Board of Appeals continues Rincon Center sign appeals, asks for briefing and written determinations

The San Francisco Board of Appeals on July 12 continued appeals of four sign permits for 101 Spear Street, commonly known as Rincon Center, after lengthy testimony from residents, preservation advocates, city staff and the permit holder.

David Osgood, a long‑time Rincon resident and president of the building’s tenants association, urged the board to halt the permits and require additional review. Osgood presented letters from preservation groups and architects, said the master sign plan (MSP) would place eight large signs along the Mission Street frontage, raised safety questions about sign anchors and called parts of the plan inconsistent and incomplete. “You don’t have complete information that’s been concealed from you,” Osgood said, arguing the record lacked certain engineering drawings and clear dimensions.

The permit holder, Hudson Pacific Properties, and counsel Tara Sullivan told the board the MSP and the four permits were prepared under Planning Department review and found to conform with the Planning Code and preservation standards. Sullivan said the MSP was approved by preservation staff in September 2022 and the four individual sign…