Article 8 — MIXED USE DISTRICTS
San Francisco Planning Code § 831 Mug – Mixed Use-General District
San Francisco Planning Code · 2026-08 edition · updated 2026-09-23 · San Francisco
Cite as: San Francisco Planning Code § 831 · Text as of 2026-09-23
The Mixed Use-General (MUG) District is largely comprised of the low-scale, production, distribution, and repair (PDR) uses mixed with housing and small-scale retail. The MUG is designed to maintain and facilitate the growth and expansion of small-scale light manufacturing, wholesale distribution, arts production and performance/exhibition activities, general commercial and neighborhood-serving retail and personal service activities while protecting existing housing and encouraging the development of housing at a scale and density compatible with the existing neighborhood.
Housing is encouraged over ground floor commercial and PDR uses. New residential or mixed use developments are encouraged to provide as much mixed-income family housing as possible. Existing group housing and dwelling units would be protected from demolition or conversion to nonresidential use by requiring conditional use review. Accessory Dwelling Units are permitted.
Adult Business and heavy manufacturing uses are not permitted. Office is restricted to the upper floors of multiple story buildings.
Table 831
MUG – MIXED USE-GENERAL DISTRICT ZONING CONTROL TABLE
| Zoning Category | § References | Mixed Use-General District Controls |
|---|---|---|
| BUILDING STANDARDS Table 831 MUG – MIXED USE-GENERALDISTRICT ZON |
ING CONTROL TABLE |
|
| Zoning Category | § References | Mixed Use-General District Controls |
| BUILDING STANDARDS | ||
| Massing and Setbacks |
||
| Height and Bulk Limits | §§ 249.78, 261.1, 263.21, 270, 270.1, 270.2, 271 |
Varies; see also Height and Bulk District Maps. Non- habitable vertical projections permitted as set forth in § 263.21. Height sculpting required on Alleys as set forth in § 261.1. Horizontal mass reduction required as set forth in §270.1. Mid-block alleys required as set forth in §270.2. (4) |
| Rear Yards | §§ 130, 134, 136, 249.78 |
Minimum rear yard depth shall be equal to 25% of the total depth of the lot on which the building is situated, but in no case less than 15 feet. (4) |
| Front Setback and Side Yards | §§ 130, 132, 133, 249.78 |
Front setbacks for residential uses are governed by the Ground Floor Residential Guidelines. Otherwise front setbacks are not required. (4) |
| Setbacks, street wall articulation, and tower separation |
§§ 132.4, 249.78 | Applicable to lots in the Central SoMa SUD. |
| Street Frontage and Public Realm |
| Streetscape and Pedestrian Improvements | § 138.1 | Required as set forth in Section 138.1 |
|---|---|---|
| Street Frontage Requirements | §§ 145.1, 249.78 | Required as set forth in Sections 145.1 or 249.78; controls apply to above-grade parking setbacks, parking and loading entrances, active uses, street-facing ground-level spaces, ground-floor ceiling heights, transparency and fenestration, and gates, railings, and grillwork. (4) |
| Active street-facing ground-floor uses | § 145.4 | Brannan Street between 3rd and 4th Streets. |
| Parking and Loading Access Restrictions | § 155(r) | Brannan Street between 2nd Street and 6th Streets, and as specified in § 155(r). |
| Driveway Loading and Operations Plan | §§ 155(u), 249.78 | Applicable to lots in the Central SoMa SUD. |
| Privately-Owned Public Open Space (POPOS) | §§ 138, 249.78, 426 |
Applicable to lots in the Central SoMa SUD. |
| Usable Open Space for Non-Residential Uses | § 135.3, 426 | Required; amount varies based on use; may also pay in-lieu fee. |
