Planning Code - Business Signs on Awnings and Marquees
Ord. No. 0223-21
in effectFILE NO. 210810
ORDINANCE NO. 223-21
[Planning Code - Business Signs on Awnings and Marquees]
Ordinance amending the Planning Code to allow business signs on awnings or
marquees in addition to projecting signs in various neighborhood commercial and
residential-commercial districts, and in certain Chinatown mixed use districts; applying
business sign controls to additional Neighborhood Commercial Districts; 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 public necessity, convenience, and
general welfare findings pursuant to 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 strikethrough italics Times Ner+· Roman font.
Board amendment additions are in double-un
lined Arial font.
Board amendment deletions are in
·
.
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. Environmental 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. 210810 and is incorporated herein by reference. The Board affirms
this determination.
(b) On October 14, 2021, the Planning Commission, in Resolution No. 21010, adopted
findings that the actions contemplated in this ordinance are consistent, on balance, with the
Supervisors Stefani; Chan, Melgar, Ronen, Mandelman
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Page 1
City's General Plan and eight priority policies of Planning Code Section 101.1. The Board
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. 210810, 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. 21010.
Section 2. Article 6 of the Planning Code is hereby amended by revising Sections
607.1 and 607.2, to read as follows:
SECTION 607 .1. NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL-COMMERCIAL
DISTRICTS.
* * * *
(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.
* * * *
(D) Signs on Awnings. Sign copy may be located on permitted Awnings
in ~addition to Wall Signs and projecting s~igns. The Area of such sign copy as defined in
Section 602 shall not exceed 20 square feet. Such sign copy may be Nonilluminated or
Indirectly 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-
Supervisors Stefani; Chan, Melgar, Ronen, Mandelman
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Page 2
Gough, Japantown, Judah Street, Upper Market Street, Noriega 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.
* * * *
(D) Signs on Awnings and Marquees. Sign copy may be located on
permitted Awnings or Marquees in l:i-eu-ef_addition to projecting Signs. The Area of such sign
copy as defined in Section 602 shall not exceed 30 square feet. Such sign copy may be
nonilluminated or indirectly illuminated; except that sign copy on Marquees for Movie Theaters
or places of Entertainment may be directly illuminated during business hours.
* * * *
(3) Bayview, Geary Boulevard, Mission Bernal, Mission Street, Lower Polk Street,
NCT, NC-3, and NCT-3 Neighborhood Commercial Districts.
* * * *
(D) Sign Copy on Awnings and Marquees. Sign copy may be located
on permitted Awnings or Marquees in l:i-eu-ef_addition to projecting Signs. The Area of such Sign
copy, as defined in Section 602, shall not exceed 40 square feet. Such sign copy may be
nonilluminated or indirectly illuminated; except that sign copy on Marquees for Movie Theaters
or places of Entertainment may be directly illuminated during business hours.
II
II
II
II
* * * *
Supervisors Stefani; Chan, Melgar, Ronen, Mandelman
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Page 3
SEC. 607 .2. MIXED USE DISTRICTS.
* * * *
(f) Business Signs. Business Signs, as defined in Section 602,_ shall be permitted in
all Mixed Use Districts subject to the limits set forth below.
(1) Chinatown Residential Neighborhood Commercial District.
* * * *
(D) Signs on Awnings. Sign copy may be located on permitted Awnings
in He-u-ef_addition to Wall Signs and projecting Signs. The area of such sign copy shall not
exceed 20 square feet. Such sign copy may be nonilluminated or indirectly illuminated.
* * * *
(2) Chinatown Visitor Retail District.
* * * *
(D) Signs on Awnings and Marquees. Sign copy may be located on
permitted Awnings or Marquees in He-u-ef_addition to projecting Signs. The area of such sign
copy shall not exceed 30 square feet. Such sign copy may be nonilluminated or indirectly
illuminated, except that sign copy on Marquees for Movie Theaters or places of Entertainment
may be directly illuminated during business hours.
* * * *
(3) Chinatown Community Business District, Eastern Neighborhoods,
South of Market Mixed Use Districts, and the Downtown Residential Districts.
* * * *
(D) Sign Copy on Awnings and Marquees. Sign copy may be located
on permitted Awnings or Marquees in lieu of projecting Signs, except that in the Chinatown
Community Business District, sign copy may be located on permitted Awnings or Marquees in addition
to projecting Signs. The area of such sign copy shall not exceed 40 square feet. Such sign copy
Supervisors Stefani; Chan, Melgar, Ronen, Mandelman
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Page 4
may be nonilluminated or indirectly illuminated; except that sign copy on Marquees for Movie
Theaters or places of Entertainment may be directly illuminated during business hours.
* * * *
Section 3. 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.
1 O
Section 4. 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:
DENNIS J. HERRERA, City Attorney
By:
/s/ Victoria Wong
VICTORIA WONG
Deputy City Attorney
n:\legana\as2021\2100362\01539766.docx
Supervisors Stefani; Chan, Melgar, Ronen, Mandelman
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Page 5
City and County of San Francisco
Tails
Ordinance
City Hall
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA 94102-4689
File Number:
210810
Date Passed: December 07, 2021
Ordinance amending the Planning Code to allow business signs on awnings or marquees in addition
to projecting signs in various neighborhood commercial and residential-commercial districts, and in
certain Chinatown mixed use districts; applying business sign controls to additional Neighborhood
Commercial Districts; 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 public necessity, convenience, and general
welfare findings pursuant to Planning Code, Section 302.
November 15, 2021 Land Use and Transportation Committee - RECOMMENDED
November 30, 2021 Board of Supervisors - PASSED ON FIRST READING
Ayes: 11 - Chan, Haney, Mandelman, Mar, Melgar, Peskin, Preston, Ronen, Safai,
Stefani and Walton
December 07, 2021 Board of Supervisors - FINALLY PASSED
Ayes: 10 - Chan, Haney, Mandelman, Mar, Peskin, Preston, Ronen, Safai, Stefani
and Walton
Excused: 1 - Melgar
File No. 210810
London N. Breed
Mayor
City and County of San Francisco
Page 1
I hereby certify that the foregoing
Ordinance was FINALLY PASSED on
12/7/2021 by the Board of Supervisors of
the City and County of San Francisco.
rf;.., Angela C~lvillo
Clerk of the Board
Date Approved
Printed at 9: 12 t1111 on 1218121
References
amendsSec. 607.1
amendsSec. 607.2
amendsSec. 607.3
amendsSec. 607.4
amendsSec. 608
amendsSec. 608.1
Source: sf_ordinance_pdfURL: https://sfbos.archive.sf.gov/sites/default/files/o0223-21.pdfFetched: 7/4/2026