§ 150. OFF-STREET LOADING REQUIREMENTS.

(a) General. This Article 1.5 is intended to assure that off-street parking and loading facilities are provided in amounts and in a manner that will be consistent with the objectives and policies of the San Francisco General Plan, as part of a balanced transportation system that makes suitable provision for walking, cycling, public transit, private vehicles, and the movement of goods. With respect to off-street parking, this Article is intended to require facilities where needed but discourage excessive amounts of automobile parking, to avoid adverse effects upon surrounding areas and uses, and to encourage effective use of walking, cycling, and public transit as alternatives to travel by private automobile. No off-street parking or loading is required on any lot whose sole feasible automobile access is across a protected street frontage identified in Section 155(r).

(b) Spaces Required. The requirements for off-street loading spaces for any structure constructed and any use established, whether public or private, after the original effective date of any such requirement applicable to such structure or use shall be as stated in this Article 1.5.

(c) Additions to Structure and Uses.

(1) For any structure or use lawfully existing on such effective date, off-street loading spaces need be provided only in the case of a major addition to such structure or use, and only in the quantity required for the major addition itself. Any lawful deficiency in off-street loading spaces existing on such effective date may be carried forward for the structure or use, apart from such major addition.

(2) For these purposes, a “major addition” is hereby defined as any enlargement, alteration, change of occupancy or increase in intensity of use which would increase the requirement for off-street loading spaces by at least 15%.

(3) Successive additions made after the effective date of an off-street loading requirement shall be considered cumulative, and at the time such additions become major in their total, off-street loading spaces shall be provided as required for such major addition.

(d) Spaces to be Retained. Once any off-street loading space has been provided which wholly meets the requirements of this Code, such off-street loading space shall not thereafter be reduced, eliminated or made unusable in any manner. Any accessory residential parking space may be leased or rented on a monthly basis as provided under Section 204.5(c) of this Code, and such lease or rental shall not be considered a reduction or elimination of required spaces.

(e) Parking in Excess of the Maximum Permitted. Any off-street parking space or spaces which existed lawfully at the effective date of this Section and which have a total number in excess of the maximum permitted off-street parking spaces permitted under Section 151.1 shall be considered noncomplying features pursuant to Section 180(a)(2) and shall be regulated as set forth in Section 188.

(Amended by Ord. 443-78, App. 10/6/78; Ord. 463-87, App. 11/19/87; Ord. 112-08, File No. 080095, App. 6/30/2008; Ord. 298-08, File No. 081153, App. 12/19/2008; Ord. , File No. 101053, App. 4/7/2011, Eff. 5/7/2011; Ord. , File No. 120631, App. 9/28/2012, Eff. 10/28/2012; Ord. , File No. 130528, App. 8/7/2013, Eff. 9/6/2013; Ord. , File No. 170206, App. 5/19/2017, Eff. 6/18/2017; Ord. , File No. 180914, App. 11/20/2018, Eff. 12/21/2018; Ord. , File No. 181028, App. 12/21/2018, Eff. 1/21/2019)

AMENDMENT HISTORY

Divisions (a) and (c)(2) amended; former division (d)(3) amended and redesignated as new division (e) [now (f); see below]; former division (e) deleted; Ord. , Eff. 5/7/2011. Division (d) amended; Ord. , Eff. 10/28/2012. New division (e) added; former division (e) redesignated as (f); Ord. , Eff. 9/6/2013. Division (e) amended; Ord. , Eff. 6/18/2017. Division (a) amended; Ord. , Eff. 12/21/2018. Section name and divisions (b), (c)(1)- (3), and (d) amended; former division (e) deleted; former division (f) redesignated as division (e); Ord. , Eff. 1/21/2019.