Newsletter 2015 Fall
Content
HISTORIC
IRVINGTON
NEWSLETTER
¶
¶
A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E I R V I N G T O N C O M M U N I T Y A S S O C I AT I O N
FALL 2015
FREE
2,600 Trees and Counting…
By Peter O’Neil
Y
ou may have seen us over the summer –
dressed in our da-glo vests, clipboards and
tape measures in hand, walking the streets
of Irvington, stopping to measure, locate, identify and
assess each street tree.
As part of Portland Parks & Recreation Urban
Forestry ongoing project to inventory all the street
trees in the city, Irvington volunteers took to the
streets this summer to help out. We have inventoried
2,600 trees in our neighborhood so far, and all told,
Irvington volunteers have contributed more than
350 hours to the project. (Thank you volunteers!)
The city is collecting the data to set a baseline of the
health and viability of our tree canopy. When the
inventory is complete, the neighborhood will create
a management plan to maintain and improve our
urban forest.
“The data isn’t all collected for Irvington yet,
but I expect we will find that much of the canopy
is provided by mature trees, and that the need now
is to focus on planting all available large sites with
appropriately sized large trees in order to ensure
that in 30 years Irvington will have large trees as the
current ones reach the end of their lifespan,” said Julie
Fukuda of Portland Urban Forestry.
The idea is to assure that future generations
will benefit from a healthy tree canopy as we do
today. The trees are an important public asset in
our urban environment where they serve as a buffer
between the streets and our homes. They filter storm
water, reduce the effects of car emissions, increase
property values, calm traffic, and regulate summer
temperatures. Our trees are invaluable.
Irvington has a variety of them. There are
the magnificent trees like Norway maples, horse
By Peter O’Neil
D
FALL 2015
Irvington. Some example action items that could be
included in the plan are:
• Neighborhood pruning and young tree care
workshops
• Neighborhood tree planting events
• Educational tree walks or tree bike tours
• Tree diversity workshops
• Tree pests and diseases workshops
There will be a Tree Summit on Saturday,
November 7 at Mount Scott Community Center,
5530 SE 72nd Ave in SE Portland where all this
will be discussed and plans will be started. If you’d
like to get involved, contact me at treeinventory@
irvingtonpdx.com
Tree Pruning Permits
id you know that homeowners in
Portland are responsible for caring
for the street trees in front of their
homes? This includes keeping them properly pruned.
Homeowners must get a permit from the City to
cut any limbs over a quarter inch in diameter. Some
street tree pruning permits can be self-issued online if
they meet these criteria:
•
chestnuts, sweetgums and lindens all over the
neighborhood. We also have other interesting and
unusual species like the Heritage Caucasian Wingnut
trees that help create the beautiful tunnel of leaves at
Knott & 15th, a variety of evergreen oaks on 11th
just north of Knott, Eucalyptus on 11th near Stanton
and at least one producing peach tree on Klickitat
near 24th. This diversity of trees contributes to the
overall health of the canopy and adds to the general
well-being of the neighborhood.
The volunteers are finished with our part of the
street tree inventory and now Urban Forestry staff
will complete it. The next steps for volunteers is to
get involved with the creation of our action plan for
The street tree is at a residential-zoned property.
•
Pruning is for branches less than 6” in diameter
at attachment to the stem.
•
Pruning is for young tree pruning, crown
cleaning or crown raising for clearance of the
street and sidewalk.
•
The street tree is not a Heritage Tree.
Young tree pruning is the pruning of young trees to
develop good structure, including a strong and well
established central leader, strong branch attachments,
and adequate spacing and distribution of scaffold
branches. Young tree pruning occurs on an ongoing
basis the first ten years after tree planting.
HISTORIC IRVINGTON NEWSLETTER
Crown cleaning is the removal of water sprouts and
dead, dying, diseased, crowded, weakly attached, and
low vigor branches from a tree›s crown.
Crown raising for clearance of the street and sidewalk
removes the lower branches of a tree in order to provide
clearance for vehicles, pedestrians, and buildings. The
city requires maintaining clearance standards 7.5’ above
the sidewalk, 11’ above residential streets, and 14’ above
main arterial streets.
Permits for this kind of pruning are free. You can get
more information and apply for a permit online at www.
portlandoregon.gov/trees/65396.
PAGE 1
ica board members • 2014-2015
From the PRESIDENT
Steven Cole
L
ike many parents, our short summer (thanks PPS)
revolved around the kids’ summer camps. My
daughter spent a week at Grace Art Camp and
four weeks at Oregon Ballet Theater’s Summer Intensive. Both
of those were in Portland. However, my son’s music camps
were a little more distant. We had to drive around the Pacific
Northwest taking him to, and picking him up from, three
different summer camps. One camp was with the Vancouver
Symphony Orchestra in Whistler, B.C., at which he played
bassoon. After a couple of weeks back here in Portland, we
took him to Port Townsend for a jazz camp where he played
saxophone. After a week of that, we picked him up from Port
Townsend and delivered him to Bellingham, Washington for
a two-week camp called Marrowstone, where he again played
bassoon.
In addition to enjoying a lot of spectacular scenery,
I spent some time looking at the development in Seattle
and Vancouver, B.C. Both of those cities are developing
faster than Portland as far as buildings going up. However,
in some regards, both are starting to surpass Portland
in innovative and forward thinking infrastructure.
Particularly in the area of bike infrastructure.
Some of you may have read recently that Portland’s
congestion is increasing as more people move into the
metro area. There are several ways to reduce driving
congestion, including improving mass transit and
creating transit-oriented development. However, the most
inexpensive method, with likely the biggest impact, is to
create a better bike infrastructure so that we increase the
number of bike riders. More cyclists translates to fewer
cars on the road. With our close proximity to downtown
and the, soon to be very active, Lloyd District, improving
our cycling infrastructure will improve the already great
livability of Irvington.
Part of that better infrastructure needs to include
protected bikeways as well as additional methods to
dissuade fast cars on greenways/bike boulevards. Surveys
have shown that there are many people who would like to
bike to various destinations, be that grocery stores, schools,
or whatnot, but don’t feel comfortable riding in bike lanes
on busy streets. More protected bikeways will help Portland
take the next step towards becoming a world class biking
city.
More cyclists will also help local businesses along
our commercial corridors. Studies have shown that
when cycling infrastructure is improved, cyclists are
more likely to shop at businesses along their routes and
spend more money than car drivers. http://www.citylab.
com/cityfixer/2015/03/the-complete-business-case-forconverting-street-parking-into-bike-lanes/387595/. For
NE Broadway, the positive impact will likely be even more
dramatic as increasing the bikeway will likely act as a traffic
calming device and thus make the corridor more pedestrian
friendly, adding a new customer base.
As mentioned in previous articles, the ICA is working
with surrounding neighborhood and business associations
to improve NE Broadway and we will continue to advocate
for better, safer bike access on Broadway/Weidler. We are
still working out how best to implement that. We will
also be looking at improved bike access in other parts of
the neighborhood and surrounding areas. For instance,
the current design of 7th Avenue has often come up as
something which could be improved. We will be discussing
whether it makes sense to encourage the city to make
bike infrastructure improvements on that street, perhaps
looking at the possibility of diverters. There should soon
be a greenway installed on 26th Avenue. Irvington has
allocated funds for bike amenities on Broadway at 26th.
There are likely other areas where bike infrastructure could
be improved in our neighborhood (possibly Knott). If you
have ideas, please contact me.
In June we created a new officer position, that
of Communications Officer. Tiffanie Shakespeare takes
on that new duty. Part of my goal for this coming year
is, once again, to try and improve communication and
outreach to our neighbors. We hope to procure lawn signs
to give notice to people that a meeting is occurring so more
people will attend the meetings. We are already one of the
best attended neighborhood board meetings in Portland.
However, we can still do better. More diversity of opinion
and perspective is always desired. For instance, we would
like to get more renters or people who live in multi-family
housing who may offer a perspective different from that
of a homeowner. We will also continue to improve our
website, which has been totally made over in the past year.
Other matters we plan on addressing in the
upcoming year include a rewrite of our bylaws. The bylaws
are long overdue for a revision as they have not been
rewritten for about 25 years. You can find our current
bylaws on the ICA website, www.irvingtonpdx.com.
