Institutional Master Plans
All medical and post-secondary educational institutions in the City and County of San Francisco must file a current Institutional Master Plan ("IMP") with the Planning Department.
An IMP is a document that describes existing and anticipated institutional development. With certain minor exceptions, no building permit or Conditional Use authorization may be approved for institutions that are out of compliance with applicable IMP requirements.
IMPs are required in order to:
- provide notice and information to public agencies and the public so that early and meaningful involvement may occur prior to substantial investment by the institution,
- enable the institution to make modifications in response to comments prior to more detailed planning, and
- provide public agencies and the public with information that may help guide land use decisions.
Following the Planning Commission's acceptance of an IMP, an institution must submit updates to the Zoning Administrator every two years. Updates are also required if the institution's plans or the implementation of any plans significantly diverge from the IMP. New IMPs are typically required every ten years.
IMPs may be either "full" or "abbreviated." An institution is eligible to submit an abbreviated IMP if it occupies either (a) less than 50,000 square feet outside the C-3 District or (b) less than 100,000 square feet within the C-3 district. All other institutions must submit full IMPs. While full IMPs are reviewed by the Planning Commission at a public hearing, filings of abbreviated IMPs are simply reported to the Commission so that it may decide whether or not to hold a hearing.
The full scope of IMP requirements is found in Planning Code Section 304.5.
The following list describes the current filings of all institutions in San Francisco which are subject to IMP requirements. Questions about this list and the IMP process should be directed to the Office of the Zoning Administrator.
| Name of Institution | Most Recent IMP Acceptance Date (1) | Most Recent Biennial Update Submittal Date (2) |
|---|---|---|
| Academy of Art University | 7/25/2019 (accepted) 03/23/2018 (not accepted) Feb 2018 (not accepted) 10/16/2017 (not accepted) 11/17/2011 | 07/08/2021 07/03/2017 (revised from 05/01/2017) 05/01/2017 11/17/2015 11/08/2013 |
| Alliant International University | 04/05/2012 | |
| American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine | 12/20/2002 | |
| Art Institute of California - San Francisco | 02/05/2009 | |
| Babson College | 05/12/2011 | |
| California College of the Arts | 01/18/2018 04/25/2013 | 04/22/2016 |
| California Culinary Academy | exempt | exempt |
| California Institute of Integral Studies | ||
| California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC) | 11/19/2009 | 06/20/2024 |
| Chinese Hospital | 05/19/2011 | 06/23/2014 |
| City College of San Francisco | exempt | exempt |
| DeVry University / Keller Graduate School of Management | 06/21/2001 | 03/09/2005 |
| Embassy CES (aka Center for English Studies LLC) | 06/24/2010 | |
| Everest College | 10/28/2010 | |
| Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising | 04/21/2008 | 03/04/2015 |
| Golden Gate University | 12/07/2017 | 12/01/2022 10/02/2020 12/13/2019 |
| Great Western University | ||
| Groupe INSEEC | 09/08/2016 | |
| Haight Ashbury Free Clinics | 11/02/2006 | |
| Heald College | 08/12/2010 | |
| HealthRIGHT 360 | 04/16/2015 | |
| Holberton School | 07/21/2016 | |
| Hult International Business School | June 2018 | |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospitals | 12/05/2013 01/31/2024 09/27/2024 received revised IMP | 09/26/2018 Letter Update - 11/15/2016 07/05/2006 |
| Laguna Honda Hospital | 06/03/2022 11/17/1994 | |
| Lehigh University | 03/29/2018 | 10/12/2020 |
| Make School | 09/05/2019 | |
| Miami Advertising School | 06/21/2012 | |
| Minerva School (1145 Market Street) | 10/22/2020 | |
| Northeastern University | 07/20/2017 | 10/06/2020 09/04/2018 12/29/2017 |
| Northwestern University | 01/28/2016 | |
| Samuel Merritt University | 07/28/2011 | |
| San Francisco Art Institute | 07/20/2017 | |
| San Francisco Conservatory of Music | 05/09/2017 | 05/06/2019 |
| San Francisco General Hospital Medical Center | 04/10/2008 | |
| San Francisco State University | exempt | exempt |
| School for Self-Healing | 11/19/1998 | |
| Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute | 05/17/2001 | |
| St. Francis Hospital | 07/22/2010 | |
| St. Mary's Medical Center | 02/18/2010 | 07/30/2018 |
| University of California, Hastings College of Law | 12/23/2015 | exempt |
| University of California, San Francisco | exempt | exempt |
| University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business, West Coast Campus | 06/02/2011 | |
| University of Phoenix | 08/09/2007 | |
| University of San Francisco | IMP (hearing date 03/13/2014) IMP Supplements A & B Updated Transportation Memo (05/12/2013) | 08/26/2022 02/04/2022 11/01/2019 12/12/2016 |
| University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry | 09/15/2011 | 12/31/2013 08/19/2014 |
| Veterans Administration Medical Center | exempt | exempt |
| Westmont College / San Francisco Urban Program | 11/14/2002 |
NOTES:
1. A full IMP is accepted upon the closure of the Commission's public hearing, while an abbreviated IMP is accepted upon the ZA's reporting of such filing to the Commission unless the Commission requests a hearing, in which case it is accepted upon the closure of the hearing.
2. An update is required every two years from the date of acceptance of an IMP describing the current status of the IMP.