FILE NO. 250140
ORDINANCE NO. 97-25
[Planning Code, Zoning Map - Projecting Signs in Neighborhood Commercial and Residential-
Commercial Districts]
Ordinance amending the Planning Code to allow two projecting signs for all corner
businesses in all Neighborhood Commercial and Residential-Commercial Districts
citywide, and abolishing the 2301 Chestnut Street Special Sign District; amending the
Zoning Map to reflect that District's abolition; affirming the Planning Department's
determination under the California Environmental Quality Act; and making findings of
consistency with the General Plan, and the eight priority policies of Planning Code,
Section 101.1, and findings of public necessity, convenience, and welfare under
Planning Code, Section 302.
NOTE:
Unchanged Code text and uncodified text are in plain Arial font.
Additions to Codes are in single-underline italics Times New Roman font.
Deletions to Codes are in striketltrough it-alics Times ,¥-ew Rmnm1frmt.
Board amendment additions are in double-underlined Arial font.
Board amendment deletions are in strikethrough Arial font.
Asterisks (* * * *) indicate the omission of unchanged Code
subsections or parts of tables.
Be it ordained by the People of the City and County of San Francisco:
Section 1. CEQA and Land Use Findings.
(a) The Planning Department has determined that the actions contemplated in this
ordinance comply with the California Environmental Quality Act (California Public Resources
Code Sections 21000 et seq.). Said determination is on file with the Clerk of the Board of
Supervisors in File No. 250140 and is incorporated herein by reference. The Board affirms
this determination.
(b) On May 15, 2025, the Planning Commission, in Resolution No. 21738, adopted
findings that the actions contemplated in this ordinance are consistent, on balance, with the
City's General Plan and eight priority policies of Planning Code Section 101.1. The Board
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adopts these findings as its own. A copy of said Resolution is on file with the Clerk of the
Board of Supervisors in File No. 250140, and is incorporated herein by reference.
(c) Pursuant to Planning Code Section 302, the Board of Supervisors finds that the
actions contemplated in this ordinance will serve the public necessity, convenience, and
welfare for the reasons set forth in Planning Commission Resolution No. 21738, and adopts
such reasons by this reference thereto. A copy of said Resolution is on file with the Clerk of
the Board of Supervisors in File No. 250140, and is incorporated herein by reference.
Section 2. General Background and Findings.
(a) Small businesses in San Francisco have struggled to recover since the COVID-19
pandemic. The Controller's March 2024 report on the "Status of the San Francisco Economy"
found that although tourism and commercial vacancy rates are slowly improving, they remain
below pre-pandemic levels, as shown in the City's diminished sales tax revenue compared to
pre-pandemic years. Amidst troubling economic indicators and a broader shift away from brick
and mortar commercial businesses, it is vital that the City encourage vibrant streetscapes to
attract pedestrians to our neighborhood commercial corridors.
(b) Corner lots serve an essential and enhanced role in shaping neighborhood and
commercial corridor identity, often providing a visual focal point for pedestrians. Projecting
signs-one of the most common types of signs in San Francisco-also help attract foot traffic
in these commercial corridors. Currently, businesses located on corner lots-defined as a
business with two adjoining street frontages-may install only one projecting sign, despite
occupying two street frontages.
(c) This ordinance amends the Planning Code to allow corner businesses located in
Neighborhood Commercial Districts and Residential.:Commercial Districts to install two
projecting signs. By allowing two projecting signs on corner lots in these districts, this
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ordinance activates these spaces to ensure they remain inviting to residents and customers
alike and supports the vitality of commercial corridors that continue to struggle post-pandemic.
This ordinance does not change other requirements for projecting signs, such as size,
illumination, or placement restrictions.
(d) This ordinance furthers the goals of the City's Urban Design Element in the
General Plan, signaling to pedestrians and others approaching from different directions that
they are entering a vibrant center of activity and supporting nearby businesses by attracting
more customers to the area. This ordinance is also consistent with the purposes of the
Planning Code's sign controls by: (1) aiding in the attraction of tourists and other visitors who
are vital to the City's economy; (2) ensuring that signs are designed and proportioned in
relation to the structures to which they are attached, adjacent structures, and the streets on
which they are located; and (3) promoting the aesthetic and environmental values of San
Francisco by providing for signs that serve as effective means of communication without
impairing the City's attractiveness as a place to live, work, visit, and shop.
