Restore Oregon attacked this legislative session with high hopes and a concerted lobbying effort to fix Oregon’s broken preservation policies. After a uniquely contentious session, the results were decidedly mixed.
The good news:
- Special Assessment was renewed through 2022. Special Assessment freezes assessed property value for ten years in exchange for the rehabilitation of National Register-listed buildings.
- $5 million was allocated for Main Street revitalization grants – Funds matching grants up to $200,000 to acquire, rehabilitate, or construct buildings in designated Main Streets.
- Special appropriations were made to preserve several historic buildings, including:
- The Liberty Theatre – $1M for stage, house and facilities improvements of this Astoria landmark.
- The Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center– $500,000 for preservation and renovation of their headquarters in Portland’s Chinatown-Japantown historic district.
- 2019-2021 Budgets for the Cultural Trust and the Oregon Arts Commission were funded at the Governor’s recommended levels.
We’ll need to continue the fight for these bills:
SB 927-3: The Public Participation in Preservation Act. This bill would have fixed Oregon’s broken system for how historic properties are designated and protected, creating a balanced process of community engagement and local control.
SB 929 – The Preservation, Housing, and Seismic Safety Act. Would have created a state tax credit-funded “Rehab Rebate” to offset costs of restoration and seismic retrofitting, and prioritized projects that provide housing.
HB 2208 – Would have created an Unreinforced Masonry Seismic Safety Fund to cover 35% of retrofitting costs up to a maximum amount of $1.5M per building.
In addition to the walk-outs that disrupted and shorted the time frame for hearings and deliberation on our policy bill, the ongoing budget crunch made passage of a new tax credit or seismic fund a bridge too far.
HOWEVER, we generated significant interest in our proposals and Restore Oregon plans to bring them back in the 2020 “short session.”
Of Note for Livability and Affordability:
One of the most intensely debated bills of the session was HB 2001 which narrowly passed in the final minutes of the session. It mandates that cities with populations over 10,000 allow multi-family, “middle housing” on all single family zoned lots. While the bill does not prohibit protection of historic resources through design review and other means, Restore Oregon and many others are concerned that this up-zoning will create an incentive to demolish existing less-expensive homes and replace them with more expensive units. It did not include requirements for affordability. Will this lead to displacement and loss of community cultural heritage? In the quest for affordable housing, remember the most affordable home is already standing!Giving the public a voice in the designation and protection of their community’s heritage, and launching a historic tax credit to offset seismic upgrades and restoration are a top priority for Restore Oregon. Your donations allow us to keep fighting to save the places that matter to us all.