Thank you to those of you who joined us for our
summer ice cream social on National Night Out. In particular, we would like to thank Whole Foods who once again
donated the ice cream. We will begin to plan our holiday
party, which was a resounding success last year. If you are
interested in helping to organize that event please give me
a call or shoot me an email. We should have some finalized
plans in place by the end of October.
Finally, welcome to new board members Ryan
Carson, Colin Burns, Sally McPherson, Meryl Logue,
and Jon Eaton. And, a big thank you to departing board
members Tom Mertes, Nathan Christenson, and Brian
Schaeperkoetter for making our neighborhood a better
place. While Brian has stepped down from the board, he
has taken over as chair of the Home Tour Committee. We
want to give Kim Bissell, the former chair of the Home
Tour Committee, a special thank you for her incredible
leadership in making the home tour a resounding success
year after year. While there are many volunteers have been
instrumental in making the home tour a national draw,
Kim’s energy, organization, and willingness to give her
time, were unmatched.
Just a reminder, we have board member positions come
up for election every year. If you think that you might be
interested in becoming a board member, please feel free to
attend our meetings. Even if you don’t want to be a board
member, everyone is welcome to attend on the second
Thursday of the month at the Irvington School library.
Steve Cole
OFFICERS
President: Steven Cole
[email protected]
503-754-7713
Vice President: William Archer
[email protected]
503-287-3804
Treasurer: Jeff Jones
[email protected]
503-281-1023
Secretary: Beverly Burn
[email protected]
Communications: Tiffanie Shakespeare
[email protected]
DIRECTORS
Jim Barta
[email protected]
Colin Burn
[email protected]
Ryan Carson
[email protected]
Barb Christopher
[email protected]
Christine Coers-Mitchell
[email protected]
Nathan Corser
[email protected]
Jon Eaton
[email protected]
Dean Gisvold
[email protected]
Susan Hathaway-Marxer
[email protected]
Pam Lindholm-Levy
[email protected]
Meryl Llogue
[email protected]
Michela McMahon
[email protected]
Sally McPherson
[email protected]
Jason Messer
[email protected]
Peter O’Neil
[email protected]
Tiffanie Shakespeare
[email protected]
Beverly Burn
[email protected]
503-544-2429
503-740-5216
503-335-1476
503-493-0671
503-284-3885
503-281-5629
503-460-3100
503-287-6196
503-312-4175
503-471-3402
503-680-2840
COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Beautification
Jason Messer • [email protected]
Charitable Giving
Susan Hathaway-Marxer • [email protected]
Historic Preservation
Barb Christopher • [email protected]
Home Tour
Brian Schaeperkoetter • [email protected]
Land Use
Dean Gisvold • [email protected]
NECN Representatives
Steven Cole • [email protected]
Peter O’Neil • [email protected]
Newsletter
Steven Cole • [email protected]
Newsletter Advertising
Tiffanie Shakespeare • [email protected]
Parks
Jason Messer • [email protected]
Jeff Jones • [email protected]
Website
Tiffanie Shakespeare • [email protected]
NEIGHBORHOOD RESOURCES
503-823-7309
Abandoned Vehicles (24-hour hotline)
Abandoned Vehicles (daytime)
503-823-6814
Animal Control
503-988-3066
Bicycle Program
503-823-2925
Garbage Service Info/Problems
503-823-7202
Graffiti Cleanup (Info/assistance)
503-823-5860
Graffiti Hotline (Police)
503-823-4824
Landlord/Tenant Mediation
503-282-1964
NE Coalition of Neighborhoods
503-823-4575
NE Crime Prevention
503-823-4763
NE Precinct (Police)
503-823-2122
Neighborhood Mediation
503-823-3152
Noise Reporting & Control
503-823-7350
Office of Neighborhood Involvement
503-823-4519
Parking Enforcement
503-823-5195
Rider Advocates
503-823-4223
Street Light Outages & Tree Trims
503-823-5216
Tree Planting Information
503-823-4489
Zoning/Code Enforcement
503-823-7526
LEGISLATORS
State Representatives
Lew Frederick
503-986-1433
[email protected]
Barbara Smith Warner
503-986-1445
[email protected]
State Senators
Michael Dembrow
[email protected]
503-986-1723
Chip Shields
[email protected]
503-231-2564
now solar powered!
503-281-8075
www.cloudburstrecycling.com
DROP BOX SERVICE
COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL GARBAGE COLLECTION
* MAXIMUM RECYCLING *
We collect -- COOKING OIL for BIODIESEL
& FOOD WASTE for COMPOSTING
Page 2
HISTORIC IRVINGTON NEWSLETTER
FALL 2015
Raise the
Wage
The following was submitted by Raise
the Wage Oregon, a coalition seeking to
raise Oregon’s minimum wage.
THE
IRVINGTON
COMMUNITY
ASSOCIATION
P.O. BO X 12102, P O RT L A N D, O RE GO N 97212
T
he Raise the Wage coalition is a
growing group of workers, businesses,
and community groups who have
come together to raise up all of Oregon by giving
workers a much-needed raise. We believe that
Oregonians who work hard and play by the rules
should be able to feed their families and their
bills.
Right now, an Oregonian working full time
for minimum wage is making less than $20,000
per year. No matter where you live, $1,600 a
month is not enough to afford the basics such as
rent, food, and childcare.
A recent report by Our Oregon found that
a $13.50 minimum wage would provide a base
self-sufficiency income in even Oregon’s most
rural counties. In Portland, the hourly wage
needed is much higher – closer to $20 an hour –
due to the high cost of living.
For example, to afford a two-bedroom
apartment in Portland, a worker would need
to earn $18.15 an hour to not be considered
“cost-burdened” by their rent (meaning they
spent no more than 30 percent of their income
on housing). This is why Raise the Wage is also
pushing to restore power to cities and counties to
address low wages on their own.
Over half a million Oregonians will
be impacted if the statewide wage floor is
increased to $13.50 an hour. We know that
working Oregonians and their families need
a raise, and they need it now. To learn more
about Raise the Wage or to get involved, go to
www.raisethewageoregon.org, or email info@
raisethewageoregon.org.
The ICA meets on the second Thursday
of every month (except July and August),
7 p.m. at the Irvington Elementary
School, 1320 NE Brazee St.
Local issues are discussed and all Irvington
residents are welcome to attend.
Are you looking for the minutes from our recent board meetings?
Minutes are posted in full on our Web site at www.irvingtonpdx.com.
FALL LEAF
PICKUP
Antique &
Collectible Shows
October 24 & 25
Portland Expo Center - 1,000 booths
January 16 & 17, 2016
Clark County Fairgrounds - 400 booths
The unique items to complete your vintage
home are at these shows.
500 Booths of juried handcrafted gifts
plus 500 booths of unique gift ideas
Two big weekends!
Nov. 27-29 & and Dec. 4-6
PORTLAND
EXPO CENTER
www.christinepalmer.net
(503)282-0877
Both shows
proudly presented by
FALL 2015
I
t’s Fall and the leaves are coming down. The schedule for and information about Fall leaf pick up is
available at https://www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation/article/363503. The cost is $30. Pick-up
for areas in Irvington will be on the following dates:
Zone
NE 3
NE 4
NE 5
Area
Irvington D
Irvington A
Irvington C
Date 1
11/6/2015
11/3/2015
11/8/2015
Date 2
11/28/2015
11/24/2015
12/6/2015
The website has a search box to determine your area – simply input your address.
You can opt out of the service, but then you cannot rake leaves into the street. You can opt out by following
the directions on the website above or by calling 503.865.5323, Monday through Friday 8 am – 5 pm. The
opt out deadline is November 1, 2015.
Please remember that on leaf pick-up days, there will be trucks and removal vehicles on the street making
travel in the neighborhood more congested.
HISTORIC IRVINGTON NEWSLETTER
PAGE 3
Trade Roots
LAND USE UPDATE
By Dean Gisvold
Providing support for our community —
and around the world.
Shop local, think global.
1831 NE Broadway • 503-281-5335
www.traderootsinc.com
PAGE 4
As usual, the Land Use Committee has a full plate and
then some.
