were true and accurate W.L. Butler would have needed numerous permits to do such "tenant improvement" work.

"The purpose of getting a permit is to verify compliance with state and city codes," LaTorra said.

LaTorra said that if non-permitted but otherwise code-compliant work is discovered, the city has the option to charge an "investigation fee."

Investigation fees are generally twice the cost of what a permit for the work would have cost.

The last permit on record for work inside the building was for the partial removal of one small wall and some electrical work in 1991. Accompanying drawings, which partially show the first floor, are similar to the building's original plan.

The company also took out permits in 1994 for the replacement of a rooftop air-conditioning unit and modifications to the building's storefront.

"Maybe they started by taking that one wall out and it got more progressive," Lyles said. "The whole thing was not a permit detail, you can plainly see that by the plans and the last revision in 1991."

According to a search on the Internet, within the past year W.L. Butler has been involved in projects ranging geographically from Santa Rosa to Seaside. Among other work, the company has recently participated in the construction of townhouses in Belmont, Los Altos and Sunnyvale.

W.L. Butler is not known to have any government-related contracts.

The company, which has about 120 employees, is active in Redwood City's "Christmas in April" project, which remodels and fixes up homes for older people unable to take care of them on their own.

"They do the charity work, but they're basically stealing from the public right in front of their eyes," Lyles said. "This is a big, well-known company in our community - what gives them the right to go against the law? Anybody else would need a permit to put in a light bulb."

Others urged caution before a rush to judgment.

"Bill has too much at stake to sneak something by," Ira said. "I would have to believe it's a misunderstanding (or) an honest mistake. He has a great reputation in town and carries a lot of weight.

"He's just not the kind to screw somebody for a nickel."

The company's headquarters, and the entire surrounding city block, is expected to be demolished within the next several years as part of a city redevelopment project on and near Franklin Street. The area has been zoned for residential development.