Committee backs non‑renewal of Mills Act contract for 621 Waller Street; owner appeals for leniency

The Government Audit and Oversight Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Oct. 6 to send to the full Board a resolution recommending non‑renewal of a Mills Act historic property contract for 621 Waller Street.

Supervisor Aaron Peskin, who sponsored the resolution, told the committee the property received a Mills Act contract in 2014 that required work to be completed under permits. He said the Planning Department and the Historic Preservation Commission found unauthorized work had been done, and the Historic Preservation Commission this year unanimously recommended the city not renew the contract. Peskin said non‑renewal was a measured response; he noted the board could terminate a contract immediately but chose non‑renewal to be more lenient than full termination.

Property owner Renee Zellweger told the committee she and her husband have owned the property since February 2010 and began Mills Act‑related renovations after entering the contract in 2014. Zellweger said architects and the city worked with them on certificates of appropriateness and that they had completed repairs totaling about $140,000. She asked the committee to reconsider the non‑renewal, saying the owners had worked with the city to bring unpermitted work into compliance.

The committee clerk called the roll. Vice Chair Connie Chan, Member Rafael Mandelmann and Chair Dean Preston all voted "aye," and the motion passed 3‑0.

The item will next appear on the full Board agenda. The resolution cites chapter 71 of the San Francisco Administrative Code and directs the Planning Director to send notice of non‑renewal to the owner and to record a notice of non‑renewal with the Assessor‑Recorder's Office.

No timeline for final Board action was set during the committee meeting.