303.2

SEC. 303.2. PRIORITY PROCESSING FOR CERTAIN USES IN COMMERCIAL SPACE: EXPEDITED CONDITIONAL USE REVIEW AND APPROVAL PROCESS AND REDUCED APPLICATION FEE. (a) Findings. (1) In April 2013, the Planning Commission adopted the Small Business Priority Processing Pilot Program. The stated goal of the pilot program was to accelerate the review of certain small business applications without compromising the review times of other applications. (2) Building on the success of the pilot program, Planning Department staff in consultation with staff from the Office of Small Business proposed expanding the program to additional types of applications. The expanded program was adopted by the Planning Commission in February 2015 and renamed the Community Business Priority Processing Program. As expressed in the Commission’s adoption of Resolution No. 19323, the intent was to support the business community – especially small and mid-sized businesses – and to increase efficiencies in the way the Commission and Department handle related applications. (3) By enacting this Section 303.2, the Board of Supervisors underscores the importance of small and mid-sized businesses to the economic vitality of San Francisco’s neighborhoods and to the City as a whole, its residents, and visitors. The intent of this Section 303.2 is to expedite the review and hearing process for these vital small and mid-sized businesses without compromising public notice and input or the review times of other applications, and to build upon the success of the Community Business Priority Process Program by expanding the scope of eligible projects and ensuring that all eligible projects are considered accordingly, while preserving critical opportunities for community input and accountability to the legislative branch of government. (4) Due to the Calle 24 Special Use District’s unique history and special identity, the projects within its boundaries require special consideration in order to retain, enhance, and support its character. It is, therefore, exempted from the priority processing provisions of this Section 303.2. The City first recognized the area’s unique history and special character in 2014, when in Board of Supervisors Resolution No. 168-14 it established the Calle 24 (“Veinticuatro”) Latino Cultural District. The Resolution memorialized “a place whose richness of culture, history and entrepreneurship is unrivaled in San Francisco.” A 2014 report by San Francisco Architectural Heritage found that many of the long-standing community-serving businesses within the area were at risk of displacement due to San Francisco’s volatile economic climate despite continued value and a record of success. The special character of the area was further recognized in 2017 when Ordinance No. 85-17 was enacted to establish the Calle 24 Special Use District. In enacting that ordinance, the Board of Supervisors specifically found, among other things, that “[t]he mix of businesses and uses, including Legacy Businesses, murals, festivals and architectural neighborhood design and character in the Calle 24 Special Use District contribute to a strong sense of neighborhood and a unifying identity.” This area continues to require special consideration in order to retain, enhance, and support its unique history and character, including providing economic and workforce opportunities for local residents, supporting the production and offering of local or Latino artwork, and making sure that the area offers a range of goods and services available and accessible to residents, including immigrant and low-income and moderate-income households. (5) On June 26, 2025 the Planning Commission adopted Resolution No. 21761 to consolidate the Community Business Priority Processing Program with the priority processing program under this Section 303.2. As many of the features of these two programs overlap, consolidating the two programs will promote efficiency and reduce confusion. (b) Priority Processing for Certain Uses. Applications for Conditional Use authorization that comply with the requirements of subsection (c) are eligible for priority processing and a prorated application fee. Eligibility for priority processing shall not require any application separate from a completed application for Conditional Use authorization. Unless modified by this Section 303.2 the provisions of Section 303 shall apply. (c) Eligibility for Priority Processing. An application for a Conditional Use authorization qualifies for priority processing (“eligible application”) pursuant to this Section 303.2 if it is seeking to establish, alter, enlarge, or intensify a commercial use on the first story or below, or on the second story where the commercial use would operate on both the first and second stories, in the subject building and if it complies with all of the following requirements: (1) It pertains exclusively to Non- Residential Uses; (2) It is limited to changes of use, tenant improvements, or other interior or storefront work and does not involve any new construction or building expansion; (3) It does not involve the removal of any Dwelling Units or Unauthorized Units; (4) It does not involve a Formula Retail use, unless the Formula Retail use in question has fewer than 20 other establishments; (5) It does not propose or require the consolidation of multiple storefronts; (6) It does not seek to provide off-street parking in a quantity beyond that allowed as of right; (7) It does not seek to establish or expand any of the following uses: (A) Adult Entertainment; (B) Drive-up Facility; (C) Fringe Financial Service; (D) Cannabis Retail; (E) Tobacco Paraphernalia Establishment; or (F) Wireless Communication Facility; (8) It is not within the Calle 24 Special Use District (Planning Code Section 249.59); and1 (d) Expedited Commission Hearing. An eligible application shall be scheduled for a public hearing on the Planning Commission’s calendar within 90 days from the date that the application has been deemed complete, unless the hearing date is extended pursuant to subsection (e). An application is deemed complete when the application and filing fee have been accepted by the Department.