First, the Planning and Sustainability Commission
(PSC) approved and sent on to City Council the long
awaited revisions to Portland’s Comprehensive Plan
(Revised Plan), a process required by state law. Although
the Board of Directors for the Irvington Community
Association approved several recommendations for
“downzoning” a small portion of the Historic District
along NE Broadway, the PSC chose to ignore those
recommendations. The revised Plan does recognize the
fact that current zoning guidelines contain twice the
capacity needed to accommodate today’s population and
the influx of new residents over the next 20 years. In
short, additional density is not needed, and indeed, specific
downzoning provisions would be appropriate. Go to http://
www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/article/542536 for a link
to the Revised Plan and its many components. There is
a change in zoning for the half block between Broadway
and Schuyler, from NE 16th to NE 28th. There are
also changes to a small area adjoining NE 7th, and from
Broadway north a block or so.
From the City, you can share your feedback with the
Portland City Council:
1. Online via the Map App.
2. Email your comments with
“Comprehensive Plan Testimony” in the Subject
line to [email protected]. Be sure
to include your full name and mailing address.
3. Mail a letter with your comments to:
Council Clerk
1221 SW 4th Ave, Room 130
Portland, OR 97204
(Note: be sure to include your name and
mailing address.)
4. Attend a public hearing to offer oral
testimony directly to the City Council. The first
public hearing for the Comprehensive Plan is
tentatively scheduled for November 19, 2015 at 2
p.m. Check the Comp Plan Calendar for updated
time, other hearing dates and more information.
More information from the City: the draft Zoning map
for the MU Zones project was scheduled to be released
Monday, September 28, and will be available on the Map
App. The Discussion Draft for the project has been delayed
and will be released shortly after the maps. The Draft will
include the policy and code document as well as the Zoning
map that corresponds to all of the areas on the proposed
Comprehensive Plan map (what you see on the Map App)
that are designated Mixed Use.
Second, another City planning project being monitored
by the Irvington Land Use Committee (Committee) are
the zoning code changes recommended by the City for
additional dwelling units or ADUs. The Committee has
generally supported ADUs in Irvington if they comply
with historic review criteria, which can make them more
expensive. According to a Portland Tribune article, all
accessory buildings under the proposed changes, whether
used for residents, cars, or storage, would be treated the
same, and the height for such structures would be capped
at 20 feet. Such structures could be built closer to the
street, 40 feet rather than the current 60 feet. This may
be a problem for such structures in an historic district;
the Committee will be reviewing these changes at its next
meeting. Presently, the Systems Development Charges
are waived for ADUs, which has turned out to be a major
factor in the significant increase in ADUs over the last
3 years. The Irvington Historic District is now seeing
almost one ADU application every other month. Another
Tribune article detailed one of the problems with new
detached ADUs. The County assessor, implementing
state law, is reassessing the entire property when there is
new construction, the ADU, on one part of the property,
which means that the existing house on the property is also
reassessed, even though it was not modified in any way.
This means that the property taxes for the subject property
will increase and such increase could be dramatic. The
taxing and assessment laws in Oregon are complex to say
the least, thanks in large measure to three constitutional
amendments approved by the voters many years ago,
which were designed to limit property taxes and annual
increases in such taxes. Go to http://portlandtribune.
HISTORIC IRVINGTON NEWSLETTER
com/pt/9-news/273749-146747-code-changes-couldboost-number-of-adus for an article about proposed code
changes for ADUs. Then go to http://portlandtribune.
com/pt/9-news/273752-148211-county-city-at-odds-overaccessorydwelling-units for an article about the assessment
issues associated with new, detached ADUs. If you are
having trouble sleeping, a sure fire remedy would be to
click on the Multnomah County webpage and find your
way to their discussion of assessments on real property in
the county.
Third, the Committee is also following the work of
the SAC Parking Corridor Group which will be making
recommendations on parking permit zones in residential
districts. As many of you know, street parking in many
portions of Irvington can be a nightmare depending on the
time of day. These recommendations may make it easier to
establish a parking permit area. More on this topic in the
next newsletter.
Fourth, another City project on our radar is the
Residential Infill Project. From the City:
“In response to community concerns
about new development in Portland’s
residential neighborhoods, the Residential
Infill Project will evaluate the city’s singledwelling development standards. The
project will focus on three primary topics:
sale of houses, narrow lot development, and
alternative housing options. Following an
application process with over 90 applicants,
Mayor Charlie Hales appointed a 26-member
Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC) to
advise project staff. The SAC had their first
meeting on September 15th to introduce the
project staff and SAC members. Following
opening remarks by Mayor Charlie Hales and
Chief Planner Joe Zehnder, the group was
given a brief project overview (http://www.
portlandoregon.gov/bps/article/545267).”
The next SAC meeting will be held Tuesday, October 6,
2015, 6:00-8:30 p.m., 1900 SW Fourth Avenue, Room
2500 (second floor).
Fifth, a brief update on pending historic review
applications:
For the property at 2602 NE 13th, the proposal to
demolish an existing non-contributing, vacant house has
been granted, but not implemented. We assumed that the
applicant wants to get approval of the replacement house
before getting rid of the existing house. After discussions
with City staff and the Committee, the applicant heard
that the house was too tall, wide, and massive to meet the
relevant historic review criteria, and that the applicant
should move the house further back from the street, get
rid of the tuck under garage, and generally reduce the
overall mass, scale, and size of the proposed structure.
The applicant’s design and construction team wisely
availed themselves of the design advice offered by the
Landmarks Commission, which advice sounded very much
like the advice received from the Committee and the
neighbors. After the hearing, the City distributed notes of
the meeting, a summary of the comments, and advice from
the Commission. You can review same by going to http://
efiles.portlandoregon.gov/record/7999125 and clicking on
download, and reviewing the summary memo. We have
not heard from the applicant›s team as to their next move.
The proposed new apartment building proposed for the
parking lot in front of the Marcus Apartments at NE 11th
and Schuyler appears to be on hold. The hearing before
the Landmarks Commission, a continuation of the type
III appeal filed, has been postponed indefinitely. Other
than this information, I am not sure what the Bureau of
Development Services is doing with this matter. So far,
the Commission has continued to deny the applicant’s
proposals, originally and as amended.
Finally, the Committee must deal with new review
applications as they are deemed complete by the City
and published and mailed to nearby neighbors and the
Committee, which presently means 4 new applications
and 3 pending applications. We welcome new members
and land use meetings are public meetings, generally held
on the last Thursday evening of the month at Westminster
Church, but not always, depending on room availability,
holidays, and other scheduling issues. Best to check with
me or one of the current members. We will be posting the
schedule for 2015 fourth quarter on the ICA web site as
soon as I nail down the dates with the Church.
FALL 2015
Irvington Community Association Donates
over $20,000 to local non-profits in 2015
A
t its meeting on June 11, 2015, the ICA
Board awarded grants from its Charitable
Giving Program to fifteen (15) organizations
that provide valued service to people living in the
Irvington neighborhood. Funds were budgeted for
Charitable Giving in the ICA’s approved budget and
$20,554 in grants was awarded.
The Grant High School All-Night Party
Committee received $1,500 to help fund the June
2016 graduation night party. Grant expects to
graduate 380 students in 2016 and this donation will
help provide scholarships to students who would not
otherwise be able to afford attending the party. The
Grant All Night Party is a twenty-eight year tradition
that uses many neighborhood volunteers to provide
a drug and alcohol-free way for students to celebrate
their graduation.
Kinship House, which operates from two small
buildings located on NE 8th between Schuyler and
Hancock, received $1,500 to provide comprehensive
mental health assessment, counseling, and family
services for foster children and their families. The
program predominantly serves early childhood to
school aged children. Their goal is to find each one
a permanent loving home.
Loaves & Fishes received $2,000 for the Meals on
Wheels program that provides meals served at and
delivered from the kitchen facilities at its NE MLK,
Jr. Blvd. Center. They routinely deliver hot meals
to homebound, low-income adults and have recently
seen a significant increase in the number of seniors
needing meals. Their efforts to provide seniors with
adequate nutrition help to allow many people to
maintain their independence and remain in their
own homes. Meals on Wheels service is available to
anyone age 60 or older, regardless of income, who
lives in their service area.
Community Alliance of Tenants (CAT), a nonprofit organization that operates from Augustana
Lutheran Church on NE 14th and Knott, received
$1,000 to support its Housing Justice Program.
CAT is Oregon’s only statewide, grassroots, tenant
controlled, tenants rights organization. Its mission
is to educate and empower tenants to demand safe,
stable and affordable rental housing. Their Housing
Justice Program aims to develop educated and active
leaders who can effectively advocate for low-income
tenants.
