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Preservation panel hears fallout after historic house demolition; staff to review Mills Act rules
Summary
After the unpermitted demolition of a 1908 Willis Polk house connected to a through-lot case, Planning Department staff told the Historic Preservation Commission it will review Mills Act procedures and return with recommendations; commissioners pressed for stronger safeguards and more analysis of enforcement funding.
Richard Rothman told the Historic Preservation Commission that he was "very disturbed to see that a historic building was torn down" after learning about demolition at 841 Chestnut during a Board of Supervisors hearing. Planning staff (Tim Frey) confirmed the property — a 1908 Willis Polk house at 841 Chestnut — was demolished without planning-department review and said enforcement of that case produced about $400,000 to be deposited into preservation and enforcement funds.
Frey told commissioners the Board of Supervisors upheld a conditional use authorization related to the through lot with a 10–1 vote and that the department will forward a case report to the commission on the incident. He described the Mills Act program’s local history — adopted in the late 1990s and revised about five years ago — and said San Francisco currently has 25 active Mills Act contracts, far fewer than other large California cities.
Commissioners pressed staff to return with options to reduce the risk of unreviewed demolitions, to better align Mills Act eligibility and enforcement, and to consider program changes that could be implemented administratively before seeking code amendments. Frey said staff will bring recommendations to the commission’s February hearing, allow time to incorporate edits, and will coordinate with the city attorney and Board of Supervisors where necessary.
The commission did not take a separate vote on enforcement policy at this meeting; instead staff recorded the demolition and enforcement settlement as a case to inform upcoming work on Mills Act contracts and on possible program changes.