| Artworks and Recognition of Artists and Architects | § 429_et seq._ | Required for new buildings and building additions of 25,000 square feet or more, as set forth in Section 429. |
| Miscellaneous | ||
| Design Guidelines and Standards | General Plan Commerce and Industry Element; Central SoMa Plan |
Subject to the Urban Design Guidelines, Citywide Design Standards, and any other applicable design guidelines that have been approved by the Planning Commission |
| Large Project Review | § 329 | As required by § 329. |
| Planned Unit Development | § 304 | NP |
| Awning or Canopy | § 136, 136.1 | P |
| Marquee | § 136, 136.1 | NP |
| Signs | § 607.2 | As permitted by Section § 607.2 . 1 |
| General Advertising Signs | §§ 262, 602, 604, 608, 609, 610, 611 |
NP |
| Zoning Category | § References | Mixed Use-General District Controls |
|---|---|---|
RESIDENTIAL STANDARDS AND USES |
||
| Zoning Category | § References | Mixed Use-General District Controls |
RESIDENTIAL STANDARDS AND USES |
||
| Development Standards |
||
| Usable Open Space [Per Dwelling Unit or Group Housing Room] |
§§ 135, 136, 249.78 |
80 square feet if private, 54 square feet if publicly accessible. (4) |
| Off-Street Parking Requirements | §§ 150, 151.1, 153 - 156, 166, 167, 204.5 |
No car parking required. Maximum permitted per § 151.1 . Bike parking required per § 155.2. If car parking is provided, car share spaces are required when a project has 50 units or more per § 166. |
| Off-Street Freight Loading | §§ 150, 152, 152.3, 153 - 155, |
None required if Occupied Floor Area is less than 100,000 square feet. Exceptions permitted by § 152.3. |
| 204.5 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dwelling Unit Mix | § 207.6 | At least 40% of all dwelling units must contain two or more bedrooms or 30% of all dwelling units must contain three or more bedrooms. |
| Residential Conversion, Demolition, or Merger of Dwelling Units, including Residential Flats |
§ 317 | C |
| Use Characteristics | ||
| Intermediate Length Occupancy | §§ 102, 202.10 | NP |
| Single Room Occupancy | § 102 | P if located outside the Central SoMa SUD. (4) |
| Student Housing | §§ 102, 249.78(c) (7) |
P(4) |
| Residential Uses | ||
| Dwelling Units | § 102 | P |
| Group Housing | §§ 102, 249.78(c) (8) |
P(4) |
| Homeless Shelters | §§102, 208 | P |
| Dwelling Unit and Group Housing Density, General | §§ 207, 208 | Form-Based Density. |
| Minimum Dwelling Unit Densities, if Applicable | § 207.9 | Varies depending on project location, but generally ranges between 50 and 100 dwelling units per acre. |
| Maximum Dwelling Unit Size | §§ 207.10, 317 | P up to 4,000 square feet of Gross Floor Area or an equivalent Floor Area Ratio for any individual Dwelling Unit of 1.2:1. C for Dwelling Units that exceed the greater of those thresholds. |
| Zoning Category | § References | Mixed Use-General District Controls |
|---|---|---|
NON-RESIDENTIAL STANDARDS AND USES |
||
| Zoning Category | § References | Mixed Use-General District Controls |
| NON-RESIDENTIAL STANDARDS AND USES Development Standards |
||
| Floor Area Ratio | §§ 123, 124 , 207.9 |
FAR based on permitted height. See §124 for more information. (4) For Office Uses minimum intensities may apply pursuant to § 207.9. |
| Off-Street Parking Requirements | §§ 150-151.1, 153 - 156, 166, 204.5 |
No car parking required. Maximum permitted as set forth in § 151.1 . Bike parking required per § 155.2. If car parking is provided, car share spaces are required when a project has 25 units or more per § 166. |
| Off-Street Freight Loading | §§ 150, 152, 153 - 155, 204.5 |
