Height Restrictions

What Are Height Limits?
Height limits are a critical component of almost every zoning code in the United States.

Trial Over San Francisco Waterfront Development Height Limits Begins
The State Lands Commission filed suit shortly after San Francisco voters approved Prop. B in June 2014, requiring waterfront developments exceeding height limits to obtain voter approval rather than go through the Planning Commission process.
San Francisco Waterfront Heights Lawsuit Moves Forward
The lawsuit would not restrict heights—just the opposite. Back in June, San Francisco voters overwhelmingly backed Proposition B to restrict building heights along the waterfront. The State Lands Commission sued.
San Francisco Approves Prop B Height Restrictions
The eventuality predicted since San Francisco's Prop. B qualified for the ballot has come to pass, with more than 59 percent of San Francisco voters approving the ordinance that will require votes on developments exceeding existing height limits.

With Ballot Box Zoning Likely to Pass—What Next for San Francisco?
C.W. Nevius examines the consequences of Proposition B—on the ballot in San Francisco in June.
Golden State Warriors Drop Pier 30-32 Arena Plans
In what is surely a victory for opponents of waterfront development along the Embarcadero corridor in San Francisco, the Golden State Warriors have purchased a new site farther south, near AT&T Park and the UCSF Mission Bay campus, for a new arena.

Dirty Politics in San Francisco’s Height Restrictions Initiative
The city of San Francisco will vote on Prop. B, an ordinance that would limit the height of developments along the waterfront, in June. The ballot will list the campaign manager for the Yes on B campaign as the official opponent of the measure.
Congress Inching Toward Small Changes to D.C. Height Restrictions
A strange scene this week: members of Congress discussing height restrictions in one of the country's largest urban centers. In the end, a House committee approved a bill that would loosen D.C.’s century-old Height of Buildings Act.
Ballot Box Zoning Initiative Possible for San Francisco
Proponents of a ballot initiative that would require a vote for any development on the San Francisco waterfront that exceeds existing height limits have gathered enough signatures to put the issue to a vote.
Push to Loosen D.C. Height Limits Gains Momentum
Tim Craig reports on a new push by federal and city officials to relax Washington D.C.'s building height restrictions, reopening decades-old debates about the look, feel and character of the city.
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