(e) Extension of Commission Hearing Date. The Planning Commission may at any time adopt a one-time extension of not more than 60 days of the hearing date for an eligible application beyond 90 days if any neighborhood organization maintained on a list by the Planning Department pursuant to subsection 311(d)(4) submits a letter of opposition or written request for a continuance at least one day before the hearing. (Added by Ord. 139-20, File No. 200214, App. 8/28/2020, Eff. 9/28/2020; amended by Ord. 249-23, File No. 230701, App. 12/14/2023, Eff. 1/14/2024; Ord. 114-25, File No. 250538, App. 7/17/2025, Eff. 8/17/2025; Ord. 217-25, File No. 250682, App. 11/14/2025, Eff. 12/15/2025) AMENDMENT HISTORY Division (c) amended; divisions (c)(7)-(8), (c)(9)(B), (F), and (G) deleted; divisions (c)(9)- (c)(9)(A), (c)(9)(C)-(E), and (c)(9)(H)-(I) redesignated as (c)(7) and (c)(7)(A)-(F); division (c)(10) redesignated as (c)(8); new division (c)(9) added; division (f) deleted; Ord. 249-23, Eff. 1/14/2024. Divisions (a)(2), (b), (c)(2)-(4), (c)(6), (c)(7)(A)-(F), and (d) amended; divisions (e) and (e)(3) amended as (e); former divisions (a)(4), (c)(8)-(9), (e)(1)-(2), and (g) deleted; new divisions (a)(4)-(5) and (c)(8)-(9) added; Ord. 114-25, Eff. 8/17/2025. Division (c)(9) deleted; Ord. 217-25, Eff. 12/15/2025. CODIFICATION NOTE 1. So in Ord. 217-25. SEC. 304. PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENTS. (See Interpretations related to this Section.) In districts other than C-3, the Eastern Neighborhoods Mixed Use Districts, the DTR Districts, or the North Beach Neighborhood Commercial District, the Planning Commission may authorize as Conditional Uses, in accordance with the provisions of Section 303, Planned Unit Developments subject to the further requirements and procedures of this Section 304. After review of any proposed development, the Planning Commission may authorize such development as submitted or may modify, alter, adjust or amend the plan before authorization, and in authorizing it may prescribe other conditions as provided in Section 303(d). The development as authorized shall be subject to all conditions so imposed and shall be excepted from other provisions of this Code only to the extent specified in the authorization. (a) Objectives. The procedures for Planned Unit Developments are intended for projects on sites of considerable size, developed as integrated units and designed to produce an environment of stable and desirable character which will benefit the occupants, the neighborhood and the City as a whole. In cases of outstanding overall design, complementary to the design and values of the surrounding area, such a project may merit a well reasoned modification of certain of the provisions contained elsewhere in this Code. (b) Nature of Site. The tract or parcel of land involved must be either in one ownership, or the subject of an application filed jointly by the owners of all the property included or by the Redevelopment Agency of the City. It must constitute all or part of a Redevelopment Project Area, or if not must include an area of not less than ½ acre, exclusive of streets, alleys and other public property that will remain undeveloped. (c) Application and Plans. The application must describe the proposed development in detail, and must be accompanied by an overall development plan showing, among other things, the use or uses, dimensions and locations of structures, parking spaces, and areas, if any, to be reserved for streets, open spaces and other public purposes. The application must include such pertinent information as may be necessary to a determination that the objectives of this Section are met, and that the proposed development warrants the modification of provisions otherwise applicable under this Code. (d) Criteria and Limitations. The proposed development must meet the criteria applicable to conditional uses as stated in Section 303(c) and elsewhere in this Code. In addition, it shall: (1) Affirmatively promote applicable objectives and policies of the General Plan; (2) Provide off-street parking appropriate to the occupancy proposed and not exceeding principally-permitted maximum amounts; (3) Provide open space usable by the occupants and, where appropriate, by the general public, at least equal to the open spaces required by this Code; (4) Be limited in dwelling unit density to less than the density that would be allowed by Article 2 of this Code for a district permitting a greater density, so that the Planned Unit Development will not be substantially equivalent to a reclassification of property; (5) In R Districts, include Commercial Uses only to the extent that such uses are necessary to serve residents of the immediate vicinity, subject to the limitations