Planning Commission adopts two Mission Dolores early-residential historic districts

On Oct. 23 the Planning Commission adopted resolutions with comments recommending local landmark designation for two early-residential historic districts in Mission Dolores: Allert (Alert) Alley and the Tula/Abbey district.

Calvin Ho, legislative aide to Supervisor Mandelmann, and Pilar (Planning Department staff) described the decade-plus community-led process, which included a Mission Dolores context statement and survey. Planning staff reported that the Historic Preservation Commission unanimously recommended designation and that staff found the proposed districts consistent with the General Plan and priority policies relating to preservation and the conservation of existing building stock.

Pilar provided district-level details: the Allert Alley early-residential district (centered on Allert Alley and Landers Street between 15th, 16th and Dolores Streets) contains 21 buildings (17 contributing, four noncontributing) with a period of significance c. 1890–1910. The Tula/Abbey district is larger — 52 buildings with 37 contributing and 15 noncontributing — and covers a period of significance from about 1865 to 1910. Staff corrected earlier errors in the draft ordinance regarding counts and addresses per HPC recommendations.

Commissioners discussed how district boundaries and contributing/noncontributing designations are evaluated and confirmed that noncontributing properties would have fewer restrictions and that certificates of appropriateness would primarily be triggered by exterior alterations requiring permits. The commission adopted the resolutions with comments by a unanimous vote, 7–0.