San Francisco County Municipal Code Ch. 12 Interior Environment

In other than high-rise buildings, public corridors, public hallways and other public spaces having openings into adjoining dwelling units, guest rooms, or congregate residences within R-1 and R-2 Occupancies, shall be provided with natural ventilation by means of openable exterior openings with an area of not less than 1/25 of the floor area of such rooms or spaces with a minimum of 4 square feet (0.37 m2). In lieu of required exterior openings for natural ventilation, a mechanical ventilating system may be provided. Such system shall be capable of providing two air changes per hour in public corridors, public hallways and other public spaces having openings into adjoining dwelling units, guest rooms, or congregate residences with R-2 occupancies, with a minimum of 7-1/2 cubic feet per minute (3-1/2 L/s) of outside air per occupant during such time as the building is occupied.

For all buildings containing any sensitive land use located within the Air Pollutant Exposure Zone, as determined by the Director of Public Health pursuant to Article 38 of the San Francisco Health Code, that are: (a) Newly constructed; (b) Undergoing a “Major Alteration to Existing Building” as defined by the San Francisco Green Building Code; or (c) Applying for a San Francisco Planning Department-permitted Change of Use, such buildings shall incorporate an enhanced ventilation system designed and constructed to be in compliance with San Francisco Health Code Article 38. SECTION 1204 – LIGHTING

Exception: Habitable rooms (excluding kitchens, home offices and media rooms) within a dwelling unit or congregate residence shall be provided with natural light by means of exterior glazed openings in accordance with Section 1204.2. 1204.2.2 Add the following paragraphs after the Exceptions: The depth of all structural projections, including balconies, decks, porches, rooms or roofs, shall not exceed 9 feet (2.134 m) when extending over exterior wall openings that provide required natural light or natural ventilation for spaces intended for human occupancy. The height of a balcony, deck or porch shall not be less than 7 feet (2.134 m) measured from the floor to the lowest projection above.

Stairways within dwelling units and exterior stairways serving a dwelling unit shall have an illumination level on

tread runs and landings of not less than 1 footcandle (11 lux). Stairs in other occupancies shall be governed by Chapter 10. Exception: An artificial light source is not required at the top and bottom landing, provided an artificial light source is located directly over each stairway section. SECTION 1206 – SOUND TRANSMISSION 1206 Add the following sections:

The following definitions apply to Sections 1206.6 through 1206.9 of this Code.

COMMUNITY NOISE EQUIVALENT LEVEL (CNEL) is a metric similar to the Ldn, except that a 5 dB adjustment is added to the equivalent continuous sound exposure level for evening hours (7 p.m. to 10 p.m.) in addition to the 10 dB nighttime adjustment used in the Ldn. DAY-NIGHT AVERAGE SOUND LEVEL (Ldn) is the A-weighted equivalent continuous sound exposure level for a 24-hour period with a 10 dB adjustment added to sound levels occurring during nighttime hours (10 p.m. to 7 a.m.). NORMALIZED A-WEIGHTED SOUND LEVEL DIFFERENCE (Dn) means for a specified source room sound spectrum, the difference, in decibels, between the average sound levels produced in two rooms after adjustment to the expected acoustical conditions when the receiving room under test is normally furnished.

1206.7.1 Application. Residential structures located in noise critical areas, such as in proximity to highways, county roads, city streets, railroads, rapid transit lines, airports, nighttime entertainment venues, or industrial areas, shall be designed to prevent the intrusion of exterior noises beyond levels prescribed by the Municipal Code. Proper design to accomplish this goal shall include, but not be limited to, orientation of the residential structure, setbacks, shielding, and sound insulation of the building. 1206.7.2 Allowable interior noise levels. Interior noise levels attributable to exterior sources shall not exceed 45 dB in any habitable room. The noise metric shall be either the day-night average sound level (Ldn) or the community noise equivalent level (CNEL), whichever results in a higher measurement of noise level. 1206.7.3 Other noise sources. Residential structures to be located where the Ldn or CNEL exceeds 60 dB shall require an acoustical analysis showing that the proposed design will limit exterior noise to the prescribed allowable interior level. The Planning Department’s map titled Areas Potentially Requiring Noise Insulations, and similar maps and guidance produced by the Planning Department, shall be used where possible to identify sites with noise levels potentially greater than 60 dB.

