SEC. 249.21. CALIFORNIA STREET AND PRESIDIO AVENUE - COMMUNITY CENTER SPECIAL USE…

A Special Use District entitled the "California Street and Presidio Avenue - Community Center Special Use District" (also referred to as the "California-Presidio Special Use District") the boundaries of which are shown on Sectional Map No. SU03 of the Zoning Map of the City and County of San Francisco, is hereby established for the purposes set forth below.

(a) Purposes. The purpose of this Special Use District is to provide for the development of a Community Facility, Child Care Facility, School, Post-Secondary Educational Institution, Religious Institution, Social Service or Philanthropic Facility or a Residential Care Facility on a site that is currently split-zoned, which will serve both the immediate neighborhood and the larger San Francisco community, with related educational, cultural, social and recreational uses, including, but not limited to, retail sales, eating and drinking facilities and parking.

(b) Controls. All provisions of the Planning Code currently applicable to the RM-1 District and Sacramento Street Neighborhood Commercial District ("Sacramento NCD") portions of the California-Presidio Special Use District shall continue to apply to those portions of the site, except as otherwise provided in this Section 249.21.

(1) Permitted Uses. The following uses (including, without limitation, all uses which are principal permitted uses in RM-1 and Sacramento NCD Districts) shall be permitted as principal uses in this Special Use District:

Community Facility, Child Care Facility, School, Post-Secondary Educational Institution, Religious Institution, Social Service or Philanthropic Facility or a Residential Care Facility, which may include, but are not limited to, theatre, auditorium, performance, and meeting space, classrooms, art activities, including but not limited to, dance and music studios, health club, fitness center and related uses, including, but not limited to, aerobics and cardiovascular areas, gymnasium, pools, spa and other uses incidental thereto, social services, youth and day camp, teen programs, Eating and Drinking uses (as defined in Section 102 of this Code, with the exception of Eating and Drinking uses that are also defined as Formula Retail), Arts Activities, Nighttime Entertainment, on-site catering, childcare, retail, roof top recreation (including, but not limited to, basketball courts, play structures and other related uses), rooftop garden and parking. Such uses shall not be limited by story and may serve both the immediate neighborhood and the larger San Francisco community. The permitted hours of operation of commercial establishments shall be from 5 a.m. to 12 a.m.; any extended hours will require conditional use authorization pursuant to Subsection (b)(2) hereunder.

(2) Conditional Uses. The Planning Commission may authorize the following uses within the California-Presidio Special Use District as a conditional use in accordance with the requirements of Section 303 of this Code:

(A) Any principally permitted use under Subsection (b)(1) above where the total floor area exceeds 130,000 gross square feet of floor area, excluding all parking and loading areas, including driveways and maneuvering areas incidental thereto, located entirely below curb level at the center line of the building along its California Street frontage.

(B) Any use not authorized as a principal permitted use in Subsection (b)(1) which is allowed as a conditional use in either the RM-1 or Sacramento NCD Districts.

(3) Conditional Use and Architectural Design Review by Planning Commission. Any application for any new structure, or significant enlargement of any existing structure to house a use permitted within the California-Presidio Special Use District shall be subject to conditional use review and approval by the Planning Commission in accordance with the requirements in this Subsection (b)(3). The Planning Commission shall approve such application if it finds that the proposed project:

(A) Meets the height, bulk, floor area limitation, parking standards and other standards or requirements of the California-Presidio Special Use District set forth below,

(B) Is consistent with the Priority Policies set forth in Planning Code Section 101.1, and

(C) With respect to the architectural design that:

(i) The mass and façade of the proposed structure are compatible with the existing scale of the underlying RM-1 and Sacramento NCD Districts,

(ii) The façade of the proposed structure is compatible with design features of other non-residential façades and contributes to the positive visual quality of the underlying RM-1 and Sacramento NCD Districts,

(iii) The treatment of screening, service areas, lighting and general signage program is compatible with non-residential buildings in the area or with the design and purposes of the proposed project, and

(iv) The building is designed in discrete elements which respect the scale of development in the neighborhood.

The criteria in this Subsection (b)(3) shall be in lieu of the criteria set forth in Sections 303(c), Section 121.1 (Development of Large Lots, Neighborhood Commercial Districts) and Section 121.2 (Use Size Limits (Non-Residential), Neighborhood Commercial Districts) and Section 253 (Review of Proposed Buildings and Structures Exceeding a Height of 40 Feet in R Districts) of this Code. In making determinations on applications for conditional use authorization within the California-Presidio Special Use District, the Planning Commission shall consider the purposes set forth in Subsection (a) above, in addition to any other criteria to be applied hereunder.

(4) Floor Area Ratio. The floor area ratio limit shall be 2.5 to 1, provided, however, that the limit shall not apply to floor area used for off-street parking and loading and for driveways and maneuvering areas incidental thereto, where such parking and loading is located entirely below curb level as measured from the property line at the center point of the building along its California Street frontage.

(5) Height and Bulk Restrictions. The applicable Height and Bulk for this Special Use District shall be 65-X.

(6) Required Setbacks - Site Coverage. The provisions of Sections 132, 134, and 136 of this Code governing setbacks shall not apply.

