San Francisco Planning Code § 146 Sunlight Access to Public

(a) Requirement of Sunlight Access on Certain Streets. In C-3 Districts, in order to maintain direct sunlight on public sidewalks in certain downtown areas during critical periods of use, new structures and additions to existing structures on parcels which abut on the side of a street identified below shall be required to avoid penetration of a sun access plane defined by an angle sloping away from the street above a stipulated height at the property line abutting the street, as follows:

Table 146
Street	From	To	Side of Street On Which Lots Abut	Maximum Street Wall Height	Sun Access Angle
Table 146
Street	From	To	Side of Street On Which Lots Abut	Maximum Street Wall Height	Sun Access Angle
Bush	Kearny	Montgomery	South	65'	50°
Sutter	Powell	100' East of Kearny	South	66'	50°
Post	Mason	200' East of Kearny	South	66'	50°
Geary	Mason	Kearny	South	65'	50°
O'Farrell	Cyril Magnin	Grant	South	66'	50°
Ellis	Cyril Magnin	Stockton	South	68'	50°
Powell	Market	Sutter	East	151'	70°
Powell	Market	Sutter	West	65'	50°
Stockton	Market	Bush	East	148'	70°
Stockton	Market	Bush	West	65'	50°
Grant	Market	Bush	East	170'	70°
Grant	Market	Bush	West	74'	50°
Kearny	Market	Washington	East	170'	70°
Kearny	Market	Pine	West	74'	50°
Second	Market	300' South of Folsom	West	132'	62°

New	Market	Howard	West	132'	62°
Montgomery
Market	Tenth	Second	South	119'	50°
Market	So. Van Ness	Twelfth	South	119'	50°

(b) Exception. An exception to the requirements of Subsection (a) may be granted in the manner provided in Section 309 of this Code in cases where (i) the penetration of the plane does not create shadow because of the shadow already cast by other buildings, or (ii) the shadow created by the penetration of the plane is deemed insignificant because of the limited extent or duration of the shadow or because of the limited public use of the shadowed space.

(c) Shadows on Other Streets. New buildings and additions to existing buildings shall be shaped, if it can be done without creating an unattractive design and without unduly restricting the development potential of the site in question, so as to reduce substantial shadow impacts on public sidewalks in the C-3 Districts other than those protected by Subsection (a). Determinations made under this Subsection shall be made in accordance with the provisions of Section 309. (Added by Ord. 414-85, App. 9/17/85)