(a) Evidence of compliance with Section 1206.7 shall consist of submittal of an acoustical analysis report, prepared under the supervision of a person experienced in the field of acoustical engineering, with the application for a building permit. The report shall show topographical relationships of noise sources and dwelling sites, identification of noise sources and their characteristics, predicted noise spectra and levels at the exterior of the proposed dwelling structure considering present and future land usage, the basis or bases for the prediction (measured or obtained from published data), noise attenuation measures to be applied and an analysis of the noise insulation effectiveness of the proposed construction showing that the prescribed interior noise level requirements are met. (b) If interior allowable noise levels are met by requiring that windows be unopenable or closed the design for the structure must also specify a ventilation or air-conditioning system to provide a habitable interior environment. The ventilation system must not compromise the dwelling unit or guest room noise reduction.

(a) When inspection indicates that the construction is not in accordance with the approved design, or that the noise reduction is compromised due to sound leaks or flanking paths, field testing may be required. A test report showing compliance or noncompliance with prescribed interior allowable levels shall be submitted to the building official. (b) Field measurements of outdoor sound levels shall generally follow the guidelines prepared by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) in ASTM E1014. (c) Field measurements of the A-weighted airborne sound insulation of buildings from exterior sources shall generally follow the guidelines

prepared by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) in ASTM E966. (d) For the purpose of this Section 1206.9, sound level differences measured in unoccupied units shall be normalized to a receiving room reverberation time of one-half second. Sound level differences measured in occupied units shall not be normalized to a standard reverberation time.

development projects affected by Sections 1206.6 through 1206.9 are provided with notice of the requirements of this Section as soon as practicable in the project approval process. SECTION 1208 – INTERIOR SPACE DIMENSIONS

1208.5. Efficiency dwelling units. [ ← ] Efficiency dwelling units shall comply with the following:

1. The unit’s habitable space shall comply with Sections 1208.1 through 1208.4. The unit shall be occupied by no more than two persons and have a living room of not less than 150 square feet of floor area. An additional 100 square feet (9.3 m2) of floor area shall be provided for each occupant of such unit in excess of two.
2. The unit shall be provided with a separate closet.
3. For other than Accessible, adaptable dwelling units, the unit shall be provided with a kitchen sink, cooking appliance and refrigerator, each having a clear working space of not less than 30 inches (762 mm) in front. Light and ventilation conforming to this code shall be provided.
4. The unit shall be provided with a separate bathroom containing a water closet, lavatory and bathtub or shower.
5. The total area of the unit shall be no less than 220 square feet, which area shall be measured from the inside perimeter of the exterior walls of the unit and shall include closets, bathrooms, kitchen, living, and sleeping areas.
6. Subsections 1 - 5 apply only to new construction of a structure or building. For purposes of the preceding sentence, new construction shall mean the creation of an entirely new structure or building and shall not apply to improvement, renovation, rehabilitation, or any other change to an existing structure or building. Existing buildings or structures are subject only to Subsections 1 - 4 except that for purposes of Subsection 1 the unit shall have a living room of not less than 220 square feet (20.4 m2) of floor area for up to two occupants. SECTION 1210 – TOILET[ ← ] , BATHROOM AND LACTATION ROOM REQUIREMENTS 1210 Add the following sections: 1210.4. Baby diaper-changing accommodations. At least one Baby Diaper-Changing Accommodation that is open and available for use by women and one that is open and available for use by men, or a single Baby Diaper-Changing Accommodation that is open and available for use by all genders, shall be installed and maintained in a newly constructed or substantially renovated Public Service Establishment at each floor level containing a toilet room available for use by the public. Exceptions:
7. A Baby Diaper-Changing Accommodation shall not be required if the Building Official, or his or her designee, determines that it cannot be installed and comply with City, State, or Federal laws relating to access to persons with disabilities, including Section 11B-226.4 of this Code.
8. A Baby Diaper-Changing Accommodation shall not be required if the Building Official, or his or her designee, determines that the installation is infeasible due to spatial or structural limitations. 1210.4.1. Definitions. For purposes of this Section 1210.4, the following definitions shall apply. “Baby Diaper-Changing Accommodation” shall mean a safe, sanitary, and convenient baby diaper- changing station, or similar amenity. Such accommodations may include, but are not limited to, work surfaces, stations, decks, and tables in women’s and men’s toilet rooms or all-gender toilet rooms. “Public Service Establishment” shall mean a facility as specified in Subsections (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), (12), and (13) of the definition of Place of Public Accommodation in Chapter 2 of this Code, but shall not include any such facility where entry by minors is prohibited by law. “Substantially Renovated” shall be limited to renovation of a toilet room, and shall mean any addition, alteration, or repair project to toilet rooms, performed under a building permit with a cost of construction of $50,000 or more for renovation of one or more toilet rooms. 1210.4.2. Signage. Each Public Service Establishment subject to Section 1210.4 shall provide signage at or near its entrance stating “Baby Diaper-Changing Accommodation Inside.” This signage shall be posted in compliance with Section 11B-216.2 of this Code. In a building encompassing multiple establishments and having a central directory, the location of all such accommodations shall be indicated on the directory. 1210.4.3. Nothing in this Section 1210.4 shall be construed as requiring or authorizing (1) a reduction in the number of toilet facilities that are required by Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations or (2) a reduction in the number of toilet facilities accessible to persons with disabilities