None required if Occupied Floor Area is less than 10,000 square feet. |
| Use Size Limits | §§ 121.6; 121.5 | C required for single retail use over 50,000 gross square feet. Single Retail Uses in excess of 120,000 gross square are NP. Division of large use sizes per § 121.5. |
| Retail Size Controls | As indicated in this table by end note (5), certain Retail Sales and Service Uses are subject to the following size controls: P up to a total of 25,000 Gross Square Feet per lot; above |
| 25,000 gross sq. ft. permitted only if the ratio of other | ||
|---|---|---|
| permitted uses to retail is at least 3:1. | ||
| Ground Floor Ceiling Height | § 145.1(c)(4) | Required minimum floor-to-floor height of 14 feet, as measured from grade. |
| Commercial Use Characteristics | ||
| Drive-up Facility | § 102 | NP |
| Formula Retail | §§ 102, 249.78, 303.1 |
C(4) |
| Hours of Operation | § 102 | No limit |
| Maritime Use | § 102 | NP |
| Open Air Sales | § 102 | P |
| Outdoor Activity Area | § 102 | P |
| Walk-up Facility | § 102 | P |
| Non-Residential Uses | ||
| Uses in Historic Buildings | ||
| Historic Buildings | § 202.11 | In Historic Buildings, all Uses are P, except Cannabis Retail, |
| Hotel and certain Industrial Uses, as specified in § 202.11. | ||
| Agricultural Use Category | ||
| Agricultural Uses | §§ 102, 202.2(c) | P |
| Automotive Use Category | ||
| Automotive Uses* | § 102 | P |
| Ambulance Service | § 102 | C(5) |
| Automobile Sale or Rental | § 102 | P if in an enclosed building; otherwise, NP. |
| Electric Vehicle Charging Location† | §§ 102, 202.2(b), 202.13 |
P |
| Fleet Charging† | § 102 | C and must be within an enclosed building |
| Private Parking Garage | § 102 | C |
| Private Parking Lot | § 102 | NP |
| Public Parking Garage | § 102 | C |
| Public Parking Lot | § 102 | NP |
| Service, Motor Vehicle Tow | § 102 | C |
| Service, Parcel Delivery | §§ 102, 303(cc) | C |
| Vehicle Storage Garage | § 102 | C |
| Vehicle Storage Lot | § 102 | NP |
| Entertainment, Arts and Recreation Use Category | ||
| Entertainment, Arts and Recreation Uses* | §§ 102, 181(f) | NP(4) |
| Arts Activities | § 102 | P |
| Entertainment, General | § 102 | NP(8) |
| Movie Theater | § 102 | P up to three screens. |
| Open Recreation Area | § 102 | P |
| Industrial Use Category | ||
| Industrial Uses* | § 102 | NP |
| Light Manufacturing | § 102 | P |
|---|---|---|
| Institutional Use Category |
||
| Institutional Uses* | §§ 102, 202.2(e) | P |
| Hospital | § 102 | NP |
| Medical Cannabis Dispensary | §§ 102, 202.2(e) | P(4) |
| Post-Secondary Educational Institution | § 102 | C |
| Sales and Service Category | ||
| Retail Sales and Service Uses* | § 102 | P(5) |
| Adult Business | § 102 | NP |
| Adult Sex Venue | §§ 102, 249.78 | P(5)(7) |
| Bar | §§ 102, 202.2(a) | C(5) |
| Cannabis Retail | §§ 102, 202.2(a) | C(5) |
| Hotel | § 102 | C |
| Kennel | § 102 | NP |
| Liquor Store | §§ 102, 202.2(a) | C(5) |
| Massage Establishment | § 102 | P on 1st floor, C on 2nd floor, and NP on 3rd floor and above (6) |
| Mortuary | § 102 | NP |
| Reproductive Health Clinic | §§ 102, 202.5 | P |
| Self Storage | § 102 | NP |
| Non-Retail Sales and Service* | § 102 | P |
| Life Science | § 102 | NP |
| Utility and Infrastructure Use Category | ||
| Utility and Infrastructure uses* | § 102 | NP |
| Public Transportation Facility | § 102 | P |
| Wireless Telecommunications Services Facility | § 102 | C(3) |
- Not listed below (1) [Note Deleted]
(2) [Note Deleted] (3) P if the facility is a Micro WTS Facility.
(4) Within the Central SOMA SUD, see Planning Code Section 249.78 for specific controls.
