San Francisco Planning Code Section 317 restricts demolition of sound housing and oversized residential expansions, preserving neighborhood scale and protecting rental stock from teardown-rebuild mansionization projects.
SF Planning Code Section 317 requires conditional use authorization to demolish sound residential buildings, with the Planning Commission reviewing whether replacement housing matches or expands existing units. Tantamount to demolition rules trigger when a project removes more than 50 percent of exterior walls or 65 percent of internal structure. Section 311 neighborhood notification applies to large additions. Residential Design Guidelines limit floor area, height, and bulk in RH-1 and RH-2 zones. Discretionary review by Planning balances expansions against neighborhood character. The 2008 Mansionization Ordinance and 2019 amendments tightened rules after high-profile teardowns.
Demolishing sound housing without conditional use, exceeding floor area ratios, evading tantamount-to-demolition thresholds, or skipping neighborhood notification triggers Planning Department enforcement.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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