Western SoMa Design Standards

Published August 2011

The Western SoMa Special Use District (SUD) possesses a number of unique design, populations and neighborhood characteristics. Design standards for this SUD provide direction for developers, architects and Planning Department staff in the neighborhood development proposals. These Standards supplement and support the policy direction set forth in the Western SoMa Community Plan. Additionally, these Standards are to be used along side and in conjunction with the Residential Design Standards in the RED and RED - Mixed Zones. Another companion and supplementing document applicable to the Folsom NCT, MUG, RCD, RED, and RED - Mixed zones are the “Ground Floor Residential Design Standards.”

The Western SoMa Task Force identified a street system hierarchy that distinguishes between regional, neighborhood serving and alley streets. Some of the principal traffic corridors such as 9th, and 10th Streets, as well as Harrison and Bryant Streets are one-way streets leading to and from the elevated highways. Other neighborhood serving streets have a greater potential for a “mix of uses” that enhance the complete neighborhood fabric.