San Francisco — Conditional Use

Last reviewed: July 6, 2026

Overview

In San Francisco, a Conditional Use (CU) is a land use or development feature that may be allowed only if the Planning Commission makes specific findings under the San Francisco Planning Code § 303. CU applications are heard by the Planning Commission using the procedures in § 303 together with the city’s general hearing procedures in §§ 306–306.6, as applicable . CU authority is invoked wherever the Planning Code or a Special Use District (SUD) lists a use or action as “conditional,” and the Commission may add conditions to secure the Code’s objectives .

In plain English: you can get a “maybe” use approved if—and only if—you prove it is necessary or desirable for the area, won’t harm neighbors, complies with the Code and General Plan, and fits the purpose of the district; the Planning Commission can condition and, if needed, later revoke it under § 303.

How § 303 works in San Francisco

• Who applies and who decides

  • A CU action is initiated by the property owner or authorized agent; for General Advertising Sign relocations, only a qualified sign company may apply per Administrative Code § 2.21 .
  • The Planning Commission holds the hearing and makes the CU determination using § 303 and the City’s general hearing procedures in §§ 306–306.6 .

• Core CU findings the Commission must make (summarized)

  • The proposal is necessary or desirable for, and compatible with, the neighborhood or community. If it exceeds a district’s Non-Residential Use Size limit, the Commission also considers whether allowing the larger use will not crowd out other needed neighborhood services, whether the use substantially serves the neighborhood and needs the larger size, and whether the building design respects district scale .
  • The use will not be detrimental to health, safety, convenience, or general welfare, considering site characteristics; access and traffic; adequacy of off-street parking and loading and alternatives (including car-share under § 166); and controls on noise, glare, dust, odor, landscaping, screening, open space, service, lighting, and signs .
  • The use complies with the Planning Code, will not adversely affect the General Plan, conforms to the purpose of the applicable Use District, and satisfies any use-specific criteria cross-referenced in § 303(g) and following .

• Conditions, modifications, and abatement

  • The Commission (or Board of Supervisors on appeal) may impose additional conditions and time limits; once exercised, all CU conditions become immediately operative and violations may justify revocation. For housing, the Commission must also comply with Administrative Code Chapter 87’s nondiscrimination requirements for “dwellings” .
  • Any change to previously imposed CU conditions follows the same procedures as a new CU; prior stipulations/covenants continued by § 174 remain in effect unless modified through those procedures .
  • CU abatement (revocation or added conditions) may be considered for material application misstatements, violations of law or conditions, or hazardous/noxious/offensive operations; abatement hearings require notice per § 333 and are appealable to the Board of Supervisors per § 308.1(b) .

For process context and forms, see the citywide San Francisco Planning Code, the San Francisco zoning & planning overview, and permitting resources at San Francisco Applications & Forms and San Francisco Review Timelines.

Where § 303 is applied by district or area (highlights)

This section pinpoints real San Francisco districts/SUDs where the Code expressly routes approvals through § 303, and what the Commission additionally considers. Use-district basics (what’s principally permitted, heights, etc.) live on the San Francisco Use Districts and San Francisco Height & Bulk pages; SUD context is on San Francisco Special Use Districts.

Port Jurisdiction (property under the Port Commission)

• Purpose/where: Properties under Port jurisdiction, typically along the waterfront.
• CU standard: When a specific use on Port property requires a CU, the Commission applies criteria aligned with the Port’s Waterfront Plan in lieu of § 303(c): Waterfront Plan consistency (including urban design, historic preservation, public access), a profile stepping down toward The Embarcadero, view corridors to the Bay, public open space provision, and contextual character .
• Typical uses: Maritime and waterfront-related mixes; details vary by site (verify with the jurisdiction).
• Key dimensional standards: Not found in retrieved materials.

Japantown Special Use District (Japantown SUD)

• Purpose/where: Maintains Japantown’s cultural/historic integrity; posted notices at minimum on Geary Blvd, Post St, and Webster/Fillmore/Laguna per SUD rules .
• CU thresholds: New uses or changes of use over 4,000 gross sq ft; mergers resulting in a use over 2,500 gross sq ft require CU. Additional findings: compatibility with cultural/historic integrity and support for SUD purposes .
• Typical permitted uses: Retail, cultural, institutional (verify with the underlying district).
• Key dimensional standards: Not found in retrieved materials.

