607

SEC. 607. COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS. (See Interpretations related to this Section.) Signs in C, M, and PDR Districts, other than those Signs exempted by Section 603 of this Code, shall conform to the following provisions: (a) General Advertising Signs. No General Advertising Sign shall be permitted in any C, M, or PDR District. (b) Roof Signs. Except for Historic Signs and Vintage Signs, Roof Signs are not permitted in C, M, and PDR Districts. (c) Wind Signs. No Wind Sign shall be permitted in any C, M, or PDR District. (d) Window Signs. The total Area of all Window Signs shall not exceed one-third the total area of the business’s ground floor windows and clear doors. Window Signs may be Nonilluminated, Indirectly Illuminated, or Directly Illuminated. (e) Moving Parts. No Sign shall have or consist of any moving, rotating, or otherwise physically animated part (as distinguished from lights that give the appearance of animation by flashing, blinking or fluctuating), except as follows: (1) Moving or rotating or otherwise physically animated parts may be used for the rotation of barber poles and the indication of time of day and temperature. (2) Notwithstanding the type of Signs permissible under subsection (e), a Video Sign is prohibited. (f) Illumination. Any Sign may be Nonilluminated or Indirectly or Directly Illuminated. Signs in PDR, C-3, and M-2 Districts shall not be limited in any manner as to type of illumination, but no Sign in a C-2 or M-1 District shall have or consist of any flashing, blinking, fluctuating or otherwise animated light except as specifically designated as “Special Districts for Sign Illumination” on Sectional Map SSD of the Zoning Map of the City and County of San Francisco, described in Section 608 of this Code, in the C-2 area consisting of five blocks in the vicinity of Fisherman’s Wharf. Notwithstanding the type of Signs permissible under subsection (f), a Video Sign is prohibited in the district. (g) Projection. Except for Historic Signs, Vintage Signs, Historic Theater Marquees, and Historic Theater Projecting Signs, no Sign shall project more than 75% of the horizontal distance from the Street Property Line to the curbline and in no case shall a Sign project more than six feet beyond the Street Property Line or building setback line. (h) Height and Extension Above Roofline. (1) Signs Attached to Buildings. Except as provided in Section 260 for Historic Signs, in Section 608.14 for Vintage Signs, and in Section 188(e) for Historic Movie Theater Marquees and Historic Movie Theater Projecting Signs, no Sign Attached to a Building shall extend or be located above the Roofline of the building to which it is attached. In addition, no Sign Attached to a Building shall under any circumstances exceed a maximum height of: In C-3: 100 feet; In all other C, M, and PDR Districts: 60 feet. Such Signs may contain letters, numbers, a logo, service mark and/or trademark and may be Nonilluminated or Indirectly Illuminated. (2) Freestanding Signs. The maximum height for Freestanding Signs shall be as follows: In C-2: 36 feet; In all other C, M, and PDR Districts: 40 feet. (i) Special Standards for Automotive Service Stations. For Automotive Service Stations, only the following Signs are permitted, subject to the standards in this subsection (i) and to all other standards in this Section 607. (1) A maximum of two oil company Signs, which shall not extend above the Roofline if Attached to a building, or exceed the maximum height permitted for Freestanding Signs in the same district if Freestanding. The Area of any such Sign shall not exceed 180 square feet, and along each street frontage all parts of such a Sign or Signs that are within 10 feet of the street property line shall not exceed 80 square feet in area. No such Sign shall project more than five feet beyond any Street Property Line or building setback line. The areas of other permanent and temporary Signs as covered in subsection (i)(2) below shall not be included in the calculation of the areas specified in this subsection (i)(1). (2) Other permanent and temporary Business Signs, not to exceed 30 square feet in Area for each such Sign or a total of 180 square feet for all such Signs on the premises. No such Sign shall extend above the Roofline if Attached to a building, or in any case project beyond any Street Property Line or building setback line. (Amended by Ord. 64-77, App. 2/18/77; Ord. 69-87, App. 3/13/87; Ord. 537-88, App. 12/16/88; Ord. 219-94, App. 6/3/94; Ord. 134-97, App. 4/25/97; Ord. 276-98, App. 8/28/98; Ord. 28-02, File No. 011962, App. 3/15/2002; Ord. 298-08, File No. 081153, App. 12/19/2008; Ord. 56-13 , File No. 130062, App. 3/28/2013, Eff. 4/27/2013; Ord. 20-15, File No. 110548, App. 2/20/2015, Eff. 3/22/2015; Ord. 217-16, File No. 160424, App. 11/10/2016, Eff. 12/10/2016; Ord. 124-25, File No. 250542, App. 8/1/2025, Eff. 9/1/2025) AMENDMENT HISTORY Divisions (b), (d)(2), and (g)(1) amended; Ord. 56-13 , Eff. 4/27/2013. Divisions (a), (b), (c), (d)(2), and (e) amended; former divisions (e)(1) and (e)(4) merged into division (e) and amended; former divisions (e)(2) and (e)(3) deleted; divsions (f), (g)(1), (g)(2), and (h)(1) amended; Ord. 20-15, Eff. 3/22/2015. Divisions (a), (b), and (c) amended; former divisions (b)(1), (b)(2), (b)(3), (d)(2), (d)(4), and (h)(3) deleted; division (d) added; former divisions (d), (d)(1), and (d)(3) amended and redesignated as divisions (e), (e)(1), and (e)(2); former divisions (e)–(h)(2) amended and redesignated as divisions (f)–(i)(2); Ord. 217-16, Eff. 12/10/2016. Division (d) amended; Ord. 124-25, Eff. 9/1/2025. SEC. 607.1. NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL-COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS, AND RESIDENTIAL TRANSIT ORIENTED-COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS. (See Interpretations related to this Section.) Signs located in Neighborhood Commercial Districts shall be regulated as provided herein, except for those Signs which are exempted by Section 603 of this Code or as more specifically regulated in a Special Sign District under Sections 608 et seq. In the event of conflict between the provisions of Section 607.1 and other provisions of Article 6, the provisions of Section 607.1 shall prevail in Neighborhood Commercial and Residential-Commercial Districts. In each such Special Sign District, Signs, other than those Signs exempted by Section 603 of this Code, shall be subject to the special controls in Sections 608.1 through 608.18, respectively, in addition to all other or, if so expressly specified in those Sections, in lieu of other applicable sign provisions of this Code. In the event of inconsistency with any other provision of Article 6, the most restrictive provision shall prevail unless this Code specifically provides otherwise.