for NC-1 Districts under this Code, and in RTO-1 and RTO-M Districts include Commercial Uses only according to the provisions of Section 231 of this Code; (6) Under no circumstances be excepted from any height limit established by Article 2.5 of this Code, unless such exception is explicitly authorized by the terms of this Code. In the absence of such an explicit authorization, exceptions from the provisions of this Code with respect to height shall be confined to minor deviations from the provisions for measurement of height in Sections 260 and 261 of this Code, and no such deviation shall depart from the purposes or intent of those sections; (7) In NC Districts, be limited in gross floor area to that allowed under the floor area ratio limit permitted for the district in Section 124 and Article 7 of this Code; (8) In NC Districts, not violate the use limitations by story set forth in Article 7 of this Code; and (9) In RTO and NCT Districts, include the extension of adjacent alleys or streets onto or through the site, and/or the creation of new publicly-accessible streets or alleys through the site as appropriate, in order to break down the scale of the site, continue the surrounding existing pattern of block size, streets and alleys, and foster beneficial pedestrian and vehicular circulation. (10) Provide street trees as per the requirements of Section 138.1 of the Code. (11) Provide landscaping and permeable surfaces in any required setbacks in accordance with Section 132 (g) and (h). (Amended by Ord. 414-85, App. 9/17/85; Ord. 69-87, App. 3/13/87; Ord. 115-90, App. 4/6/90; Ord. 72-08, File No. 071157, App. 4/3/2008; Ord. 298-08, File No. 081153, App. 12/19/2008; Ord. 84-10, File No. 091453, App. 4/22/2010 ; Ord. 56-13 , File No. 130062, App. 3/28/2013, Eff. 4/27/2013; Ord. 188-15 , File No. 150871, App. 11/4/2015, Eff. 12/4/2015; Ord. 129-17, File No. 170203, App. 6/30/2017, Eff. 7/30/2017; Ord. 296-18, File No. 180184, App. 12/12/2018, Eff. 1/12/2019; Ord. 311-18, File No. 181028, App. 12/21/2018, Eff. 1/21/2019; Ord. 63-20, File No. 200077, App. 4/24/2020, Eff. 5/25/2020; Ord. 217-25, File No. 250682, App. 11/14/2025, Eff. 12/15/2025; Ord. 245-25, File No. 250701, App. 12/12/2025, Eff. 1/12/2026, Oper. 1/12/2026) AMENDMENT HISTORY Division (d)(1) amended; Ord. 56-13 , Eff. 4/27/2013. Division (d)(5) amended; Ord. 188-15 , Eff. 12/4/2015. Undesignated introductory paragraph amended; Ord. 129-17, Eff. 7/30/2017. Undesignated introductory paragraph amended; Ord. 296- 18, Eff. 1/12/2019. Undesignated introductory paragraph and division (d)(2) amended; Ord. 311-18, Eff. 1/21/2019. Undesignated introductory paragraph amended; Ord. 63-20, Eff. 5/25/2020. Undesignated introductory paragraph amended; Ord. 217-25, Eff. 12/15/2025. Division (d)(5) amended; Ord. 245-25, Eff. 1/12/2026. SEC. 304.5. INSTITUTIONAL MASTER PLANS. (a) Purposes. The principal purposes of the requirements for institutional master plans contained in this Section are: (1) To provide notice and information to the Planning Commission, community and neighborhood organizations, other public and private agencies and the general public as to the plans of each affected institution at an early stage, and to give an opportunity for early and meaningful involvement of these groups in such plans prior to substantial investment in property acquisition or building design by the institution; (2) To enable the institution to make modifications to its master plan in response to comments made in public hearings prior to its more detailed planning and prior to any request for authorization by the City of new development proposed in the Master Plan; and (3) To provide the Planning Commission, community and neighborhood organizations, other public and private agencies, the general public, and other institutions with information that may help guide their decisions with regard to use of, and investment in, land in the vicinity of the institution, provision of public services, and particularly the planning of similar institutions in order to insure that costly duplication of facilities does not occur. (b) When Required. Each Hospital and each Post-Secondary Educational Institution in the City and County of San Francisco (for the purposes of this Section collectively referred to as "institution(s)"), including Group Housing affiliated with and operated by any such institution shall have on file with the Planning Department a current Institutional Master Plan describing the existing and anticipated future development of that institution as provided in Subsection (c) below. Institutions of less than 50,000 square feet or of less than 100,000 square feet in the C-3 district may submit an Abbreviated Institutional Master Plan as described in Subsection (d) below.