Planning Code, Zoning Map - Transit Center Special Sign District
Ord. No. 0234-17
in effectFILE NO. 170941
AMENDED IN COMMITTEE
11/6/17
ORDINANCE NO. 234-17
[Planning Code, Zoning Map - Transit Center Special Sign District]
Ordinance amending the Planning Code to create the Transit Center Special Sign
District (bounded by Market Street on the north, Folsom Street on the south, Steuart
Street on the east, and between New Montgomery and Third Streets on the west, and in
the area bounded by Folsom, Harrison, Essex, and Second Streets, but excluding the
planned City Park between Mission, Howard, Second, and Beale Streets and those
portions of the Transit Center District Plan Area included in Zone 1 of the Transbay
Redevelopment Plan Area, which include portions of land bounded by Spear, Mission,
Folsom, and Second Streets), to restrict the size and height of new signs within 200
feet of and visible from an existing or planned public park or open space, and to
restrict illumination of certain new signs in those areas; amending the Zoning Map to
show the Transit Center Special Sign District; affirming the Planning Department's
determination under the California Environmental Quality Act; making findings of
consistency with the General Plan and the eight priority policies of Planning Code,
Section 101.1; and making a finding of public necessity, convenience, and welfare
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 New Roman font.
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. Findings.
Supervisor Kim
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Page 1
(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. 170941 and is incorporated herein by reference. The Board affirms
this determination.
(b) On September 14, 2017, the Planning Commission, in Resolution No. 19993,
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 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. 170941, and is incorporated herein by reference.
(c)
On September 14, 2017, the Planning Commission, in Resolution No. 19993,
approved this ordinance, recommended it for adoption by the Board of Supervisors, and
adopted findings that it will serve the public necessity, convenience, and welfare. Pursuant to
Planning Code Section 302, 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. 170941, and is
incorporated herein by reference.
Section 2. The Planning Code is hereby amended by adding Section 608.4, to read as
follows:
SEC. 608.4. TRANSIT CENTER SPECIAL SIGN DISTRICT.
(a)
General. There shall be a Special Sign District known as the "Transit Center Special
Sign District" in the area bounded by Market Street on the north. Folsom Street on the south. Steuart
Street on the east, and between New Montgomery and Third Streets on the west, and in the area
bounded by Folsom, Harrison, Essex, and Second Streets, but excluding the planned City Park between
Mission, Howard. Second, and Beale Streets and those portions o{the Transit Center District Plan
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Area included in Zone 1 ofthe Trans bay Redevelopment Plan Area, which include portions ofland
bounded by Spear. Mission, Folsom. and Second Streets, as designated on Sectional Map SSD ofthe
Zoning Map oft he City and County of San Francisco. The original copy of said Sectional Map with
this Special Sign District indicated thereon is on file with the Clerk oft he Board of Supervisors in File
No 170941.
(b)
Purpose and Findings .. In addition to the purposes stated in Sections 101 and 601 of
this Code, the following purposes apply to the Transit Center Special Sign District. These purposes
constitute findings that form a basis for these regulations and provide guidance for their application.
(1)
A new 5.4-acre park called the City Park (which in its early stages ofplanning
was known as the Rooftop Park) is planned to be located atop the Transbay Transit Center, which will
be located between Mission and Howard Streets on the north and south. respectively, and between
Second 'and Beale Streets on the west and east. respectively. The City Park will include an outdoor
amphitheater, gardens, trails, open grass areas, a children's play space, a restaurant, and a cafe. and
·will be accessible ftom 10 entry points, including bridges from neighboring buildings and a gondola
.from a planned ground-level floor ofthe Transbay Transit Center off Mission Street between the
planned Sales-force Tower and Fremont Street, to be known as Mission Square, and the City Park will
provide needed open space in an area ofthe City with few parks.
(2)
The Under Ramp Park is a new 4.2-acre neighborhood park planned to be
situated primarilv under the elevated bus ramp that will provide a direct connection from the new
Trans bay Transit Center to the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, but approximately 25% of the park
will be open to the sky. The Under Ramp Park will include a children's play area. cafes. and terraces,
a beer garden, and a multilevel pavilion with cultural and retail programs. The area between Folsom,
Harrison, Essex, and Second Streets is adjacent to the planned site of the Under Ramp Park.
(3)
Illuminated signs and other signs visible from a public park or privately owned
public open space (POPOS) may negatively impact the aesthetics ofthe park or POPOS and the
Supervisor Kim
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
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enioyment ofits users by, among other things, interfering with the natural scenery and landscape
afforded by the park or POPOS. as well as creating unwanted illumination and glare.
(4)
Evening and nighttime illumination of signs in the Plan Area would disturb the
sleep o(residents in the area and disrupt their general enioyment oftheir homes.
(c)
Controls.
(1)
Illumination for any new sign that is located in the Transit Center Special Sign
District, where anypart ofthe face o(the sign is over 35 feet in height. as defined in Section 602. shall
meet the following requirements:
(A) the sign's illumination shall be dimmable; and,
(B) all illumination shall be turned off.from 11:00 p.m. each evening until 6:00
a.m. the following morning.
(2) Except as specified in subsection (c)(3) below. a new sign that is within 200 feet of
an existing park under the jurisdiction and supervision of the San Francisco Recreation and
Park Commission or any other public agency or planned public park. where a planned park is
one that the San Francisco Recreation and Park Commission or any other public agency has
identified as a site for a park through a public planning process and identified in the Transit
Center District Plan, or within 200 feet ofa POPOS of]/4 acre or greater. and that is visible from
such a park or POPOS shall be permitted ifit is 50 square feet or less and its highest point reaches a
height of35 feet or less. as defined in Section 602.
