Calif. officials tell Google to move mystery barge

Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO

Google must move a mystery barge from a construction site on an island in the middle of San Francisco Bay because the permits are not in order, a state official said Monday.

The notice came after the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission investigated numerous complaints about construction of the floating, four-story building, commission executive director Larry Goldzband said.

The investigation found that neither the Treasure Island Development Authority nor the city of San Francisco had applied for required permits for the work to be done at the site and could face fines and enforcement proceedings.

Goldzband said Google can resolve the issue by moving the barge to one of the fully permitted construction facilities in the San Francisco Bay.

“It needs to move,” he said.

Google did not immediately respond to requests to comment.

Mirian Saez, director of the Treasure Island Development Authority, said, “We did not intend to violate or circumvent the process.”

The authority will try to apply for the correct permits with the commission, she said, noting her agency has not spoken to Google about the issue.

Preliminary planning documents submitted to the authority last fall showed plans for Google to build an interactive space for people to learn about technology as it traveled from dock to dock.