SEC. 1337. BEAUTIFICATION.
§ 1337
New development must underground utility lines, plant street trees and landscaping per public works standards, incorporate pedestrian and streetscape elements following the Better Streets Plan, and—where required by the Master Plan—landscape and maintain open areas under recorded deed covenants that require Board approval to modify.
When new buildings or subdivisions are built in San Francisco, developers must bury utility wires underground instead of stringing them on poles. They must also plant street trees and add landscaping that follows city standards, and they're responsible for maintaining these features. Pedestrian areas and streetscapes must match the Better Streets Plan. For open spaces required by the city's Master Plan, developers must landscape them and put restrictions on the property deed to ensure they stay that way—and the Board has to approve any changes to those restrictions.
- Complex:The section relies heavily on external documents (Article 18 of Public Works Code, Article 16 of Public Works Code, Master Plan, Better Streets Plan) that a typical resident would need to consult separately to understand full requirements.
- Could be simpler:Subsection (b) assigns maintenance of landscaping to property owners but street tree maintenance to public works standards; clarifying whether property owners or the city maintains street trees would reduce ambiguity.
AI-generated · claude-haiku-4-5 · informational only, not legal advice.
Official text
(a) Undergrounding of Utilities. All new utility lines shall be undergrounded as specified in Article 18 of the Public Works Code.
(b) Street Trees and Landscaping. Trees planted along a public street, within the right-of- way, and all landscaping within said right-of-way shall conform to the requirements of Article 16 of the Public Works Code. In the case of all newly constructed subdivisions, the subdivider shall provide street trees and landscaping conforming to the policies of the Master Plan. Maintenance of said landscaping shall be the responsibility of the abutting property owners. Maintenance of street trees shall conform to the requirements of Article 16 of the Public Works Code.
(c) Pedestrian and Streetscape Elements. Pedestrian and streetscape elements within any new publicly-accessible right-of-way shall conform with the policies and guidelines of the Better Streets Plan.
(d) Open Areas. Where required pursuant to the Master Plan, the subdivider shall provide for the landscaping of open areas and the maintenance thereof. Such open areas shall be restric- ted to such use by recorded covenants which run with the land in favor of the future owners of the property within the subdivision. No such covenant shall be terminated without the consent of the Board.
(Ord. 310-10, File No. 101194, App. 12/16/2010; amended by Ord. 245-17, File No. 170985, App. 12/22/2017, Eff. 1/21/2018)