Irvington Preschool received $1,000 to establish
a tuition assistance program for low-income families
to offset the cost of monthly tuition. The preschool
also operates from Augustana Lutheran Church and
has been in Irvington for over 50 years. They serve
30 children annually and on average, over the past
four years, 25% of their families have qualified for
full or partial tuition scholarship.
Metropolitan Family Services received $3,000
for its Project Linkage program. Project Linkage
provides in-home support and transportation
services to low-income older adults and people
with disabilities, the goal being to help them to
continue to live independently. Operating from their
location at NE 24th avenue between Thompson and
Tillamook, Project Linkage served 122 clients in
Irvington, providing over 4,800 rides. They have 15
transportation volunteers who live in Irvington and
the Program has strong ties in the neighborhood.
Home Forward (formerly the Portland Housing
Authority) received $3,000 to fund a major portion
of the cost of foot care clinics for the residents of
Dahlke Manor & Grace Peck Terrace. Over 200
low-income, elderly or disabled people live in the two
buildings, and the grant pays for the much-needed
services of a registered nurse. The foot care clinics
enable all the residents to be screened for diabetes
and its progression through regular examinations.
NE Child Development Center (NECDC)
received $1,000 to fund the majority of the cost for
FALL 2015
its weekly Imagination Yoga classes. They currently
serve 34 families with children ages one to five and
have found that offering yoga to the children in their
care helps to build strength, flexibility, self-confidence
and compassion. Now in its 30th year, NECDC is
a non-profit childcare center located in Westminster
Presbyterian Church’s building.
Hancock Street Preschool received $800 to
help fund their general tuition financial assistance
program. Also located at Westminster Presbyterian
Church, the leadership of this preschool has
determined that they do not want to turn away any
family that might find itself unexpectedly unable
to pay tuition during the school year, so they will
“bank” this money to aid in their financial support of
the families of their attending children.
Blueprint Ensemble Arts received $500 to
support its sponsorship program. The non-profit
organization, which rents space from Holiday Park
Church of God at NE 21st and Tillamook, is a
performing arts organization that offers 20 different
adult and youth ensembles to meet the needs of a
wide and diverse range of singers. Their goal is to
provide aid to participant singers that need financial
support in order to make progress with their desire
to perform choral music. This is the first time that
the organization has applied for and received a grant
from the ICA.
Irvington School applied for and received $2,054
to support the new principal’s proposal to fund a full
scholarship for a student’s participation in the 7th
and 8th graders’ spring trip to Washington, D.C.
Irvington students, along with adult chaperones, will
participate in educational tours in the nation’s capitol
during spring break of 2016.
U.S. Grant High School received $1,000 to
support arts programs for its students. Beverley
Cleary School – Fernwood Campus and Sabin
School each received $500 to support arts programs
for their students. Alameda School was asked to
submit an application for a grant, but declined to do
so. Alameda School told ICA representatives that
they would pass on the application for an ICA grant
in the hope that one of the other neighborhood area
schools with more need would be awarded money.
The Charitable Giving Program of the ICA has
been in place since 1992 and is a committee of the
ICA Board. The Oregon Community Foundation
advised the ICA Board on the setup of the program
and the guidelines for giving. The guidelines are
oriented toward serving the needs of the young
people and seniors in our neighborhood. The
program has defined criteria for eligibility; specifically
(1) that a recipient must be either a public school or
a 501c(3) organization under federal IRS rules, and
(2) that a recipient must either operate within or be
headquartered within the boundaries of the ICA.
Grants are awarded each year in June after a
competitive process administered by the ICA
Board that begins in April of each year. Its success
is completely dependent upon the success of the
Historic Irvington Home Tour. Thank you to all
who organize, manage and work on the Home Tour
Committee and thank you to all the homeowners
who offer their houses for the tour. None of these
awards would be possible without the efforts of these
dedicated volunteers.
Susan Hathaway-Marxer
Chair, Charitable Giving Committee
It’s a retirement thing.
Imagine a life where you have the
freedom to do more of the things
you want with less of the worry.
At Holladay Park Plaza,
we’re living that life. You can too.
Call today for a tour: 503.280.2216
Great Gifts For Gardeners!
1300 NE 16th Ave., Portland, OR 97232
www.retirement.org/hpp
Holladay Park Plaza is a Pacific
Retirement Services Community
HISTORIC IRVINGTON NEWSLETTER
PAGE 5
IRVINGTON HISTORIC
DISTRICT FAQ
by Peter O’Neil
Expect Eastside Expertise
Get Even More!
A question was asked recently that convinced me it was time to start up my Irvington Historic District FAQ
again. There‘s still a lot of misunderstanding and misinformation about the rules for remodeling in the
Historic District and how they work.
Question: “I want to convert my basement to an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU). Do you need
Irvington Historic Society approval if we don’t change the footprint?”
There are several errors just in the framing of that question. The first one is no big deal, but there is no
“Irvington historic society”; I suppose the questioner means Irvington Community Association. However, the
Irvington Community Association (ICA) does not approve building plans. The city does that. However, the
ICA does make exterior design recommendations which the city may, or may not, accept.
The Portland Bureau of Development Services (BDS) issues building permits. Historic Resource Review of
buildings within historic districts like Irvington is part of the permitting process. BDS inspects and approves
your new wiring and plumbing, for example, and it also reviews and approves your exterior design.
All alterations to the exterior of a building in the Irvington Historic District require review and approval by
BDS – not just changes to the footprint – but interior changes do not. They still need all the proper building
permits, but Historic Resource Review is not necessary for interior changes.
So where does that leave us in answering the question?
The proposed ADU is for a basement conversion. That’s an interior alteration so it does not require
Historic Resource Review and approval as long as it does not affect the exterior. Again, it needs all the
usual permits, but not historic review. If the construction includes changes to the basement windows
to accommodate the ADU, that window change would require the lowest and easiest level of review
and approval (Type I). Basement egress windows are routinely approved so that’s a small hurdle.
Question: I want to expand my bedroom and add a master bath, but I heard you can’t do that in
Irvington.
Lloyd Tower
825 NE Multnomah Street Suite 120
Portland OR 97232
a combined 45 years
experience in natural
nails and skincare
~manicures
~pedicures
~power polish
~organic facials
~waxing
~makeup artistry
Myers + Young Beauty
Cheryl Myers
nails
971.285.7664
Rema Young, LE
skin, waxing, makeup
720.299.1994
www.waxmasterrema.com
2415 NE Broadway Street Portland, OR 97232
What you’ve heard is incorrect. The City’s guidelines allow expansions to homes in the District. Expansions
to add floor space either by adding dormers (typically at the back of the house) or by extended the footprint
at the back of the house have been approved many times. The key to obtaining approval is to preserve
the historic character of the house while expanding the floor space. There are usually a number of ways to
accomplish this. The ICA’s Land Use Committee routinely works with home owners to find an approvable
approach to get the extra usable floor space they need. For example if you want to add one or more dormers to
your roof, making your attic space into a livable area, the dormers will need to fit the general architectural style
of the house and the City will require that their size doesn’t overwhelm the size and proportions of the house.
Major expansions of the footprint will also need to meet these criteria while also avoiding adding so much mass
as to overwhelm surrounding homes.
Question: If I expand my house while rehabbing the structure, can I get still the historic property tax
breaks?
The program you’re referring to is the Oregon Special Assessment which caps the increase in your home’s
assessed value for property tax purposes for 10 years. This can be especially useful when planning an
addition which will trigger a re-assessment despite the Measure 47 tax limitation rules. If there is substantial
rehabilitation coupled with the expansion, if (as is required anyway) the expansion passes the City’s Historic
Resource Review process, and if your house is defined as “Contributing” in the District, then yes, you are still
potentially eligible for the Special Assessment despite the modification to the structure. For more information
see the ICA’s website at www.irvingtonpdx.com or http://www.oregon.gov/oprd/HCD/SHPO/Pages/tax_
assessment.aspx
The Land Use Committee of the Irvington Community Association can help you if you’re thinking of
remodeling. We work with homeowners to help them create plans for their remodels that will likely be
approved by the city. Just contact me or Dean Gisvold if you have a remodeling project in mind so the Land
Use Committee advise you on your particular plan before you go to the city and pay your permit fees.
If you have questions about Irvington Historic District, contact me or any member of the ICA Board of
Directors.