(5) P up to a total of 25,000 Gross Square Feet per lot; above 25,000 gross sq. ft. permitted only if the ratio of other permitted uses to retail is at least 3:1. CU requirements for individual uses still apply.
(6) P on all floors if accessory to a Hotel, Personal Service, or Health Service Use.
(7) NP outside the Central SoMa SUD and the Eastern SoMa Plan Area.
(8) C for Pool Halls.
(Added as Sec. 840 by Ord. 298-08, File No. 081153, App. 12/19/2008; amended by Ord. 66-11, File No. 101537, App. 4/20/2011, Eff. 5/20/2011; Ord. 196-11, File No. 110786, App. 10/4/2011, Eff. 11/3/2011; Ord. 75-12, File No. 120084,
App. 4/23/2012, Eff. 5/23/2012; Ord. 188-12, File No. 111374, App. 9/11/2012, Eff. 10/11/2012; Ord. 62-13, File No. 121162, App. 4/10/2013, Eff. 5/10/2013; Ord. 71-14, File No. 131205, App. 5/23/2014, Eff. 6/22/2014; Ord. 235-14, File No. 140844, App. 11/26/2014, Eff. 12/26/2014; Ord. 14-15, File No. 141210, App. 2/13/2015, Eff. 3/15/2015; Ord. 20-15, File No. 110548, App. 2/20/2015, Eff. 3/22/2015; Ord. 162-16, File No. 160657, App. 8/4/2016, Eff. 9/3/2016; Ord. 166- 16, File No. 160477, App. 8/11/2016, Eff. 9/10/2016; Ord. 99-17, File No. 170206, App. 5/19/2017, Eff. 6/18/2017; Ord. 189-17, File No. 170693, App. 9/15/2017, Eff. 10/15/2017; Ord. 229-17, File No. 171041, App. 12/6/2017, Eff. 1/5/2018; Ord. 296-18, File No. 180184, App. 12/12/2018, Eff. 1/12/2019; Ord. 303-18, File No. 180915, App. 12/21/2018, Eff. 1/21/2019; Ord. 63-20, File No. 200077, App. 4/24/2020, Eff. 5/25/2020; Ord. 47-21, File No. 201175, App. 4/16/2021, Eff. 5/17/2021; Ord. 233-21, File No. 210381, App. 12/22/2021, Eff. 1/22/2022; Ord. 37-22, File No. 211263, App. 3/14/2022, Eff. 4/14/2022; Ord. 75-22, File No. 220264, App. 5/13/2022, Eff. 6/13/2022; Ord. 190-22, File No. 220036, App. 9/16/2022, Eff. 10/17/2022; redesignated and amended by Ord. 70-23, File No. 220340, App. 5/3/2023, Eff. 6/3/2023; Ord. 47-24, File No. 231223, App. 3/15/2024, Eff. 4/15/2024; Ord. 54-24, File No. 240169, App. 3/22/2024, Eff. 4/22/2024, Retro. 3/30/2024; Ord. 62-24, File No. 230310, App. 3/28/2024, Eff. 4/28/2024; Ord. 113-24, File No. 240193, App. 6/13/2024, Eff. 7/14/2024, Retro. 3/30/2024; Ord. 297-24, File No. 241055, App. 12/19/2024, Eff. 1/19/2025; Ord. 173-25, File No. 250634, App. 9/5/2025, Eff. 10/6/2025; Ord. 245-25, File No. 250701, App. 12/12/2025, Eff. 1/12/2026, Oper. 1/12/2026; Ord. 1-26, File No. 250385, App. 1/8/2026, Eff. 2/8/2026; Ord. 37-26, File No. 250886,
App. 3/11/2026, Eff. 4/11/2026)
AMENDMENT HISTORY
