Pre-Application Meeting

Due to San Francisco’s Public Health Order, we will continue to require the Pre-Application process, but with the following adjustments:

1. Mail:
   1. Applicants should mail the pre-app notices to adjacent neighbors and neighborhood organizations per usual, but with the addition of a copy of the plans (no smaller than 8.5”x 11”). If no schematic plans exist for the project, that must be indicated on the notice.
   2. Applicants must also e-mail the neighborhood organizations, as physical mail and post office boxes may not be checked at this time. Neighborhood organization email addresses can be found in Column J of the Neighborhood Groups List. If there is no email address provided, standard mail will be considered in compliance.
2. Meetings: Project sponsors should host a video conference meeting during the Stay Safe at Home Order. The Pre-Application Meeting notice should indicate a day and time period during which the Sponsor will be available to take phone calls from interested parties and host a video conference meeting. Sponsors are strongly encouraged to provide either a local phone number or a toll-free number for interested parties to dial-in to the video conferencing meeting. Both the dial-in telephone number and video conferencing options should appear on the notice, understanding that many members of the public will not have video conferencing technology.
3. Duration: Applicant must continue to follow the 14-day notice period prior to hosting a video conferencing meeting. This process must conclude prior to submitting a project with the City.

The Pre-Application (Pre-App) Community Outreach Process is required prior to submitting permits or land use application for projects with certain scopes of work, as outlined below:

• Projects subject to 311 Notification that include:
  • New Construction;
  • Any vertical addition of 7 feet or more;
  • Any horizontal addition of 10 feet or more;
  • Decks over 10 feet above grade or within the required rear yard;
• All Formula Retail uses subject to a Conditional Use Authorization;
• Community Business Priority Processing (CB3P); and
• Projects in PDR-1-B Districts subject to Section 313.

The Project Sponsor may opt to have a Planning Department Facilitated Pre‐Application Meeting instead of a meeting on or proximate to the proposed project site. 

For questions, you can call the Planning counter at 628.652.7300 or email pic@sfgov.org where planners are able to assist you.