Part XVI›Article 11 — PRESERVATION OF BUILDINGS AND DISTRICTS OF ARCHITECTURAL, HISTORICAL, AND AESTHETIC IMPORTANCE IN THE C-3 DI›SEC. 1111. APPLICATIONS FOR PERMITS TO ALTER, PERMITS TO DEMOLISH, AND PERMITS FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION IN CONSERVATION DISTRICTS.
SEC. 1111.1. DETERMINATION OF MINOR AND MAJOR ALTERATIONS.
San Francisco Planning Code · 2026-08 edition · updated 2026-09-09 · San Francisco
(a) The HPC shall determine if a proposed alteration is a Major Alteration or a Minor Alteration and may delegate review of proposed Minor Alterations to Department staff, whose decisions may be appealed to the HPC pursuant to subsection 1111.1(b). All work not determined to be a Minor Alteration shall be a Major Alteration and subject to HPC
approval. If so delegated to Department staff, the categories of Minor Alteration shall include but are not limited to the following:
(1) Alterations whose sole purpose and effect is to comply with the UMB Seismic Retrofit Ordinances and that comply with the UMB Retrofit Architectural Design Guidelines, which guidelines shall be adopted by the HPC; and
(2) Any other work so delegated to the Department by the HPC.
(b) Upon receipt of a building permit application and delegation of its review to Department staff, the Department will review and render a decision on a Permit for Minor Alterations without a hearing before the HPC. The Department shall mail its written decision approving a Permit for Minor Alteration to the applicant and any individuals or organizations who have so requested in writing to the Department. The Department's decision may be appealed to the HPC within 15 days of the date of the written decision. The HPC may also review the decisions of the Department by its own motion if such motion is made within 20 days of the date of the written decision.
(c) All applications for a Permit to Alter that are not Minor Alterations delegated to Department staff shall be scheduled for a hearing by the HPC pursuant to the procedures in Sections 1111.4 and 1111.5 below. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the following cases the Department shall process the permit application without further reference to the Permit to Alter procedures outlined herein:
(1) When the application is for a permit to make improvements to provide an accessible entrance to a Significant or Contributory building or any building within a Conservation District provided that the improvements conform to the requirements outlined in Section 1111.6 of this Code;
(2) When the application is for a permit to install business signs to a Significant or Contributory building or any building within a Conservation District provided that signage and transparency conform to the requirements outlined in Section 1111.6 of this Code;
(3) When the application is for a permit to install rooftop appurtenances that are not visible from a public right-ofway or public park, to a Significant or Contributory building or any building within a Conservation District provided that the improvements conform to the requirements outlined in Section 1111.6 of this Code; or; or1
(4) When the application is for a permit to install an awning to a Significant or Contributory building or any building within a Conservation District provided that the awning conforms to the requirements outlined in Section 1111.6 of this Code.
(4)1 When the application is for a permit to install business signs or awnings as defined in Section 602 of this Code to a Significant or Contributory building or any building within a Conservation District, provided that signage, awnings, and transparency conform to the requirements set forth in Section 1111.6; or
(5) When the application is for a permit to install low-profile skylights that are not visible from a public right-of-way or public park, provided that the improvements conform to the requirements set forth in Section 1111.6. (Added by Ord. 414-85, App. 9/17/85; amended by Ord. 227-92, App. 7/14/92; Ord. 95-12, File No. 120301, App. 5/21/2012, Eff. 6/20/2012; Ord. 166-16 , File No. 160477, App. 8/11/2016, Eff. 9/10/2016; Ord. 179-18, File No. 180423, App. 7/27/2018, Eff. 8/27/2018; Ord. 122-23, File No. 230371, App. 7/5/2023, Eff. 8/5/2023; Ord. 159-23, File No. 230732, App. 7/28/2023, Eff. 8/28/2023; Ord. 33-24, File No. 231144, App. 2/21/2024, Eff. 3/23/2024)
AMENDMENT HISTORY
Section header amended; section amended substantially in its entirety; Ord. 95-12, Eff. 6/20/2012. Divisions (a), (a)(1), (b), and (c) amended; Ord. 166-16 , Eff. 9/10/2016. Division (c) amended; divisions (c)(1)-(3) added; Ord. 179-18, Eff. 8/27/2018. Nonsubstantive amendments to divisions (c), (c)(2) and (3); divisions (c)(4) and (5) added; Ord. 122-23, Eff. 8/5/2023. Nonsubstantive amendments to divisions (c), (c)(2)-(3); division (c)(4) restated; division (c)(5) deleted; Ord. 159-23, Eff. 8/28/2023. Division (c)(3) amended; new divisions (c)(4)-(5)1 added; Ord. 33-24 , Eff. 3/23/2024. CODIFICATION NOTE
- So in Ord. 33-24.
