The Walnut Park neighborhood in Northeast Portland. Photo credit: Dan Everhart.
Portlanders and Preservation Advocates - Time to Testify
Restore Oregon SUPPORTS HRCP Amendments: #3, #5, #6
The City has invited the public to testify on potential amendments to the Historic Resources Code Project (HRCP) Recommended Draft. How? In writing via the Map App or at a virtual hearing on December 15 at 2 p.m. You must register by December 14 at 4 p.m. to testify at City Council.
Three Portland City Council members have suggested important amendments that would substantially improve proposed city rules for regulating Portland’s designated landmarks and historic districts. From a list of eight proposed amendments, we believe that three are the most important on which to focus public support. These proposed amendments would, if adopted in January, revise the current Historic Resources Code Project (HRCP) Recommended Draft.
Restore Oregon will submit testimony, but we need lots of supportive messages, as either written or oral testimony. The Mayor and City Council need to know there is widespread support to “adopt the HRCP with these amendments.” These amendments are all consistent with prior requests made by Restore Oregon and many others across Portland, and they will significantly strengthen the HRCP. We are still evaluating the other five amendments, but below is a quick overview of the three we strongly support.
Amendment #3 from Commissioner Carmen Rubio would revise rules for deciding when to demolish a landmark by removing a current standard allowing demolition when a building has “no reasonable economic value.” We believe the “no economic value” standard can promote intentional neglect by owners who ignore routine maintenance as a path to demolishing important historical structures. It should not be the only criteria for demolition.
We applaud Commissioner Rubio’s leadership to strengthen the evaluation criteria to acknowledge and consider “...value to the community, and association with historically marginalized individuals or communities” and “the economic consequences for the owner and the community.” This is transformational and will create balanced decision-making.
Amendment #5 proposed by Commissioner Mingus Mapps would give the Portland Historic Landmarks Commission equal footing with the Planning and Sustainability Commission when considering creation or removal of historic district designations. If the two commissions reached differing conclusions on a given matter, both commissions would offer their recommendations to the City Council. As currently written, the proposed rules would omit the Landmarks Commission from these important decisions so this amendment is a much-needed fix.
Amendment #6, also proposed by Commissioner Mapps, would retain Portland’s long standing qualifications for membership on the Landmarks Commission. Unless amended, the professional experience qualifications for appointment to the commission would be diluted. We believe city commissions should always provide the best expertise available.
We believe the amendments above are responsive to testimony from the preservation and cultural community, and therefore we encourage your expressions of support at this critical time. Your testimony can be as simple as “I support Amendments 3, 5, 6. Please adopt the HRCP with these amendments.”
As an additional resource, read Restore Oregon’s testimony.
_______
Information Released from the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability
The Portland City Council has scheduled an additional public hearing on potential amendments to the Historic Resources Code Project for December 15, 2021, at 2 p.m. The hearing will be held virtually, and pre-registration is required. Because this meeting will be held virtually, electronic written testimony is strongly encouraged. Written testimony must be received by the time of the hearing and must include your name and address.
The hearing will consider 8 potential amendments to the code project that have been introduced by City Council office for additional public consideration. The 8 potential amendments address the following topics:
- Bonus height allowances in the CM2 zone.
- Historic resource review procedure types for affordable housing.
- Demolition review approval criteria.
- Refinements to 120-day delay (AKA demolition delay).
- Legislative processes to establish or remove local districts.
- Historic Landmarks Commission membership categories.
- Historic resource review procedure types for the New Chinatown/Japantown Historic District.
- Minor and technical amendments provided by staff from the bureaus of Planning and Sustainability as well as Development Services.
How can I participate?
To register for the December 15 hearing or to submit written testimony, please visit the project webpage at www.portland.gov/bps/hrcp. The deadline to sign up for the December 15 hearing is December 14 at 4:00 p.m. Individuals have two minutes to testify, unless stated otherwise at the hearing. Please limit testimony to the potential amendments published on the project webpage.
How can I review project documents?
Descriptions of the 8 potential amendments to the Historic Resources Code Project Recommended Draft are available for download.
How can you help?
ADVOCATE FOR PORTLAND’S HISTORIC RESOURCES CODE PROJECT
We need your voice to ensure that Portland’s older properties and historic districts reflect an equitable and full understanding of the past, preserve affordable housing and contribute to improving lives for Portlanders.