Title
Report regarding consideration of a Master Sign Program for signage proposed for residential mixed-use development at 1400 Huntington Avenue, formerly known as 410 Noor Avenue, in a Planned Development (PD) Zoning District in accordance with the South San Francisco Municipal Code Chapters and determination that the project is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (Cecelia Mariscal, Associate Planner)
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MOTION TO ADOPT STAFF RECOMMENDATION
1. Move to determine the project is exempt from CEQA.
2. Move to approve the Master Sign Program subject to the attached Findings and Conditions of Approval.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Staff recommend that the Planning Commission take the following actions:
1. Move to find the project (P26-0066) is categorically exempt from CEQA, per CEQA Guidelines section 15311, Class 11(a), On-Premise Signs;
2. Move to make findings and approve a Master Sign Program (SIGN26-0016) for the 1400 Huntington residential project, based on the attached Findings and subject to the attached Conditions of Approval.
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
The proposed Master Sign Program is for a 338-unit residential development consisting of three buildings (Building A, Building B, Building C). The site fronts Huntington Avenue between Noor Avenue and South Spruce Avenue within a Planned Development (PD) Zoning District. The City Council approved entitlements for the residential project on December 1, 2020, and the City subsequently issued a building permit for vertical construction for Buildings B and C in September, 2025. Buildings B and C are nearing completion, and Building A will be constructed in the near future. The proposed Master Sign Program would provide wayfinding and building identification signage throughout the site and meets all applicable standards in South San Francisco Municipal Code Chapter 20.360 (“Signs”).
Master Sign Program: Overview
The applicant proposes a Master Sign Program with illuminated and non-illuminated wall signs, blade signs, and one monument sign that will provide unified project branding and wayfinding for pedestrians, cyclists and automobiles. This program features a cohesive color and materials palette and proposes signage for Buildings A, B, and C as follows (illustrated in the Plan Set, Attachment 3):
Building A: Building A will be constructed on the western portion of the site, with frontage on Huntington Avenue. Three signs are proposed:
• A 40-square-foot fabricated aluminum panel will be painted to match the building wall and feature illuminated letters identifying the development.
• A painted aluminum panel displaying the project logo, composed of two interlocking segments, one rust colored and one dark grey, will be flush with the wall on the south elevation. This sign will measure eight square feet and will be located approximately six feet above grade.
• An address sign made of illuminated channel letters, measuring approximately three feet by three inches, will be placed on the east elevation, 9 feet 6 inches above grade.
Building B: Four signs are proposed for Building B, which fronts Huntington Avenue and a common area on the northeast side of the building:
• A non-illuminated aluminum monument wayfinding sign with painted copy and the project logo emblem, mounted one quarter inch flush to the sign, on the northeast lot. This monument sign will be approximately six square feet in area and four feet above grade.
• A non-illuminated, directional wall-mounted sign above the underground parking entrance, reading “Resident Parking,” measuring approximately 5.5 square feet and set 7 feet 4 inches above grade.
• An illuminated canopy sign, approximately 3.3 square feet in area and 13 feet 9 inches above grade on the east building elevation.
• An illuminated wall projecting identification sign, flush-mounted as a painted aluminum panel on the north elevation, measuring about 40 square feet and installed 64 feet above grade.
Building C: Six signs are proposed for Building C, which is located on the eastern side of the site, fronting Noor Avenue.
• On the south elevation, two blade signs are proposed: one with the project logo affixed above the leasing office and another indicating the parking garage location. The first blade sign will be approximately nine square feet, and five inches in area and located eight feet four inches above grade featuring a large acrylic ‘P’ on a circular aluminum panel atop a thing rectangular panel that says the word “leasing.” The second blade sign will be about eight square feet in area. The development brand logo will be placed above the word “leasing,” positioned eight feet above grade.
• Lettering affixed to the parking gate will read “Leasing Parking” and will be located approximately eight feet above grade.
• Two signs are proposed on the east elevation. The first is an illuminated address sign affixed over an entrance, measuring approximately three square feet and installed ten feet above grade. The second is a project identification sign made of illuminated aluminum channel lettering, approximately fourteen square feet in area and ten feet from grade to the top of the lettering.
• An additional project wall identification sign is consisting of the development name, “Huntington”, would be flush-mounted on an illuminated panel is proposed for the west elevation, measuring approximately 40 square feet in area and be installed 35 feet from grade to the top of the lettering.
DESIGN REVIEW BOARD RECOMMENDATION
The Design Review Board, at its meeting on September 15, 2026, reviewed the proposed Master Sign Program and recommended approval with the following comments:
1. Center the logo on the proposed monument sign.
2. Consider enlarging the lettering of “Parking” affixed to the parking gate on the south elevation.
A condition of approval is included to ensure compliance with these comments.
ZONING CONSISTENCY
A Master Sign Program is required for any multifamily building with 100 units pursuant to SSMFC Section 20.360.00.B.2.a. Part of the purpose of the Master Sign Program is to ensure that all signs are compatible with the unique character and environment of the City, balance public and private objectives by allowing adequate avenues for both commercial and non-commercial messages, and support the desired ambiance and development patterns of the various districts and historic areas within the City.
The proposed signage program for 1400 Huntington is consistent with the purpose and requirements of a Master Sign Program through the following:
• The signage includes high-quality materials including glass, brushed metal, dark grey concrete, and aluminum with a wood-like finish.
• The proposed Master Sign Program includes wayfinding signage and signage that identifies the building and is reasonably legible from the right-of-way.
• The Master Sign Program includes panels for aluminum letters that match the cementitious vertical siding in dark gray and cream, complementary to the neighboring Safeway Center development.
• The proposed signs will be legible and proportional to the corresponding elevations, creating a cohesive, unified appearance compatible with surrounding buildings in neighboring districts.
GENERAL PLAN CONFORMANCE
The subject property is part of a Planned Development District intended for projects that are demonstrably superior to development that could occur under the underlying zone’s development standards, with a purpose that includes providing flexibility and allowing diverse regulations. The Master Sign Program provides flexibility in sign regulations, which better accommodates a project designed under a flexible standard, and contributes to aesthetics and wayfinding for a multi-family residential development consistent with the General Plan.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The proposed project has been determined to be categorically exempt from the environmental review under the provisions of the CEQA Guidelines Class 11, Section 15311(a): On-premise signs.
CONCLUSION
The Master Sign Program for 1400 Huntington will create a unified aesthetic for the mixed-use development and enhance the neighborhood aesthetic and would be within all sign sizes and general sign standards listed under SSFMC Section 20.360.005 (“Sign Design Standards”). The proposed Master Sign Program complies with all development standards and design principles and will create a unified signage palette for the 1400 Huntington mixed-use development.
Attachments:
1. Findings of Approval
2. Conditions of Approval
3. 410 Noor (1400 Huntington Avenue) Master Sign Program dated September 18, 2026