THE WAY IT IS NOW: In 2002, voters adopted an ordinance prohibiting new general advertising signs anywhere in the City. San Francisco's Municipal Code also prohibits all general advertising signs on Market Street between the Embarcadero and Octavia Boulevard (the Market Street Special Sign District).

General advertising signs are outdoor signs that advertise goods or services sold somewhere other than where the sign is displayed. These signs include billboards and signs attached to buildings.

THE PROPOSAL: Proposition D is an ordinance that would create a special sign district on and near Market Street between 5th and 7th streets to allow new general advertising signs in that district. This district would not be subject to the City-wide ban on new general advertising signs or the ban on all general advertising signs in the Market Street Special Sign District.

Proposition D would authorize the existing nonprofit organization, the Central Market Community Benefit District (CBD), to regulate signs in the special district and select companies allowed to install signs.

Signs would be subject to restrictions. New signs could include:

• roof signs
• wind signs
• video signs
• rotating signs
• wall signs
• signs with moving parts, and
• signs with illumination.

Some of the restrictions deal with height, position, movement and total illumination. Each individual sign could be no larger than 500 square feet.

Proposition D would require property owners to deposit a percentage of revenue from signs into a fund managed by the CBD and audited by the City Controller. Properties used for the arts would contribute 20% of sign revenue and all others 40%. This fund would be used for:

• youth cultural and arts education, and
• building and operating a ticket booth at Hallidie Plaza (Market and Powell Streets) for sale of tickets to art, entertainment and cultural venues.

The fund could also be used for:

• CBD staff expenses and administrative expenses in managing the fund, and
• promoting arts in Zip Code areas 94102 and 94103.

A “YES” VOTE MEANS: If you vote "yes," you want to create a new Mid-Market Special Sign District where new general advertising signs would be allowed with restrictions.

A “NO” VOTE MEANS: If you vote “no,” you do not want to create this district.

Propositions D and E concern the same subject matter. If both measures are adopted by the voters, and if there is a conflict between provisions of the two measures, then some or all of the measure approved by fewer votes would not go into effect.

This measure requires 50%+1 affirmative votes to pass.