(3) A new Business Sign, as defined in Section 602, that is within 200 feet ofthe City
Park and is visible from the City Park shall only be permitted ifit meets the following requirements:
(A) !(the new Business Sign is located on the facade of a building directly
abutting or with a pedestrian connection to the City Park.
Supervisor Kim
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
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(i) the sign shall consist of only metal lettering. painted or unpainted.
raised otfthe fac;ade ofthe building to which it is attached, with a maximum vertical dimension of30
inches and a total maximum area of50 square feet,·
(ii) the highest point ofthe sign shall reach a height of] 5 feet or less
from the nearest finished ground plane ofthe City Park,· and,
(iii) the sign's illumination shall consist only ofindirect illumination,
pursuant to Section 602 ofthis Code, including but not limited to halo-style lighting.
(B) Ifthe new Business Sign is not located on thefac;ade ofa building directly
abutting or with a pedestrian connection to the City Park, the sign shall comply with Section 607 of this
Section 3. The Planning Code is hereby amended by revising Sectional Map SSD of
the Zoning Map of the City and County of San Francisco, as follows:
DescriQtion of ProQerty
Sign District Hereby AQQroved
Assessor's Block
Lot
3707
Transit Center Special Sign District
002A
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1 '
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3708
3709
3710
3711
3712
3713
3715
3716
3717
3718
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All Lots
Transit Center Special Sign District
All Lots
Transit Center Special Sign District
All Lots
Transit Center Special Sign District
All Lots
Transit Center Special Sign District
All Lots
Transit Center Special Sign District
All Lots
Transit Center Special Sign District
Transit Center Special Sign District
All Lots
Transit Center Special Sign District
All Lots
Transit Center Special Sign District
Transit Center Special Sign District
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3719
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Transit Center Special Sign District
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I
Supervisor Kim
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Page 11
Supervisor Kim
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Supervisor Kim
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Page 14
Supervisor Kim
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Supervisor Kim
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Page 16
Supervisor Kim
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3720
Supervisor Kim
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Transit Center Special Sign District
Page 18
3721
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Transit Center Special Sign District
015A
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3722
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Supervisor Kim
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I
Supervisor Kim
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Supervisor Kim
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3735
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Transit Center Special Sign District
Page 24
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3735A
3736
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Transit Center Special Sign District
Transit Center Special Sign District
083A
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3737
3738
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Transit Center Special Sign District
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3740
Transit Center Special Sign District
3741
All Lots
Transit Center Special Sign District
3749
Transit Center Special Sign District
Section 4. 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.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
DENNIS J. HERRERA, City Attorney
By: ~--'
ROBB W. KAPLA
Deputy City Attorney
n:\legana\as2017\1700162\01232501.docx
Supervisor Kim
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Page 28
City and County of San Francisco
Tails
Ordinance
City Hall
I Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA 94102-4689
File Number:
170941
Date Passed: November 28, 2017
Ordinance amending the Planning Code to create the Transit Center Special Sign District (bounded
by Market Street on the north, Folsom Street on the south, Steuart Street on the east, and between
New Montgomery and Third Streets on the west, and in the area bounded by Folsom, Harrison,
Essex, and Second Streets, but excluding the planned City Park between Mission, Howard, Second,
and Beale Streets and those portions of the Transit Center District Plan Area included in Zone 1 of
the Transbay Redevelopment Plan Area, which include portions of land bounded by Spear, Mission,
Folsom, and Second Streets), to restrict the size and height of new signs within 200 feet of and
visible from an existing or planned public park or open space, and to restrict illumination of certain
new signs in those areas; amending the Zoning Map to show the Transit Center Special Sign
District; affirming the Planning Department's determination under the California Environmental
Quality Act; making findings of consistency with the General Plan, and the eight priority policies of
Planning Code, Section 101.1; and making a finding of public necessity, convenience, and welfare
pursuant to Planning Code, Section 302.
October 16, 2017 Land Use and Transportation Committee - CONTINUED TO CALL OF
THE CHAIR
November 06, 2017 Land Use and Transportation Committee - NOT AMENDED
November 06, 2017 Land Use and Transportation Committee - AMENDED, AN
AMENDMENT OF THE WHOLE BEARING SAME TITLE
November 06, 2017 Land Use and Transportation Committee - RECOMMENDED AS
AMENDED
November 14, 2017 Board of Supervisors - PASSED ON FIRST READING
Ayes: 11 - Breed, Cohen, Farrell, Fewer, Kim, Peskin, Ronen, Safai, Sheehy,
Tang and Yee
November 28, 2017 Board of Supervisors - FINALLY PASSED
City and County of San Francisco
Ayes: 11 - Breed, Cohen, Farrell, Fewer, Kim, Peskin, Ronen, Safai, Sheehy,
Tang and Yee
Page4
Printed at 9:39 am 011 11/29/17
File No. 170941
City and County of San Francisco
Pages
I hereby certify that the foregoing
Ordinance was FINALLY PASSED on
11/28/2017 by the Board of Supervisors of
the City and County of San Francisco.
;z/ 3/ 20/ 7
Date Approved
Prhrted at 9:39 am 01111/29/17
References
amendsSec. 608.1
amendsSec. 608.2
amendsSec. 608.3
amendsSec. 608.4
Source: sf_ordinance_pdfURL: http://sfbos.archive.sf.gov/sites/default/files/o0234-17.pdfFetched: 7/4/2026