North Beach Special Use District (North Beach SUD, § 780.3)

• Purpose/where: Protects North Beach’s fine-grained commercial pattern and legacy businesses.
• CU triggers: Ground Floor or below Specialty Food Manufacturing requires CU; Health Service on second floor+ requires CU; any new non-residential use replacing a Legacy Business requires CU. Additional SUD finding: the project supports the SUD’s purposes .
• Typical permitted uses: Small-scale active commercial on Ground Floor; selected professional services above .
• Key dimensional standards: Not found in retrieved materials.

Bayshore Boulevard Home Improvement SUD

• Purpose/where: Bayview Hunters Point corridor focused on home-improvement clusters.
• CU triggers: Formula Retail ≥ 10,000 sq ft; Liquor Store; Drive-Up Facility; Adult Business; Automotive; Fringe Financial require CU. Retail is broadly permitted regardless of PDR use-size caps, but § 121.6 and Table 210.3A still apply. No off-street parking is required; max accessory parking mirrors PDR-2 caps .
• Typical permitted uses: Home improvement–oriented retail/services.
• Key dimensional standards: Not found in retrieved materials.

Western SoMa Special Use District (Western SoMa SUD)

• CU triggers: Demolition of large Recreation Facilities requires CU with findings ensuring equivalent facilities/services/affordability in Western SoMa; Formula Retail is subject to added size/separation/design criteria; certain large bonus-height developments require CU instead of Large Project Authorization .
• Typical permitted uses: Mixed residential/employment and entertainment per Western SoMa plan (verify).
• Key dimensional standards: Not found in retrieved materials.

California-Presidio SUD (California–Presidio)

• Purpose/where: Along California St corridor; underlying districts include RM-1 and Sacramento NCD.
• CU scope and alternatives:
  • Parking: Planning Commission may modify required off-street parking by CU, using alternative criteria focused on demand and neighborhood impact rather than § 303(c) .
  • Demolition of residential uses: Requires CU under § 303 with SUD-specific considerations including housing-loss impacts and applicant hardship .
• Key dimensional standards: FAR 2.5:1; height 65-X; setback provisions of §§ 132, 134, 136 do not apply within this SUD . See San Francisco Setbacks & Yards for citywide context.

Oceanview Large Residence SUD (RH-1 and RH-2)

• Purpose/where: Oceanview perimeter (RH-1/RH-2 areas), managing very large homes.
• CU thresholds: CU is required for dwellings with five or more bedrooms; for projects where the smallest unit is < 33% the floor area of the largest; or where FAR exceeds SUD limits (table below). Additional considerations include maximizing allowed density, including ADUs, limiting bathrooms in very large units, compatibility of scale, and not adding new off-street parking .

Corona Heights Large Residence SUD (RH-1/RH-2/RH-3)

• Purpose/where: Corona Heights and States St area, managing large single-family expansions.
• CU thresholds: Development on vacant parcels exceeding 3,000 sq ft; certain expansions exceeding 75%–100% of existing floor area; or new/expanded buildings with < 45% rear yard depth require CU. Added considerations include promoting housing affordability, maintaining affordability of existing units, and compatibility with surrounding development; extra findings apply to through-lots adding a second frontage unit .
• Key dimensional standards: Not found in retrieved materials.

Formula Retail (citywide districts listed in § 303.1)

• Where CU applies: Formula Retail requires CU in all Article 7 Neighborhood Commercial Districts, most Mixed Use districts, and several other named districts; some districts prohibit Formula Retail entirely. Neighborhood notification for Formula Retail follows §§ 311 or 333, and large stores (≥ 20,000 sq ft) can trigger economic impact studies under § 303(i) .
• Note: Formula Retail CUs still rely on § 303 findings alongside § 303.1 criteria.

Citywide uses commonly routed through § 303

• Hotels/Motels: Where listed as permitted, they still require Planning Commission approval as a CU under § 303 .
• Automotive Service Stations: Require Planning Commission CU approval; gas stations selling beer/wine are subject to mandatory CU conditions and written findings based on substantial evidence .
• Excess parking: Any building/use providing more off-street parking than § 151 requires—or any building/use with 10 or more spaces—requires CU approval, with noted exemptions for few spaces or certain existing Port properties .

