San Francisco city officials are stepping up pressure on Tesla over continued noise, traffic and sanitation issues caused by the Lombard Street Supercharger station. Although the electric vehicle giant has recently implemented some fixes, such as adding signs and changing GPS routes, neighbors report that the changes do not address the core issue. Now, they say, drivers are also dumping urine and urine into nearby buildings while their vehicles are charging.
The trouble started a few months ago, when Tesla opened a 16-stall, 24-hour Supercharger station between Lombard Street and Moulton Street, a narrow alley in Cow Hollow, after a year of construction. Overnight, a once-quiet corner of the neighborhood turned into a nighttime hotspot, with drivers lured by lower nightly rates. Cars emitting a piercing bass sound that caused traffic jams and clogged residential garages became commonplace. Then other problems arose.
“Looking out the kitchen window, I saw someone down there peeing on the wall,” resident Laurel Calsoni said in an email to SFGATE.
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District 2 Supervisor Stephen Sherrill, who represents the community, said he met with Tesla representatives last week and convened all relevant city departments to work on a solution.
“The behavior of this charging station is ridiculous and unacceptable — there is no reason for a vehicle charging station to be so destructive,” Sherrill said in an email to SFGATE.
Like residents, supervisors aren’t happy with Tesla’s contributions.
“We were with Tesla on Friday afternoon,” Sherrill said. “… Let’s just say we’re not done yet.”
Starting March 11, 2026, the Tesla app restricts drivers to entering the Lombard Street parking lot. (Courtesy of Laurel Calsoni)
A staffer in Sherrill’s office confirmed that Tesla has made some small improvements — road markings instructing drivers not to enter Moulton Street, app routing changes encouraging people to enter and exit Lombard Street, signs instructing drivers to respect neighbors and planned security cameras. But officials admit the measures are not working.
Neighbors report drivers entering a controversial Tesla Supercharger station on Moulton Street despite a change in the app. (Courtesy of Laurel Calsoni)
Calssoni, an advocate for affected residents, said the weekend after Tesla intervened was one of the worst yet. “When I go to bed at night, it’s very loud. At four o’clock in the morning, it’s very loud and there’s no one outside,” she said by phone. “There’s no oversight that can do anything to help with that.”
She described seeing drivers sitting directly underneath posted no-noise signs, completely ignoring the rules. She said “they were shocked” when they were confronted about the incident, recalling the driver’s reactions including “I’m outside, I don’t care” and “I didn’t hear any bass”.
In addition to noise, sanitation remains a serious and unresolved issue, she said, with other residents reporting drivers emptying urine containers in the street and using surrounding buildings as toilets. Calsoni said she also called the police multiple times, but she didn’t think it was a sustainable solution.
“The police have more important things to do than monitor the Tesla parking lot,” she said. “Tesla needs to monitor and supervise its own lots.”
“Nothing is more important than feeling safe and comfortable in your home – you deserve better and I am committed to finding a solution as quickly as possible,” Sherrill wrote in an email to residents.
Calsoni said Tesla “disrespects the community.”
“This is the best of corporate America and why corporations are hated,” she wrote.
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This article was originally published on Neighbors say San Francisco Tesla parking lot has become a urine dumping ground.