Section 3. Article 6 in the Planning Code is hereby amended by revising Section
607.1, and deleting Section 608.17, to read as follows:
SEC. 607.1. NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL-COMMERCIAL
DISTRICTS.
* * * *
(c) Identifying Signs. Identifying Signs, as defined in Section 602, shall be permitted
in all Neighborhood Commercial and Residential-Commercial Districts subject to the limits set
forth below.
(1) One Sign per lot shall be permitted and such Sign shall not exceed 20
square feet in area. The sign may be a Freestanding sSign, if the building is recessed from the
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Street Property Line, or may be a Wall Sign or a projecting Sign. The existence of a
Freestanding Identifying Sign shall preclude the erection of a Freestanding Business Sign on
the same lot. A Wall Sign or projecting Sign shall be mounted on the first-story level; a
Freestanding Sign shall not exceed 15 feet in height. Such Sign may be Nonilluminated,
Indirectly Illuminated, or Directly Illuminated.
* * * *
(f) Business Signs. Business Signs, as defined in Section 602, shall be permitted in
all Neighborhood Commercial and Residential-Commercial Districts subject to the limits set
forth below.
(1) Cole Valley, Lakeside Village, NC-1 and NCT-1 Districts.
* * * *
(C) Projecting Signs. The number of projecting Signs shall not exceed
one per business, except that a business with a unit fronting two adioining streets shall have a
maximum o{two proiecting Signs. The Area of 5-tte-hanv proiecting Sign, as defined in Section 602,
shall not exceed 24 square feet. The Height of 5-tte-hanvproiecting Sign shall not exceed 15 feet
or the height of the wall to which it is attached. No part of the Sign shall project more than
75% of the horizontal distance from the Street Property Line to the curbline, or six feet six
inches, whichever is less. +he-Such Sign~ may be Nonilluminated or Indirectly Illuminated, or
during business hours, may be Directly Illuminated.
* * * *
(2) RC, NC-2, NCT-2, NC-S, Inner Balboa Street, Outer Balboa Street,
Broadway, Castro Street, Inner Clement Street, Outer Clement Street, Cortland Avenue,
Divisadero Street, Excelsior Outer Mission Street, Fillmore Street, Upper Fillmore
Street, Folsom Street, Glen Park, Inner Sunset, Irving Street, Haight Street, Lower
Haight Street, Hayes-Gough, Japantown, Judah Street, Upper Market Street, Noriega
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Street, North Beach, Ocean Avenue, Pacific Avenue, Polk Street, Regional Commercial
District, Sacramento Street, San Bruno Avenue, SoMa, Taraval Street, Inner Taraval
Street, Union Street, Valencia Street, 24th Street-Mission, 24th Street-Noe Valley, and
West Portal Avenue Neighborhood Commercial Districts.
* * * *
(C) Projecting Signs.
(i) The number of projecting Signs shall not exceed one per
business, except that a business with a unit fronting two adioining streets shall have a maximum of
two proiecting Signs.
(ii) No part of the Sign shall project more than 75% of the
horizontal distance from the Street Property Line to the curbline, or six feet six inches,
whichever is less.
(iii) Except as providedj& in subsection (v) below, such Signs
may be Nonilluminated or Indirectly Illuminated; or during business hours, may be Directly
Illuminated.
(iv) Except as providedJe-1" in subsection (v) below, the Area of
-stte-hany proiecting Sign, as defined in Section 602, shall not exceed 24 square feet. The Height
of -stte-hany proiecting Sign shall not exceed 24 feet, or the height of the wall to which it is
attached, or the height of the lowest of any residential windowsill on the wall to which the Sign
is attached, whichever is lowest.
(v) Within the Fillmore Street Neighborhood Commercial Transit
District, one projecting Business Sign per building may exceed the size and height limits
specified in subsection (iv) above, provided all of the following criteria are met:
a. The Area of the Sign, as defined in Section 602, does
not exceed 125 square feet.