DOCUMENT SHREDDING
M
ost of you know that the Saturday
before Mothers’ Day Irvington has
a cleanup day at the Holladay Park
Church of God, who hosts the cleanup in their
west side parking lot off 21st. The drop box’s go
down and your unwanted junk gets hauled away.
All the stuff that is too good to toss gets regenerated
back into good use again. We are very thankful
to the church parishioners and other volunteers
who have generously given their time to make this
event successful. There have been many requests
for document shedding to be part of the cleanup.
Unfortunately, it has never worked out. However, the
church will sponsor a document shredding event on
PAGE 6
HISTORIC IRVINGTON NEWSLETTER
October 10th. Please take advantage of this event to
unload that pile of papers and unneeded documents.
Shredding will be done by Steve Walsh of Steve’s
Shredding, who is licensed and bonded.
HOLLADAY Park Church of God
2120. BE Tillamook Street
Portland Oregon 97212
9 am to 1 pm
West parking lot at 21st
50 cents per pound or $10.00 per 12x10” box
FALL 2015
Indies First Day
I’ve lived in and loved Irvington for 23
years – you’ve probably seen me around
the neighborhood! I’d love to help you
buy or sell in Irvington and beyond!
By Sally McPherson (Sally is co-owner of Broadway Books and an ICA board member)
I
rvington resident and bestselling author Cheryl
Strayed was recently named national spokesperson
for this year’s Indies First Day, a day of celebration
created two years ago by author Sherman Alexie as a way
for book authors and illustrators to show their love and
support for their favorite local independent bookstores.
That first year, more than 1100 of Sherman’s colleagues
spent the Saturday after Thanksgiving meeting with
customers and hand-selling their favorite books. One
of those authors was Cheryl Strayed, who spent much
of the day working at Broadway Books in northeast
Portland, signing and answering questions about her
books—she’s the author of Torch, Wild, Tiny Beautiful
Things, and a new book of inspirational quotations, Brave Enough, which will be published on October 27th—and also
recommending books by other authors she loves.
In her recent letter to authors and illustrators, inviting them to participate in the event this year, Cheryl described
Indies First as “a way to say thank you” to independent booksellers. “There are so many ways that a rich and vibrant
network of independent booksellers contribute to the betterment of book culture in America,” she wrote, «but perhaps
the most important one is the support they give to authors and illustrators by hand-selling their books. I love that term,
hand-selling. It reminds us that humans are involved, humans with a passion for language and stories and pictures.”
Cheryl will be in Australia on November 28th, on tour for her new book, but if she weren’t she said, “I’d be spending
this Indies First Day the way I spent the first one—at Broadway Books, the beloved independent bookstore I’m fortunate
enough to have in my neighborhood. Several of my local author friends do plan to be at Broadway Books that day,
sharing book recommendations and signing their books for customers, so I know it will be a fun day.” Though Cheryl will
not be joining them this year, signed and personalized copies of her books are always available through Broadway Books.
Cheryl and her husband, documentary filmmaker Brian Lindstrom, and their son Carver and daughter Bobbi moved
into the Irvington neighborhood in 2013, but they have long been customers and supporters of many of the local stores
and businesses in northeast Portland. In an interview shortly after they settled into their new home, Cheryl emphasized
“I’m an east side person,” explaining why she loves it here: “This is home. I love Portland. I feel so lucky that I have access
to an incredibly vibrant urban center – which is really where I see my life – and also the wild places that are so close,
within thirty minutes. The coast, too. It’s just an hour and a half away and there you are on this incredibly rugged beach.”
Indies First Day takes place on Small Business Saturday, which this year is November 28th. Shopping at your
neighborhood businesses on Small Business Saturday is a great to let them know you appreciate them! Another
independent neighborhood bookstore which you should visit is A Children’s Place at 15th and Fremont.
Each Office Independently Owned and Operated
237 NE Broadway, Portland, OR 97232 503-287-8989
JUDITH ROLFE
503-516-8632 [email protected]
Fall’s here, and your comfortable, safe
home awaits
By Stephanie Swanson
Enhabit (formerly Clean Energy Works).
A
fter what seemed like an endless, hot summer,
we’re all breathing a sigh of relief as temperatures
are finally dropping—winter is just around the
corner! But before the cold sets in for good, fall is the perfect
time to take some easy steps to make your home cozier,
healthier and safe for this winter and beyond.
Watch your windows. Did you know your windows
can help keep your home warm in the winter? Take
advantage of the winter sun’s heat by opening south-facing
curtains, drapes and blinds during the day, and then
closing window coverings at night to keep the heat in. If
you don’t have blinds or shades, consider installing them to
reduce heat loss (they’ll also help keep your house cool next
summer).
Lower the dial and get cozy. Keep your home 10 to
15 degrees cooler when you are not at home, and lower
the temperature slightly at night to save energy. Nothing’s
cozier than bundling up with blankets on a winter night!
Breathe easy. Many homes trap allergens and
pollutants, which affect indoor air quality and can seriously
impact the whole family. Checking for radon and installing
a carbon monoxide detector are two simple steps that will
help everyone breathe more easily.
Get prepared. Back to school is a great time to take
stock of emergency preparedness plans and supplies. It’s
also a good time to ensure your home is prepared for what
may come. Seismic “hardening” of your home helps keep
your home secured during severe storms, high winds and
earthquakes. It’s also a necessary first step if you’re looking
to get earthquake insurance.
For more information about how to improve the
comfort, health and safety of your home, visit Enhabit.
org/neighborhood and take a quick online quiz, or if
you’re ready – schedule a free in-home visit with an
Enhabit-certified contractor. Our qualified contractors
and easy financing are available for a variety of home
upgrades including energy efficiency improvements, radon
mitigation, seismic retrofits and solar energy installations.
Enhabit (formerly Clean Energy Works), a non-profit, is
the next step for homeowners who want to make their homes
work and feel better. From the initial review of your home,
to choosing a trusted contractor or financing to choosing the
right efficiency and health and safety upgrades, Enhabit is
committed to high-performance home renewal that makes
sense.
P
remier
MORTGAGE
R E S O U R C E S
Fine Home Remodeling & Maintenance
The Total Home Care Difference
503-282-0545
www.cooperdesignbuilders.com
Design ◦ Remodel ◦ Small Projects ◦ Repair ◦ Maintenance
FALL 2015
HISTORIC IRVINGTON NEWSLETTER
PAGE 7
FALL 2015
Challenge to the Historic
District is Rejected
By Steve Cole
District intact.
T
Given the proliferation of home demolitions
occurring in Alameda and our other
abutting neighborhoods, this comes as
a relief to many of the neighbors in the
challenged blocks, some of whom may
initially have been sympathetic to the
challenge, but now see the biggest benefit to
the historic district in the protection from
wanton demolition and construction of
hugely out-of-scale, expensive replacements.
A recent KGW story which focused on
the loss of homes in Alameda has a good
visual representation of the impacts from
developers who don’t live in our city and are
more concerned with making money than
neighborhood livability – in an area without
Historic District protections. Another side
effect of the demolitions and lot-splitting
which occurs in other neighborhoods is the
loss of stately old trees. In Alameda, many
large trees have been cut down in order to
build a larger home or add a home to an
over-sized lot. In fact, the only proposed
demolition we have pending in Irvington
is the non-contributing house at 2602 NE
13th, which is described in the land use
article by Dean Gisvold.
he challenge to the Irvington
Historic District by a group of
neighbors from the northeast part
of the District unhappy with the historic
designation may well be at an end. For those
of you new to the neighborhood, or may have
just not heard, a small group of neighbors
who live in the blocks which are currently
considered by the City as both in the
Irvington neighborhood and in the Alameda
neighborhood, prepared a formal application
to remove the blocks east of 21st and north
of Knott from the Irvington Historic District.
The core argument advanced by the group
was that the area was historically known as
part of Alameda, even though a significant
part of it was originally platted in the
Irvington development.
The application for the boundary change
was first rejected at the city level last spring
when the Portland Historic Landmarks
Commission recommended denial. The
Commission noted that there was no
difference in the percentage of historic homes
in the challenged area, or even the type
compared to other areas of Irvington. The
next stage of review was a hearing before
the State Advisory Commission on Historic
Preservation, held in Eugene. The SACHP voted to
reject the application. The group then exercised their
right of appeal to the Keeper of the National Register
of Historic Places in Washington, D.C., a part of
the National Park Service in the U.S. Department
of the Interior. The Keeper denied their request as
well. The only remaining option for the applicants
is now an appeal of the Keeper’s decision to the U.S.