that are otherwise required under either Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations or the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act. 1210.5. Lactation Rooms. (a) Specifications. A Lactation Room shall meet the following requirements. The room shall be at least 50 square feet. It shall include at least one electrical outlet per lactation station and an additional outlet per room for a refrigerator, a sink with hot and cold running water, and a door that can be locked from the inside. The room shall be located no more than 500 feet or within two adjacent floors from the farthest employee workspace that it is designated to serve. The room shall meet all applicable local, state, and federal accessibility requirements, including requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Chapter 11B of the Building Code. (b) Required Construction of Lactation Rooms. A Project Sponsor shall construct Lactation Room(s) in buildings designated for Group A, B, E, F, I, M, or R-1 use as defined by Chapter 3 of the Building Code when there are tenant improvements of the building that meet the following criteria: (1) when there is tenant improvement project for the interior of the building, and (2) the gross square footage of the interior space designated for Employee only use (i.e., space not designated for public use) and included in the project is at least 15,000 square feet, and (3) the estimated cost of the project stated in the building application is over $1,000,000. If these three requirements are met, the project shall include a Lactation Room(s), as follows: Employee Occupancy Load of Building Number of Lactation Rooms or Stations Employee Occupancy Load of Building Number of Lactation Rooms or Stations 50-150 1 151-300 2 301-500 3 501-1000 4 1001-2000 8 2001-4000 11 For each additional 900 Employees in excess of 4000 1 If the tenant improvement project contains existing Lactation Rooms that comply with this Section, such rooms may fulfill the requirements of this subsection (b). (c) The requirement for a Lactation Room to have a sink, as specified by subsection (a) of this Section shall not apply where the project does not involve plumbing work. (d) Lactation Stations. Where multiple Lactation Rooms are required for a project under subsection (b), the Project Sponsor may fulfill the requirement by merging the required rooms and the square footage specified under subsection (a) and providing one room with multiple lactation stations or multiple rooms with multiple lactation stations. The total square footage provided must meet the minimum for the number of rooms required by subsection (b). The room(s) must otherwise satisfy the requirements of this Section 1210.5, except that only one sink is required in a room with multiple lactation stations. (e) Other Requirements of Lactation Rooms. Any Lactation Room required by this Section shall be designated for purposes of lactation and shall not be converted for any other use. Each room shall have a sign outside the door indicating that it is a Lactation Room. The sign shall comply with Section 11B-216.2 of the Building Code. The room may be temporarily used for purposes other than lactation only when the room is not being used by any employee to accommodate the employee’s request for lactation accommodation under Article 31 of the Labor and Employment Code. Each lactation station shall have an electrical outlet and each Lactation Room shall have one additional electrical outlet to accommodate a refrigerator for purposes of storing breastmilk. (f) For purposes of this Section 1210.5, “Project Sponsor” means the party that constructs the tenant improvements for an end user’s occupancy.