Decision-Relevant Standards and Process Snapshot

Checklist

• Confirm the use or feature is listed as conditional in the applicable district or SUD; identify any added SUD criteria you must meet (start with San Francisco Special Use Districts) .
• Prepare evidence for all five § 303(c) findings, including neighborhood-compatibility and necessity/desirability; if exceeding non-res size limits, address the three sub-factors in § 303(c)(1)(A)–(C) .
• Provide an access/transportation narrative covering traffic, loading, and parking adequacy and alternatives (e.g., car-share under § 166) to satisfy § 303(c)(2)(B) .
• Demonstrate Code compliance and General Plan consistency; explain how the project conforms to the use district’s purpose (§ 303(c)(3)–(4)) .
• If on Port property or in a district/SUD with alternate CU criteria, prepare those specific findings (e.g., Waterfront Plan criteria for Port sites) .
• File the CU application with supporting materials and follow hearing procedures under § 303 and §§ 306–306.6; include any required neighborhood notification under those sections (Not found in retrieved materials—verify with the jurisdiction) .
• Be ready to accept and implement conditions; track any time limits to exercise the CU approval (§ 303(d)) .

Risks & Ambiguities

Information Gaps

• Detailed neighborhood notification steps and thresholds for initial CU hearings under §§ 306–306.6 and § 333: Not found in retrieved materials.
• Complete boundary descriptions and dimensional standards for several SUDs (Japantown, North Beach, Bayshore Blvd Home Improvement, Western SoMa): Not found in retrieved materials.
• Underlying principal-permitted uses by district: See San Francisco Use Districts (verify with the jurisdiction).

Plain-English Summary

A Conditional Use lets the Planning Commission approve a use that isn’t automatically allowed, but only if you prove it benefits the neighborhood, won’t harm the area, and fits the Code and General Plan. Expect a public hearing, potential conditions on how you operate or build, and—if you violate them—possible revocation later under § 303 .

Source References

• San Francisco Planning Code § 303 (Conditional Uses): Commission authority, findings, conditions, modifications, abatement; references to §§ 306–306.6 and § 333 .
• Port property CU criteria tied to the Waterfront Plan (applied in lieu of § 303(c)) .
• Citywide CU references: Hotels/Motels; Automotive Service Stations; excess/10+ parking spaces .
• Japantown SUD—CU thresholds and added findings; posted notice locations .
• Western SoMa SUD—CU for recreation-facility demolition; Formula Retail criteria; major bonus projects CU .
• California–Presidio SUD—FAR 2.5:1; 65-X height; setback exceptions; CU-based parking modification; demolition CU criteria .
• Oceanview Large Residence SUD—FAR thresholds table; added CU considerations (incl. ADUs) .
• Corona Heights Large Residence SUD—CU triggers and added affordability/compatibility considerations; through-lot rule .
• Formula Retail (Planning Code § 303.1)—districts requiring CU; neighborhood notification per §§ 311 or 333; economic impact study trigger .

Retrieved passages

• San Francisco Zoning Code (Section 303) High relevance show source text
• San Francisco Zoning Code (Section 166) High relevance show source text
• San Francisco Zoning Code (Section 210.2) High relevance show source text
• San Francisco Zoning Code (Chapter 83) High relevance show source text
• San Francisco Zoning Code (Section 303) High relevance show source text
• San Francisco Zoning Code (Section 303.) High relevance show source text
• San Francisco Zoning Code (Section 202) High relevance show source text
• San Francisco Zoning Code (Section 23701d) High relevance show source text

Cited sections

• San Francisco Planning Code § 303 (Conditional Uses): Commission authority, findings, conditions, modifications, abatement; references to §§ 306–306.6 and § 333 . (§ 303)
• Port property CU criteria tied to the Waterfront Plan (applied in lieu of § 303(c)) . (§ 303)
• Citywide CU references: Hotels/Motels; Automotive Service Stations; excess/10+ parking spaces .
• Japantown SUD—CU thresholds and added findings; posted notice locations .
• Western SoMa SUD—CU for recreation-facility demolition; Formula Retail criteria; major bonus projects CU .
• California–Presidio SUD—FAR 2.5:1; 65-X height; setback exceptions; CU-based parking modification; demolition CU criteria .
• Oceanview Large Residence SUD—FAR thresholds table; added CU considerations (incl. ADUs) .
• Corona Heights Large Residence SUD—CU triggers and added affordability/compatibility considerations; through-lot rule .
• Formula Retail (Planning Code § 303.1)—districts requiring CU; neighborhood notification per §§ 311 or 333; economic impact study trigger . (§ 303.1)
• SF Planning Code.md