SEC. 1111.2. SIGN PERMITS.
(a) New general advertising signs are prohibited in any Conservation District or on any historic property regulated by this Article 11.
(b) If a permit for a sign is required pursuant to Article 6 of this Code, the requirements of this Section shall apply to such permit in addition to those of Article 6.
(c) In addition to the requirements of Article 6, an application for a business sign, general advertising sign, identifying sign, or nameplate to be located on a Significant or Contributory Building or any building in a Conservation District shall be subject to review pursuant to the provisions of this Article. The HPC, or the Planning Department pursuant to Section 1111.1 of this Code, shall disapprove the application or approve it with modifications to conform to the requirements outlined in Section 1111.6 of this Code, including the proposed location, materials, typeset, size of lettering, means of illumination, method of replacement, or the attachment so that the special architectural, historical or aesthetic significance of the subject building or the Conservation District are preserved. No application shall be denied on the basis of the content of the sign.
(Added by Ord. 414-85, App. 9/17/85; amended by Ord. 95-12, File No. 120301, App. 5/21/2012, Eff. 6/20/2012; Ord. 179-18, File No. 180423, App. 7/27/2018, Eff. 8/27/2018)
AMENDMENT HISTORY
Section header amended; section amended in its entirety; Ord. 95-12, Eff. 6/20/2012. Division (c) amended; Ord. 179-18, Eff. 8/27/2018.
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Ask AI about this code▸Contents — San Francisco Planning Code
- Article 1 — GENERAL ZONING PROVISIONS
- Article 1.2 — DIMENSIONS, AREAS, AND OPEN SPACES
- Article 1.5 — TRANSPORTATION, OFF-STREET PARKING, AND LOADING
- Article 1.7 — COMPLIANCE
- Article 2 — USE DISTRICTS
- Article 6
- Article 2.5 — HEIGHT AND BULK DISTRICTS
- Article 3 — ZONING PROCEDURES
- Article 3.5 — FEES
- Article 4 — DEVELOPMENT IMPACT FEES AND PROJECT REQUIREMENTS T…
- Article 6 — SIGNS
- Article 7 — NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS
- Article 8 — MIXED USE DISTRICTS
- Article 9 — MISSION BAY DISTRICTS
- Part I
- Part II
- Part III
- Part IV
- Part V
- Part VI
- Part VII
- Part VIII
- Part IX
- Part X
- Part XI
- Part XII
- Part XIII
- Part XIV
- Part XV
▸Part XVI
Overview- Article 10 — PRESERVATION OF HISTORICAL ARCHITECTURAL AND AEST…
▸Article 11 — PRESERVATION OF BUILDINGS AND DISTRICTS OF ARCHIT…
Overview- SEC. 1102. STANDARDS FOR DESIGNATION OF BUILDINGS.
- SEC. 1103. STANDARDS FOR DESIGNATION OF CONSERVATION DISTRICTS.
▸SEC. 1111. APPLICATIONS FOR PERMITS TO ALTER, PERMITS TO DEMOL…
Overview- SEC. 1111.1. DETERMINATION OF MINOR AND MAJOR ALTERATIONS.
- SEC. 1111.3. REVIEW BY THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
- SEC. 1111.4. SCHEDULING AND NOTICE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION CO…
- SEC. 1111.5. DECISION BY THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION.
- SEC. 1111.6. STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENTS FOR REVIEW OF APPLICAT…
- SEC. 1111.7. STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENTS FOR REVIEW OF APPLICAT…
- SEC. 1125. SEVERABILITY.
- Article 12 — [RESERVED]