(7) Parking. The off-street parking requirement may be modified by the Planning Commission pursuant to the procedures for granting Conditional Use authorization set forth in Section 303 of this Code. In acting upon any application for a modification of parking requirements the Planning Commission shall consider the criteria set forth below in lieu of the criteria set forth in Section 303, or elsewhere in the Code, and shall grant the modification if it finds that:

(A) Modification of the parking requirement is justified by the reasonable anticipated auto usage by visitors of the project, including, without limitation, taking into consideration appropriate link factors due to multiple uses of programs and facilities, the normal hours of operation of such uses, programs and facilities and other factors applicable to the proposed uses;

or

(B) Modification of the parking requirement will not be detrimental to the health, safety, convenience or general welfare of persons residing or working in the vicinity of the project. In making such finding, the Planning Commission may, among other things, take into consideration (i) the proposed project's net effect on parking demand as compared to the parking demand that is not currently being met because of the absence of off-street parking associated with existing uses, and (ii) whether the parking proposed for the project will decrease the deficiency that currently exists with respect to the parking that would normally be required under the Planning Code for the existing structures and uses.

Notwithstanding any other provisions of the Planning Code, parking may be made available to nearby residents, businesses and the general public for use as short-term or evening parking when not utilized by the uses authorized hereunder to which such parking is otherwise accessory.

(8) Demolitions. The demolition of all buildings in this California-Presidio Special Use District containing residential uses shall be authorized pursuant to the procedures for granting authorization set forth in Section 303 of this Code, provided that the notice and relocation assistance provisions of Chapter 37 of the San Francisco Administrative Code (the San Francisco Residential Rent Stabilization and Arbitration Ordinance) are met. In considering whether to grant a conditional use permit for demolition, in lieu of the criteria set forth in Section 303, consideration shall be given to:

(A) The purposes of this California-Presidio Special Use District set forth in Subsection (a), above;

(B) The adverse impact on the public health, safety and welfare due to the loss of existing housing stock in the underlying RM-1 and Sacramento NCD Districts, and

(C) The hardship to the applicant if the permit is denied or a particular mitigation or condition is required.

Conditional Use authorization for demolition of the building at 3272 California Street shall be subject to such conditions, if any, as the Planning Commission may reasonably require.

(9) Signs. Except as provided herein, signage shall be regulated as provided in Article 6 of this Code, subject to review in accordance with the criteria set forth in Subsection (b)(3) herein.

(A) Signs for Businesses or Other Authorized Uses.

(i) Window Signs. Window signs shall be permitted. The total area of all window signs shall not exceed 1/3 the area of the window on or in which the signs are located. Such signs may be non-illuminated, indirectly illuminated or directly illuminated.

(ii) Wall Signs. One wall sign per business or authorized use which fronts and opens on the street is permitted, provided that for a business or authorized use located at the street intersection that fronts on two streets two wall signs shall be permitted. The area of a wall sign shall not exceed 50 square feet and the height of the wall sign shall not exceed 20 feet. The wall sign may be non-illuminated, indirectly illuminated or directly illuminated.

(iii) Projecting Signs. One projecting sign per business or authorized use that fronts and opens on the street is permitted, provided that for a business or use located at the street intersection that fronts on two streets two signs shall be permitted. In no case shall more than five such projecting signs be permitted within this California-Presidio Special Use District. The area of the projecting signs shall not exceed 32 square feet and the height shall not exceed 30 feet. Projecting signs may be non-illuminated, indirectly illuminated, or directly illuminated.

(iv) Signs on Awnings. One awning or marquee per business or authorized use which fronts and opens on the street shall be permitted, provided that for a business or use located at a street intersection which fronts on two streets two awnings or marquees may be permitted. The area of the sign copy on such marquee shall not exceed 40 square feet and may be nonilluminated or indirectly illuminated.

Only one wall sign, awning sign, or projecting sign as described in this Subsection is permitted for each business or authorized use fronting on a street, provided that for a business or use at the intersection fronting on two streets, any two of such signs is permitted.

(B) Projecting Signs (Banner Type). Up to four banner-type projecting signs adjacent to the main entrance are permitted. The area of these projecting signs shall not exceed 32 square feet and the height shall not exceed 50 feet. Such signs shall be non-illuminated or indirectly illuminated non-fluttering fixed banner types (principally used to celebrate holidays or announce events).

(C) Identifying Sign. One project name identifying sign above the main entrance to the building shall be permitted and the area of the identifying sign shall not exceed 200 square feet and 40 feet in height. The identifying sign may be non-illuminated or indirectly illuminated.

(D) Directly Illuminated Wall Sign. A directly illuminated digitally programmable sign or signs attached to the building façade at or around the corner of the building at California Street and Presidio Avenue to display announcements about community center events, programs and related matters consistent with the purposes and uses of the project is permitted.

Unless otherwise provided, signs described in this Section shall not exceed 100 square feet.

(Added by Ord. 293-00, File No. 001759, App. 12/22/2000; amended by Ord. 22-15, File No. 141253, App. 2/20/2015, Eff. 3/22/2015)

AMENDMENT HISTORY

Introductory paragraph and divisions (a) and (b)(1) amended; subdivision designations amended throughout division (b); Ord. 22-15, Eff. 3/22/2015.