Zoning Control Table: former category 840.97 redesignated as 840.97A and amended, 840.97B and 840.97C added; Ord. 66-11, Eff. 5/20/2011. Introductory material amended; Zoning Control Table: 840.04, 840.45, 840.62, 840.65, 840.85, and 840.86 amended, former category 840.52 deleted, 840.65A added; Ord. 196-11, Eff. 11/3/2011. Introductory material amended; Zoning Control Table: 840.47 amended; Ord. 75-12, Eff. 5/23/2012. Zoning Control Table: former category 840.23 deleted; Ord. 188-12, Eff. 10/11/2012. Zoning Control Table: 840.26 reference corrected; Ord. 62-13, Eff. 5/10/2013. Zoning Control Table: former category 840.88 deleted; Ord. 71-14, Eff. 6/22/2014. Zoning Control Table: 840.46 amended; Ord. 235-14, Eff. 12/26/2014. Zoning Control Table: 840.23 added; Ord. 14-15, Eff. 3/15/2015. Zoning Control Table: 840.05 amended; Ord. 20-15, Eff. 3/22/2015. Introductory material amended; Zoning Control Table: 840.24 amended; Specific Provisions: 840.24 added; Ord. 162-16, Eff. 9/3/2016. Zoning Control Table: 840.92 amended; former category 840.93 deleted; 840.99 added; Ord. 166-16, Eff. 9/10/2016. Zoning Control Table: 840.10, 840.41, and 840.71 amended; Ord. 99-17, Eff. 6/18/2017. Zoning Control Table: 840.35 amended; Ord. 189-17, Eff. 10/15/2017. Zoning Control Table: 840.36, 840.87, 840.97B, and 840.97C amended; 840.52 added; Ord. 229-17, Eff. 1/5/2018. Zoning Control Table: 840.01, 840.02, 840.03, 840.04, 840.09, 840.11, 840.12, 840.36, 840.45, 840.46, 840.56, 840.65A, 840.66, 840.96, and 840.98 amended; categories 840.12A, 840.14A, and 840.15 through new 840.20 added; former categories 840.20 through 840.27 redesignated as 840.21 through 840.28; current 840.21, 840.22, and 840.23 amended; Specific Provisions: 840.24 redesignated as 840.25; Ord. 296-18, Eff. 1/12/2019. Zoning Control Table: 840.31 amended; Ord. 303-18, Eff. 1/21/2019. Introductory material amended; Zoning Control Table: 840.19, 840.22, and 840.23 amended; Ord. 63-20, Eff. 5/25/2020. Zoning Control Table: 840.19, 840.20, 840.22, and 840.23 amended; Ord. 47-21, Eff. 5/17/2021. Zoning Control Table: 840.65A amended; Ord. 233-21, Eff. 1/22/2022. Zoning Control Table: 840.52A added; 840.65A amended; Ord. 37-22, Eff. 4/14/2022. Zoning Control Table: 840.53 added; Ord. 75-22, Eff. 6/13/2022. Zoning Control Table: 840.76 and 840.77 added; Ord. 190-22, Eff. 10/17/2022. Section redesignated as Sec. 831; third undesignated introductory paragraph amended; Zoning Control Table 840 and Specific Provisions deleted; Table 831 and Notes * and (1)-(8) added; Ord. 70-23, Eff. 6/3/2023. Table 831 amended; Ord. 47-24, Eff. 4/15/2024; and Ord. 54-24, Retro. 3/30/2024. Introductory material amended; Ord. 62-24, Eff. 4/28/2024. Table 831 amended; Ord. 113-24, Eff. 7/14/2024, Retro. 3/30/2024. Table 831 amended; Note (2) deleted; Ord. 297-24, Eff. 1/19/2025. Table 831 amended; Ord. 173-25, Eff. 10/6/2025. Introductory material and Table 831 amended; Ord. 245-25, Eff. 1/12/2026. Table 831 amended; Ord. 1- 26, Eff. 2/8/2026. Table 831 amended; Note (1) deleted; Ord. 37-26, Eff. 4/11/2026. CODIFICATION NOTE
1. So in Ord. 70-23.
† Editor’s Note:
This Use, added to former Table 840 by Ord. 190-22, was inadvertently omitted from Table 831 as restructured and redesignated by Ord. 70-23. It has been restored at the direction of the Office of the City Attorney.
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