Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
San Francisco Board of Appeals upholds denials of Contest Promotions’ sign permits
Summary
The Board of Appeals voted 4–0 on Jan. 20, 2016 to deny Contest Promotions’ appeals of multiple sign permits, finding the disputed posters functioned as prohibited general advertising and did not meet the Planning Code’s definition of a business sign. The decision follows competing claims over a prior settlement and a contested code clarification.
The San Francisco Board of Appeals voted 4–0 on Jan. 20, 2016 to deny a series of appeals by Contest Promotions and to uphold the Planning Department and Department of Building Inspection’s denials of permits for multiple exterior signs across the city.
The appeal covered dozens of applications (the board heard a consolidated group identified as 6A–6E and later related items) for permits to erect or legalize wall-mounted signs that city staff regard as general advertising rather than the type of "business sign" allowed under local law. Vice President Frank Fung moved to deny the appeals; the motion carried with recorded "aye" votes from President Lazarus, Vice President Daryl Honda, Commissioner Bobby Wilson and Commissioner Rick Swig.
Why it mattered: Contest Promotions told the Board that it negotiated a settlement with the city and then followed the settlement terms — including filing new permit applications and paying sums to the city — only to see the city adopt interim zoning controls and a clarified planning-code definition on the same day the settlement was approved.…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
