Article 1.2 — DIMENSIONS, AREAS, AND OPEN SPACESSEC. 132. FRONT SETBACK AREAS IN RTO, RH, AND RM DISTRICTS AND FOR REQUIRED SETBACKS FOR PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENTS.

SEC. 132.3. SUN ACCESS FOR SIDEWALKS SETBACKS - CHINATOWN.

San Francisco Planning Code · 2025 edition · ingested 2026-07-08 · San Francisco

(a) General. In order to preserve the openness of Chinatown's streets to the sky and to achieve as much sun as possible on public sidewalks having a high volume of pedestrian use, setbacks at specified heights or a series of setbacks within the same plane (profile angle) as a 15-foot setback at specified heights may be required, as a condition of approval of conditional use authorization otherwise required by Section 254 of the Code.

(b) Procedure. A 15-foot setback requirement may be imposed in accordance with the provisions set forth below pursuant to the procedures for conditional use authorization set forth in Section 303 of this Code.

(c) Setback Requirement. Col2 Col3 Col4 Col5 Col6
15-FOOT SUN ACCESS SETBACKS FOR 50-FOOT AND 65-FOOT
HEIGHT DISTRICTS IN CHINATOWN
15-FOOT SUN ACCESS SETBACKS FOR 50-FOOT AND 65-FOOT
HEIGHT DISTRICTS IN CHINATOWN
15-FOOT SUN ACCESS SETBACKS FOR 50-FOOT AND 65-FOOT
HEIGHT DISTRICTS IN CHINATOWN
15-FOOT SUN ACCESS SETBACKS FOR 50-FOOT AND 65-FOOT
HEIGHT DISTRICTS IN CHINATOWN
15-FOOT SUN ACCESS SETBACKS FOR 50-FOOT AND 65-FOOT
HEIGHT DISTRICTS IN CHINATOWN
15-FOOT SUN ACCESS SETBACKS FOR 50-FOOT AND 65-FOOT
HEIGHT DISTRICTS IN CHINATOWN
Street
Name
Street
Width
Height
District
Profile
Angle
Height
at which
Setback
Begins
Hours of Sun
March - Sept.
a.m. p.m.
Sides of Street
15-FOOT SUN ACCESS SETBACKS FOR 50-FOOT AND 65-FOOT
HEIGHT DISTRICTS IN CHINATOWN
15-FOOT SUN ACCESS SETBACKS FOR 50-FOOT AND 65-FOOT
HEIGHT DISTRICTS IN CHINATOWN
15-FOOT SUN ACCESS SETBACKS FOR 50-FOOT AND 65-FOOT
HEIGHT DISTRICTS IN CHINATOWN
15-FOOT SUN ACCESS SETBACKS FOR 50-FOOT AND 65-FOOT
HEIGHT DISTRICTS IN CHINATOWN
15-FOOT SUN ACCESS SETBACKS FOR 50-FOOT AND 65-FOOT
HEIGHT DISTRICTS IN CHINATOWN
15-FOOT SUN ACCESS SETBACKS FOR 50-FOOT AND 65-FOOT
HEIGHT DISTRICTS IN CHINATOWN
Street
Name
Street
Width
Height
District
Profile
Angle
Height
at which
Setback
Hours of Sun
March - Sept.
a.m. p.m.
Col1 Col2 Col3 Col4 Begins Sides of Street
--- --- --- --- --- ---
Grant 44' 50' 66° 35' 10:00 E
Stockton 65' 65' 42° 51' 8:45 E
Kearny 75' 50' 33° 40' 9:00 E
Kearny 75' 65' 35° 52' 8:45 E
Vallejo 69' 65' 43° 51' 9:15 S
Broadway 81' 65' 38° 54' 7:45 S
Pacific 50' 65' 49° 47' 9:45 S
Washington 50' 65' 49° 47' 9:45 S
Clay 50' 65' 49° 47' 9:45 S
Sacramento 50' 65' 49° 47' 9:45 S

(d) Encroachments. Encroachments may be permitted into the setbacks if a compensatory increase in sunlight on the sidewalk in the same block is achieved by a reduction of height or volume elsewhere in the structure.

(Added by Ord. 131-87, App. 4/24/87)

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