Secretary of the Interior.
Rebutting the challenge required having several board
members and neighborhood volunteers take time
to testify at the various hearings. While we never
thought the challenge would be successful, in an
abundance of caution, the ICA also hired an expert,
at an expense of over $3,000, to prepare the ICA’s
formal, technical rebuttal. In support of that formal
response, the ICA’s Historic Preservation Committee
also assembled some 40 pages of documentation
in support of retaining the area in question in the
District. Also, a number of neighbors also took time
to write letters in support of keeping the Historic
While the historic district arguably has a
few downsides, its benefits are numerous
and undeniable. Those benefits will become clearer
in the upcoming years as the neighborhoods around
us change in ways that alter their character and
further aggravate Portland’s problems with housing
affordability.
More details of the applications for boundary change
and the arguments against it (and a great deal more
information about the Historic District) can be found
at http://www.irvingtonpdx.com/historic-overview/
P.O. Box 12102
Portland, OR 97212
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT NO. 88
GRESHAM, OR
Irvington Community Association
HISTORIc
IRVINGTON
IRVINGTON
NEWSLETTER
¶
¶
A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E I R V I N G T O N C O M M U N I T Y A S S O C I AT I O N
FALL 2015
FREE
2,600 Trees and Counting…
By Peter O’Neil
Y
ou may have seen us over the summer –
dressed in our da-glo vests, clipboards and
tape measures in hand, walking the streets
of Irvington, stopping to measure, locate, identify and
assess each street tree.
As part of Portland Parks & Recreation Urban
Forestry ongoing project to inventory all the street
trees in the city, Irvington volunteers took to the
streets this summer to help out. We have inventoried
2,600 trees in our neighborhood so far, and all told,
Irvington volunteers have contributed more than
350 hours to the project. (Thank you volunteers!)
The city is collecting the data to set a baseline of the
health and viability of our tree canopy. When the
inventory is complete, the neighborhood will create
a management plan to maintain and improve our
urban forest.
“The data isn’t all collected for Irvington yet,
but I expect we will find that much of the canopy
is provided by mature trees, and that the need now
is to focus on planting all available large sites with
appropriately sized large trees in order to ensure
that in 30 years Irvington will have large trees as the
current ones reach the end of their lifespan,” said Julie
Fukuda of Portland Urban Forestry.
The idea is to assure that future generations
will benefit from a healthy tree canopy as we do
today. The trees are an important public asset in
our urban environment where they serve as a buffer
between the streets and our homes. They filter storm
water, reduce the effects of car emissions, increase
property values, calm traffic, and regulate summer
temperatures. Our trees are invaluable.
Irvington has a variety of them. There are
the magnificent trees like Norway maples, horse
By Peter O’Neil
D
FALL 2015
Irvington. Some example action items that could be
included in the plan are:
• Neighborhood pruning and young tree care
workshops
• Neighborhood tree planting events
• Educational tree walks or tree bike tours
• Tree diversity workshops
• Tree pests and diseases workshops
There will be a Tree Summit on Saturday,
November 7 at Mount Scott Community Center,
5530 SE 72nd Ave in SE Portland where all this
will be discussed and plans will be started. If you’d
like to get involved, contact me at treeinventory@
irvingtonpdx.com
Tree Pruning Permits
id you know that homeowners in
Portland are responsible for caring
for the street trees in front of their
homes? This includes keeping them properly pruned.
Homeowners must get a permit from the City to
cut any limbs over a quarter inch in diameter. Some
street tree pruning permits can be self-issued online if
they meet these criteria:
•
chestnuts, sweetgums and lindens all over the
neighborhood. We also have other interesting and
unusual species like the Heritage Caucasian Wingnut
trees that help create the beautiful tunnel of leaves at
Knott & 15th, a variety of evergreen oaks on 11th
just north of Knott, Eucalyptus on 11th near Stanton
and at least one producing peach tree on Klickitat
near 24th. This diversity of trees contributes to the
overall health of the canopy and adds to the general
well-being of the neighborhood.
The volunteers are finished with our part of the
street tree inventory and now Urban Forestry staff
will complete it. The next steps for volunteers is to
get involved with the creation of our action plan for
The street tree is at a residential-zoned property.
•
Pruning is for branches less than 6” in diameter
at attachment to the stem.
•
Pruning is for young tree pruning, crown
cleaning or crown raising for clearance of the
street and sidewalk.
•
The street tree is not a Heritage Tree.
Young tree pruning is the pruning of young trees to
develop good structure, including a strong and well
established central leader, strong branch attachments,
and adequate spacing and distribution of scaffold
branches. Young tree pruning occurs on an ongoing
basis the first ten years after tree planting.
HISTORIC IRVINGTON NEWSLETTER
Crown cleaning is the removal of water sprouts and
dead, dying, diseased, crowded, weakly attached, and
low vigor branches from a tree›s crown.
Crown raising for clearance of the street and sidewalk
removes the lower branches of a tree in order to provide
clearance for vehicles, pedestrians, and buildings. The
city requires maintaining clearance standards 7.5’ above
the sidewalk, 11’ above residential streets, and 14’ above
main arterial streets.
Permits for this kind of pruning are free. You can get
more information and apply for a permit online at www.
portlandoregon.gov/trees/65396.
PAGE 1
ica board members • 2014-2015
From the PRESIDENT
Steven Cole
L
ike many parents, our short summer (thanks PPS)
revolved around the kids’ summer camps. My
daughter spent a week at Grace Art Camp and
four weeks at Oregon Ballet Theater’s Summer Intensive. Both
of those were in Portland. However, my son’s music camps
were a little more distant. We had to drive around the Pacific
Northwest taking him to, and picking him up from, three
different summer camps. One camp was with the Vancouver
Symphony Orchestra in Whistler, B.C., at which he played
bassoon. After a couple of weeks back here in Portland, we
took him to Port Townsend for a jazz camp where he played
saxophone. After a week of that, we picked him up from Port
Townsend and delivered him to Bellingham, Washington for
a two-week camp called Marrowstone, where he again played
bassoon.
In addition to enjoying a lot of spectacular scenery,
I spent some time looking at the development in Seattle
and Vancouver, B.C. Both of those cities are developing
faster than Portland as far as buildings going up. However,
in some regards, both are starting to surpass Portland
in innovative and forward thinking infrastructure.
Particularly in the area of bike infrastructure.
Some of you may have read recently that Portland’s
congestion is increasing as more people move into the
metro area. There are several ways to reduce driving
congestion, including improving mass transit and
creating transit-oriented development. However, the most
inexpensive method, with likely the biggest impact, is to
create a better bike infrastructure so that we increase the
number of bike riders. More cyclists translates to fewer
cars on the road. With our close proximity to downtown
and the, soon to be very active, Lloyd District, improving
our cycling infrastructure will improve the already great
livability of Irvington.
Part of that better infrastructure needs to include
protected bikeways as well as additional methods to
dissuade fast cars on greenways/bike boulevards. Surveys
have shown that there are many people who would like to
bike to various destinations, be that grocery stores, schools,
or whatnot, but don’t feel comfortable riding in bike lanes
on busy streets. More protected bikeways will help Portland
take the next step towards becoming a world class biking
city.
More cyclists will also help local businesses along
our commercial corridors. Studies have shown that
when cycling infrastructure is improved, cyclists are
more likely to shop at businesses along their routes and
spend more money than car drivers. http://www.citylab.
com/cityfixer/2015/03/the-complete-business-case-forconverting-street-parking-into-bike-lanes/387595/. For
NE Broadway, the positive impact will likely be even more
dramatic as increasing the bikeway will likely act as a traffic
calming device and thus make the corridor more pedestrian
friendly, adding a new customer base.
As mentioned in previous articles, the ICA is working
with surrounding neighborhood and business associations
to improve NE Broadway and we will continue to advocate
for better, safer bike access on Broadway/Weidler. We are
still working out how best to implement that. We will
also be looking at improved bike access in other parts of
the neighborhood and surrounding areas. For instance,
the current design of 7th Avenue has often come up as
something which could be improved. We will be discussing
whether it makes sense to encourage the city to make
bike infrastructure improvements on that street, perhaps
looking at the possibility of diverters. There should soon
be a greenway installed on 26th Avenue. Irvington has
allocated funds for bike amenities on Broadway at 26th.