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b. The Height of the Sign does not exceed the lowest of
the following:
1. 60 feet;
2. the height of the wall to which it is attached;
3. the height of the lowest residential windowsill on
the wall to which it is attached; or
4. the lowest portion of any architectural feature
located along the roofline, such as a cornice.
c. The sign is for the primary occupant of the building.
d. The sign employs a remote transformer.
e. The sign is designed with a minimum profile to be as
narrow as is structurally feasible.
f. Any illumination of the sign is indirect, such as by the
use of halo-lit lettering, and such illumination is used only during business hours.
g. The lettering or other inscription is arranged in a vertical
manner.
h. The sign does not alter, cover, or obscure any
architectural features of the subject building, such as cornice lines or belt courses.
i. The sign is attached in a reversible manner, such that no
damage or destruction to any exterior features or cladding materials shall occur as part of the
sign's installation or removal.
* * * *
(E) Freestanding Signs and Sign Towers. With the exception of
Automotive Service Stations, which are regulated under Section 607.1 (f)(4), one Freestanding
Sign or Sign Tower per lot shall be permitted in lieu of a projecting Sign, if the building or
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buildings are recessed from the Street Property Line. The existence of a Freestanding
Business Sign shall preclude the erection of a Freestanding Identifying Sign on the same lot.
The Area of such Freestanding Sign or Sign Tower, as defined in Section 602, shall not
exceed 20 square feet nor shall the Height of the Sign exceed 24 feet. No part of the Sign
shall project more than 75% of the horizontal distance from the Street Property Line to the
curbline, or six feet, whichever is less. Such Signs may be Nonilluminated or Indirectly
Illuminated; or during business hours, may be Directly Illuminated.
(3) Bayview, Geary Boulevard, Mission Bernal, Mission Street Lower Polk
Street, NCT, NC-3, and NCT-3 Neighborhood Commercial Districts.
*
* *
*
(C) Projecting Signs. The number of projecting Signs shall not exceed
one per business, except that a business with a unit fronting two adjoining streets shall have a
maximum o{two projecting Signs. The Area of ff'tfe-hany proiecting Sign, as defined in Section 602,
shall not exceed 32 square feet. The Height of fheany proiecting Sign shall not exceed 24 feet,
or the height of the wall to which it is attached, or the height of the lowest of any residential
windowsill on the wall to which the Sign is attached, whichever is lower. No part of the Sign
shall project more than 75% of the horizontal distance from the Street Property Line to the
curbline, or six feet six inches, whichever is less. Such Signs may be Nonilluminated,
Indirectly Illuminated, or Directly Illuminated.
* * * *
(E) Freestanding Signs and Sign Towers. With the exception of
Automotive Service Stations, which are regulated under Section 607.1 (f)(4) of this Code, one
Freestanding Sign or Sign Tower per lot shall be permitted in lieu of a projecting Sign if the
building or buildings are recessed from the Street Property Line. The existence of a
Freestanding Business Sign shall preclude the erection of a Freestanding Identifying Sign on
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the same lot. The Area of such Freestanding Sign or Sign Tower, as defined in Section 602,
shall not exceed 30 square feet nor shall the Height of the Sign exceed 24 feet. No part of the
Sign shall project more than 75% of the horizontal distance from the Street Property Line to
the curbline, or six feet, whichever is less. Such Signs may be Nonilluminated or Indirectly
Illuminated, or during business hours, may be Directly Illuminated.
* *
*
*
(h) Special Sign Districts. Additional controls apply to certain Neighborhood
Commercial and Residential-Commercial Districts that are designated as Special Sign
Districts. Special Sign Districts are described within Sections 608.1 through 608.1-7~ of this
Code and with the exception ofSections 608.1, 608.2 and608.11, their designations, locations and
boundaries are provided on Sectional Map SSD of the Zoning Map of the City and County of
San Francisco.
*
*
*
*
SEC. 608.17. 2301 CHESTNUT STREET SPECL4L SIGN DISTRICT.
