Commission recommends approval of eight Mills Act contracts to Board of Supervisors

Shannon Ferguson, planning staff, presented eight Mills Act contract applications for historic properties across San Francisco and recommended the Historic Preservation Commission forward approvals with conditions to the Board of Supervisors. The properties include a range of building types and historic designations (Woods Hall at 2215 & 229 Haight, contributors in DuBose Park and Alamo Square historic districts, individually landmarked 101 Vallejo Street and 973 Market Street, and the reapplication of 1338 Filbert Street which had been tabled by the Board previously).

Staff described the required rehabilitation and maintenance plans, the use of historic structural reports for properties with high assessed value, and recommended conditions in several cases (for example, removal of a proposed garage scope at 6060/62 Carmelito Street to better align with Mills Act purposes). Commissioners asked about valuation differences across properties and staff explained the assessor‑recorder uses a three‑way valuation (purchase price, market value and income potential) to calculate the Mills Act tax reduction, which can produce different percentages across properties.

Commissioners moved to recommend approval with the staff‑recommended conditions; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously 6–0. Staff noted the Board of Supervisors will consider the recommended contracts and that companion materials (historic reports, maintenance plans, valuation worksheets) are in the record.

What’s next: The HPC’s recommendations and any conditions will be forwarded to the Board of Supervisors for final decision on the Mills Act contracts.