There are likely other areas where bike infrastructure could
be improved in our neighborhood (possibly Knott). If you
have ideas, please contact me.
In June we created a new officer position, that
of Communications Officer. Tiffanie Shakespeare takes
on that new duty. Part of my goal for this coming year
is, once again, to try and improve communication and
outreach to our neighbors. We hope to procure lawn signs
to give notice to people that a meeting is occurring so more
people will attend the meetings. We are already one of the
best attended neighborhood board meetings in Portland.
However, we can still do better. More diversity of opinion
and perspective is always desired. For instance, we would
like to get more renters or people who live in multi-family
housing who may offer a perspective different from that
of a homeowner. We will also continue to improve our
website, which has been totally made over in the past year.
Other matters we plan on addressing in the
upcoming year include a rewrite of our bylaws. The bylaws
are long overdue for a revision as they have not been
rewritten for about 25 years. You can find our current
bylaws on the ICA website, www.irvingtonpdx.com.
Thank you to those of you who joined us for our
summer ice cream social on National Night Out. In particular, we would like to thank Whole Foods who once again
donated the ice cream. We will begin to plan our holiday
party, which was a resounding success last year. If you are
interested in helping to organize that event please give me
a call or shoot me an email. We should have some finalized
plans in place by the end of October.
Finally, welcome to new board members Ryan
Carson, Colin Burns, Sally McPherson, Meryl Logue,
and Jon Eaton. And, a big thank you to departing board
members Tom Mertes, Nathan Christenson, and Brian
Schaeperkoetter for making our neighborhood a better
place. While Brian has stepped down from the board, he
has taken over as chair of the Home Tour Committee. We
want to give Kim Bissell, the former chair of the Home
Tour Committee, a special thank you for her incredible
leadership in making the home tour a resounding success
year after year. While there are many volunteers have been
instrumental in making the home tour a national draw,
Kim’s energy, organization, and willingness to give her
time, were unmatched.
Just a reminder, we have board member positions come
up for election every year. If you think that you might be
interested in becoming a board member, please feel free to
attend our meetings. Even if you don’t want to be a board
member, everyone is welcome to attend on the second
Thursday of the month at the Irvington School library.
Steve Cole
OFFICERS
President: Steven Cole
[email protected]
503-754-7713
Vice President: William Archer
[email protected]
503-287-3804
Treasurer: Jeff Jones
[email protected]
503-281-1023
Secretary: Beverly Burn
[email protected]
Communications: Tiffanie Shakespeare
[email protected]
DIRECTORS
Jim Barta
[email protected]
Colin Burn
[email protected]
Ryan Carson
[email protected]
Barb Christopher
[email protected]
Christine Coers-Mitchell
[email protected]
Nathan Corser
[email protected]
Jon Eaton
[email protected]
Dean Gisvold
[email protected]
Susan Hathaway-Marxer
[email protected]
Pam Lindholm-Levy
[email protected]
Meryl Llogue
[email protected]
Michela McMahon
[email protected]
Sally McPherson
[email protected]
Jason Messer
[email protected]
Peter O’Neil
[email protected]
Tiffanie Shakespeare
[email protected]
Beverly Burn
[email protected]
503-544-2429
503-740-5216
503-335-1476
503-493-0671
503-284-3885
503-281-5629
503-460-3100
503-287-6196
503-312-4175
503-471-3402
503-680-2840
COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Beautification
Jason Messer • [email protected]
Charitable Giving
Susan Hathaway-Marxer • [email protected]
Historic Preservation
Barb Christopher • [email protected]
Home Tour
Brian Schaeperkoetter • [email protected]
Land Use
Dean Gisvold • [email protected]
NECN Representatives
Steven Cole • [email protected]
Peter O’Neil • [email protected]
Newsletter
Steven Cole • [email protected]
Newsletter Advertising
Tiffanie Shakespeare • [email protected]
Parks
Jason Messer • [email protected]
Jeff Jones • [email protected]
Website
Tiffanie Shakespeare • [email protected]
NEIGHBORHOOD RESOURCES
503-823-7309
Abandoned Vehicles (24-hour hotline)
Abandoned Vehicles (daytime)
503-823-6814
Animal Control
503-988-3066
Bicycle Program
503-823-2925
Garbage Service Info/Problems
503-823-7202
Graffiti Cleanup (Info/assistance)
503-823-5860
Graffiti Hotline (Police)
503-823-4824
Landlord/Tenant Mediation
503-282-1964
NE Coalition of Neighborhoods
503-823-4575
NE Crime Prevention
503-823-4763
NE Precinct (Police)
503-823-2122
Neighborhood Mediation
503-823-3152
Noise Reporting & Control
503-823-7350
Office of Neighborhood Involvement
503-823-4519
Parking Enforcement
503-823-5195
Rider Advocates
503-823-4223
Street Light Outages & Tree Trims
503-823-5216
Tree Planting Information
503-823-4489
Zoning/Code Enforcement
503-823-7526
LEGISLATORS
State Representatives
Lew Frederick
503-986-1433
[email protected]
Barbara Smith Warner
503-986-1445
[email protected]
State Senators
Michael Dembrow
[email protected]
503-986-1723
Chip Shields
[email protected]
503-231-2564
now solar powered!
503-281-8075
www.cloudburstrecycling.com
DROP BOX SERVICE
COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL GARBAGE COLLECTION
* MAXIMUM RECYCLING *
We collect -- COOKING OIL for BIODIESEL
& FOOD WASTE for COMPOSTING
Page 2
HISTORIC IRVINGTON NEWSLETTER
FALL 2015
Raise the
Wage
The following was submitted by Raise
the Wage Oregon, a coalition seeking to
raise Oregon’s minimum wage.
THE
IRVINGTON
COMMUNITY
ASSOCIATION
P.O. BO X 12102, P O RT L A N D, O RE GO N 97212
T
he Raise the Wage coalition is a
growing group of workers, businesses,
and community groups who have
come together to raise up all of Oregon by giving
workers a much-needed raise. We believe that
Oregonians who work hard and play by the rules
should be able to feed their families and their
bills.
Right now, an Oregonian working full time
for minimum wage is making less than $20,000
per year. No matter where you live, $1,600 a
month is not enough to afford the basics such as
rent, food, and childcare.
A recent report by Our Oregon found that
a $13.50 minimum wage would provide a base
self-sufficiency income in even Oregon’s most
rural counties. In Portland, the hourly wage
needed is much higher – closer to $20 an hour –
due to the high cost of living.
For example, to afford a two-bedroom
apartment in Portland, a worker would need
to earn $18.15 an hour to not be considered
“cost-burdened” by their rent (meaning they
spent no more than 30 percent of their income
on housing). This is why Raise the Wage is also
pushing to restore power to cities and counties to
address low wages on their own.
Over half a million Oregonians will
be impacted if the statewide wage floor is
increased to $13.50 an hour. We know that
working Oregonians and their families need
a raise, and they need it now. To learn more
about Raise the Wage or to get involved, go to
www.raisethewageoregon.org, or email info@
raisethewageoregon.org.
The ICA meets on the second Thursday
of every month (except July and August),
7 p.m. at the Irvington Elementary
School, 1320 NE Brazee St.
Local issues are discussed and all Irvington
residents are welcome to attend.
Are you looking for the minutes from our recent board meetings?
Minutes are posted in full on our Web site at www.irvingtonpdx.com.
FALL LEAF
PICKUP
Antique &
Collectible Shows
October 24 & 25
Portland Expo Center - 1,000 booths
January 16 & 17, 2016
Clark County Fairgrounds - 400 booths
The unique items to complete your vintage
home are at these shows.
500 Booths of juried handcrafted gifts
plus 500 booths of unique gift ideas
Two big weekends!
Nov. 27-29 & and Dec. 4-6
PORTLAND
EXPO CENTER
www.christinepalmer.net
(503)282-0877
Both shows
proudly presented by
FALL 2015
I
t’s Fall and the leaves are coming down. The schedule for and information about Fall leaf pick up is
available at https://www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation/article/363503. The cost is $30. Pick-up
for areas in Irvington will be on the following dates:
Zone
NE 3
NE 4
NE 5
Area
Irvington D
Irvington A
Irvington C
Date 1
11/6/2015
11/3/2015
11/8/2015
Date 2
11/28/2015
11/24/2015
12/6/2015
The website has a search box to determine your area – simply input your address.