(a) Establishment ofSpeeial Sign District. The 2301 Chestnut Street Special Sign District
("2301 Chestnut Street SSD" or "SSD "), consisting o.fAssessor 's Parcel Block No. 0936, Lot 001, as
shown on Sectional ,Map SS0l of the ZoJ'ling l,klp of the City and County o_fSan Francisco, is hereby
established for the purposes and subject to the controls set forth in this Section 608.17.
(b) Purpose. The purpose of the 2301 Chestnut Street SSD is to Nwdifj1 the sign contr-0/s that
would otherwise apply within the SSD to allow for up to two projecting signs on a prominent corner
buitding to SUJJPort the vitality of the Chestnut Street commercial corridor.
(c) Cm1trols.
(1) General Controls. Signs within the 2301 Chestnut Street SSD shall be controlled by
all aJJPlicable provisions in this Article 6 of the Planning Code, except to the extent they conflict with
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this Section 608.17. In the e·,1ent ofa co:eflict between other pmilisions e>f the Planning Code and this
Section 608. I 7, this Section shaU control.
(2) Number ofSigns. A business 1,l:'ith a unitfronting two adjoining streets shall have a
maximum of two projecting Signs. AU other bitsinesses shaU not exceed o,'le projecting Sign.
Section 4. Zoning Map. Pursuant to Sections 106 and 302(c) of the Planning Code,
the following change is hereby adopted as an amendment to the Zoning Map of the City and
County of San Francisco: Sectional Map SS01 shall delete all reference to the 2301 Chestnut
Street Special Sign District, Planning Code Section 608.17.
Section 5. Effective Date. This ordinance shall become effective 30 days after
enactment. Enactment occurs when the Mayor signs the ordinance, the Mayor returns the
ordinance unsigned or does not sign the ordinance within ten days of receiving it, or the Board
of Supervisors overrides the Mayor's veto of the ordinance.
Section 6. Scope of Ordinance. In enacting this ordinance, the Board of Supervisors
intends to amend only those words, phrases, paragraphs, subsections, sections, articles,
numbers, punctuation marks, charts, diagrams, or any other constituent parts of the Municipal
Code that are explicitly shown in this ordinance as additions, deletions, Board amendment
additions, and Board amendment deletions in accordance with the "Note" that appears under
the official title of the ordinance.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
DAVID CHIU, City Attorney
By:
'"""Is;.;._/ __________ _
GIULIA GUALCO-NELSON
Deputy City Attorney
n:lleganalas202512500198\01819124.docx
Supervisors Sherrill; Sauter, Melgar, Mandelman, Dorsey, Mahmood, Chen
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City and County of San Francisco
Tails
Ordinance
City Hall
I Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA 94102-4689
File Number:
250140
Date Passed: June 24, 2025
Ordinance amending the Planning Code to allow two projecting signs for all corner businesses in all
Neighborhood Commercial and Residential-Commercial Districts citywide, and abolishing the 2301
Chestnut Street Special Sign District; amending the Zoning Map to reflect that District's abolition;
affirming the Planning Department's determination under the California Environmental Quality Act; and
making findings of consistency with the General Plan, and the eight priority policies of Planning Code,
Section 101.1, and findings of public necessity, convenience, and welfare under Planning Code,
Section 302.
June 09, 2025 Land Use and Transportation Committee - RECOMMENDED
June 17, 2025 Board of Supervisors - PASSED, ON FIRST READING
Ayes: 11 - Chan, Chen, Dorsey, Engardio, Fielder, Mahmood, Mandelman, Melgar,
Sauter, Sherrill and Walton
June 24, 2025 Board of Supervisors - Fl NALLY PASSED
Ayes: 11 - Chan, Chen, Dorsey, Engardio, Fielder, Mahmood, Mandelman, Melgar,
Sauter, Sherrill and Walton
File No. 250140
I hereby certify that the foregoing
City and County of San Francisco
Daniel Lurie
Mayor
Page I
Ordinance was FINALLY PASSED on
6/24/2025 by the Board of Supervisors of the
City and County of San Francisco.
Angela Calvillo
Clerk of the Board
to/ 2,7 J 2.5
Date Approved
Printed at 10:36 am on 6/25/25
