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Historic Preservation Commission approves amended Mills Act priorities and nonrenewal policy
Summary
After a staff audit that found Mills Act contracts concentrated in higher‑resource neighborhoods, the commission voted 5–1 to adopt amended priority criteria and a plan to phase future contracts to nonrenewal; staff will notify current contract holders and seek Board of Supervisors review.
San Francisco’s Historic Preservation Commission on Jan. 17 approved amended policy guidance for the Mills Act, the local property‑tax incentive used to support historic rehabilitation, voting 5–1 after hearing a staff audit and public comment.
Planning Department staff presented a two‑phase audit showing the program is unevenly distributed across the city, heavily concentrated in supervisorial District 8 and in single‑family, owner‑occupied properties. Staff said San Francisco currently holds 48 Mills Act contracts and that about 42% of contracts have completed the rehabilitation scopes outlined in their agreements. The department recommended two main changes: adopt clearer, objective priority criteria for new applications and place future contracts into nonrenewal status in year 11 of the rolling 10‑year contract cycle.
"The Mills Act legislation authorizes local governments to enter into contracts with private owners of qualified historic…
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