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San Francisco Planning Code Amended to Streamline Commercial and Mixed-Use Permitting, Update Signage, and Transparency Regulations

  • When: 2025/06/26
  • Address: Citywide, San Francisco, CA
  • City: San Francisco
  • State: CA
  • Category: Zoning Code Modification
  • Asset Class: Mixed-Use
  • Planning Department: True

This ordinance amends the San Francisco Planning Code, primarily impacting C-3 (Downtown Commercial) and RC (Residential-Commercial) Districts. It principally permits certain non-retail sales and service uses, including general office, design professional, business services, non-retail professional services, and trade offices, on the ground floor in C-3 districts through December 31, 2030, after which they will become conditionally permitted. It also allows retail and non-retail sales and service uses on the second floor and above in RC districts, with conditional ground floor catering and laboratory uses. The ordinance updates transparency and fenestration requirements for ground floor active uses and provides exemptions for specific uses like childcare facilities, homeless shelters, religious institutions, reproductive health clinics, and schools. Furthermore, it modifies the definitions of Window Signs and Interior Signs, exempting small interior signs and painted business signs on building facades from permit requirements. The legislation also redefines 'Non-Residential Use' to facilitate development impact fee waivers for residential conversions and permits all uses in certain historic buildings within the RH-DTR (Rincon Hill Downtown Residential) District, exempting them from ground floor active use requirements.

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