SEC. 263.19. HEIGHT LIMITS: PERMITTED TOWER HEIGHTS IN THE R BULK DISTRICTS.

(a) This Section 263.19(a) shall apply to R Bulk Districts, except for the R-4 Height and Bulk District.

(1) Intent. The general development concept for R Bulk Districts is of podium buildings that vary from 65 to 170 feet in height depending on the district and location, with adequately spaced slender towers up to 650 feet in height rising above the podium buildings.

(2) Maximum Height Controls for Podiums and Towers. In the R, R-2, and R-3 bulk districts as designated on Sectional Map No. HT01, HT02, and HT07 of the Zoning Map, maximum permitted building heights for both podiums and towers are expressed as two numbers separated by a slash. The number preceding the slash represents the height limit for podium buildings. The number following the slash represents the height limit for towers. No building may exceed the podium height limit except for towers meeting the bulk and tower spacing controls established in Section 270(e) and (f).

(3) Maximum Height Controls for Podiums and Towers in the R-2 Bulk District and the Van Ness & Market Residential Special Use District. In the R-2 bulk district and within the Van Ness & Market Residential Special Use District, maximum permitted building heights for both podiums and towers are expressed as two sets of numbers separated by a double slash in the format described above, in subsection (a)(2). Each set of numbers represents the maximum heights for podium and tower applicable to the parcel and as regulated per subsection (a)(2) above as follows: The first set of numbers represents the principally permitted height limits for the parcel, both for the podium and for the tower. The second set of numbers after the double slash represents the maximum height limits for podium and tower that can be granted by the Planning Commission for that parcel through an exception pursuant to the procedures and findings of Section 309(a)(17).

(b) This Section 263.19(b) shall apply to the R-4 Height and Bulk District.

(1) Intent. The general development concept for the R-4 Height and Bulk District is for buildings that vary in height depending on the location, and in some locations providing for adequately spaced slender towers rising above the podiums of lower height(s). In addition to establishing bulk controls for all buildings in the district as further described in Section 270(i), the R-4 district implements the Housing Choice-San Francisco (HC-SF) program by providing for a secondary height limit for projects using the HC-SF Program per Section 206.10.

some locations providing for adequately spaced slender towers rising above the podiums of lower height(s). In addition to establishing bulk controls for all buildings in the district as further described in Section 270(i), the R-4 district implements the Housing Choice-San Francisco (HC-SF) program by providing for a secondary height limit for projects using the HC-SF Program per Section 206.10.

(2) Maximum Height Controls for the HC-SF Program. In the R-4 Height and Bulk District, as designated on Sectional Maps Nos. HT01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 11, 12, and 13 of the Zoning Map, the permitted building heights are expressed as two sets of numbers separated by a double slash. Preceding the double slash is the permitted building height limit for projects not using the HC-SF Program. Following the double slash is the height limit for projects using the HCSF Program per Section 206.10. Where there is a set of two numbers separated by a single slash, the number preceding the single slash is the maximum height for podium buildings and the number following the single slash is the maximum tower height subject to the bulk and tower spacing controls of Section 270(i).

The following represents an example of height limits subject to both podium and tower controls, and high limits for projects not using the HC-SF Program and projects using the HC-SF Program.

(Added by Ord. 217-05, File No. 050865, App. 8/19/2005; amended by Ord. 298-08, File No. 081153, App. 12/19/2008; Ord. 126-20, File No. 200559, App. 7/31/2020, Eff. 8/31/2020; Ord. 245-25, File No. 250701, App. 12/12/2025, Eff. 1/12/2026, Oper. 1/12/2026)

AMENDMENT HISTORY

Section header and divisions (a) and (b) amended; division (c) added; Ord. 126-20, Eff. 8/31/2020. Section header amended; divisions (a)- (c) redesignated as (a)(1)-(3) and amended; new divisions (a), (b)-(b)(2) and image added; Ord. 245-25, Eff. 1/12/2026.