You can opt out of the service, but then you cannot rake leaves into the street. You can opt out by following
the directions on the website above or by calling 503.865.5323, Monday through Friday 8 am – 5 pm. The
opt out deadline is November 1, 2015.
Please remember that on leaf pick-up days, there will be trucks and removal vehicles on the street making
travel in the neighborhood more congested.
HISTORIC IRVINGTON NEWSLETTER
PAGE 3
Trade Roots
LAND USE UPDATE
By Dean Gisvold
Providing support for our community —
and around the world.
Shop local, think global.
1831 NE Broadway • 503-281-5335
www.traderootsinc.com
PAGE 4
As usual, the Land Use Committee has a full plate and
then some.
First, the Planning and Sustainability Commission
(PSC) approved and sent on to City Council the long
awaited revisions to Portland’s Comprehensive Plan
(Revised Plan), a process required by state law. Although
the Board of Directors for the Irvington Community
Association approved several recommendations for
“downzoning” a small portion of the Historic District
along NE Broadway, the PSC chose to ignore those
recommendations. The revised Plan does recognize the
fact that current zoning guidelines contain twice the
capacity needed to accommodate today’s population and
the influx of new residents over the next 20 years. In
short, additional density is not needed, and indeed, specific
downzoning provisions would be appropriate. Go to http://
www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/article/542536 for a link
to the Revised Plan and its many components. There is
a change in zoning for the half block between Broadway
and Schuyler, from NE 16th to NE 28th. There are
also changes to a small area adjoining NE 7th, and from
Broadway north a block or so.
From the City, you can share your feedback with the
Portland City Council:
1. Online via the Map App.
2. Email your comments with
“Comprehensive Plan Testimony” in the Subject
line to [email protected]. Be sure
to include your full name and mailing address.
3. Mail a letter with your comments to:
Council Clerk
1221 SW 4th Ave, Room 130
Portland, OR 97204
(Note: be sure to include your name and
mailing address.)
4. Attend a public hearing to offer oral
testimony directly to the City Council. The first
public hearing for the Comprehensive Plan is
tentatively scheduled for November 19, 2015 at 2
p.m. Check the Comp Plan Calendar for updated
time, other hearing dates and more information.
More information from the City: the draft Zoning map
for the MU Zones project was scheduled to be released
Monday, September 28, and will be available on the Map
App. The Discussion Draft for the project has been delayed
and will be released shortly after the maps. The Draft will
include the policy and code document as well as the Zoning
map that corresponds to all of the areas on the proposed
Comprehensive Plan map (what you see on the Map App)
that are designated Mixed Use.
Second, another City planning project being monitored
by the Irvington Land Use Committee (Committee) are
the zoning code changes recommended by the City for
additional dwelling units or ADUs. The Committee has
generally supported ADUs in Irvington if they comply
with historic review criteria, which can make them more
expensive. According to a Portland Tribune article, all
accessory buildings under the proposed changes, whether
used for residents, cars, or storage, would be treated the
same, and the height for such structures would be capped
at 20 feet. Such structures could be built closer to the
street, 40 feet rather than the current 60 feet. This may
be a problem for such structures in an historic district;
the Committee will be reviewing these changes at its next
meeting. Presently, the Systems Development Charges
are waived for ADUs, which has turned out to be a major
factor in the significant increase in ADUs over the last
3 years. The Irvington Historic District is now seeing
almost one ADU application every other month. Another
Tribune article detailed one of the problems with new
detached ADUs. The County assessor, implementing
state law, is reassessing the entire property when there is
new construction, the ADU, on one part of the property,
which means that the existing house on the property is also
reassessed, even though it was not modified in any way.
This means that the property taxes for the subject property
will increase and such increase could be dramatic. The
taxing and assessment laws in Oregon are complex to say
the least, thanks in large measure to three constitutional
amendments approved by the voters many years ago,
which were designed to limit property taxes and annual
increases in such taxes. Go to http://portlandtribune.
HISTORIC IRVINGTON NEWSLETTER
com/pt/9-news/273749-146747-code-changes-couldboost-number-of-adus for an article about proposed code
changes for ADUs. Then go to http://portlandtribune.
com/pt/9-news/273752-148211-county-city-at-odds-overaccessorydwelling-units for an article about the assessment
issues associated with new, detached ADUs. If you are
having trouble sleeping, a sure fire remedy would be to
click on the Multnomah County webpage and find your
way to their discussion of assessments on real property in
the county.
Third, the Committee is also following the work of
the SAC Parking Corridor Group which will be making
recommendations on parking permit zones in residential
districts. As many of you know, street parking in many
portions of Irvington can be a nightmare depending on the
time of day. These recommendations may make it easier to
establish a parking permit area. More on this topic in the
next newsletter.
Fourth, another City project on our radar is the
Residential Infill Project. From the City:
“In response to community concerns
about new development in Portland’s
residential neighborhoods, the Residential
Infill Project will evaluate the city’s singledwelling development standards. The
project will focus on three primary topics:
sale of houses, narrow lot development, and
alternative housing options. Following an
application process with over 90 applicants,
Mayor Charlie Hales appointed a 26-member
Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC) to
advise project staff. The SAC had their first
meeting on September 15th to introduce the
project staff and SAC members. Following
opening remarks by Mayor Charlie Hales and
Chief Planner Joe Zehnder, the group was
given a brief project overview (http://www.
portlandoregon.gov/bps/article/545267).”
The next SAC meeting will be held Tuesday, October 6,
2015, 6:00-8:30 p.m., 1900 SW Fourth Avenue, Room
2500 (second floor).
Fifth, a brief update on pending historic review
applications:
For the property at 2602 NE 13th, the proposal to
demolish an existing non-contributing, vacant house has
been granted, but not implemented. We assumed that the
applicant wants to get approval of the replacement house
before getting rid of the existing house. After discussions
with City staff and the Committee, the applicant heard
that the house was too tall, wide, and massive to meet the
relevant historic review criteria, and that the applicant
should move the house further back from the street, get
rid of the tuck under garage, and generally reduce the
overall mass, scale, and size of the proposed structure.
The applicant’s design and construction team wisely
availed themselves of the design advice offered by the
Landmarks Commission, which advice sounded very much
like the advice received from the Committee and the
neighbors. After the hearing, the City distributed notes of
the meeting, a summary of the comments, and advice from
the Commission. You can review same by going to http://
efiles.portlandoregon.gov/record/7999125 and clicking on
download, and reviewing the summary memo. We have
not heard from the applicant›s team as to their next move.
The proposed new apartment building proposed for the
parking lot in front of the Marcus Apartments at NE 11th
and Schuyler appears to be on hold. The hearing before
the Landmarks Commission, a continuation of the type
III appeal filed, has been postponed indefinitely. Other
than this information, I am not sure what the Bureau of
Development Services is doing with this matter. So far,
the Commission has continued to deny the applicant’s
proposals, originally and as amended.
Finally, the Committee must deal with new review
applications as they are deemed complete by the City
and published and mailed to nearby neighbors and the
Committee, which presently means 4 new applications
and 3 pending applications. We welcome new members
and land use meetings are public meetings, generally held
on the last Thursday evening of the month at Westminster
Church, but not always, depending on room availability,
holidays, and other scheduling issues. Best to check with
me or one of the current members. We will be posting the
schedule for 2015 fourth quarter on the ICA web site as
soon as I nail down the dates with the Church.
FALL 2015
Irvington Community Association Donates
over $20,000 to local non-profits in 2015
A
t its meeting on June 11, 2015, the ICA
Board awarded grants from its Charitable
Giving Program to fifteen (15) organizations
that provide valued service to people living in the
Irvington neighborhood. Funds were budgeted for
Charitable Giving in the ICA’s approved budget and
$20,554 in grants was awarded.
The Grant High School All-Night Party
Committee received $1,500 to help fund the June
2016 graduation night party. Grant expects to
graduate 380 students in 2016 and this donation will
help provide scholarships to students who would not
otherwise be able to afford attending the party. The
Grant All Night Party is a twenty-eight year tradition
that uses many neighborhood volunteers to provide
a drug and alcohol-free way for students to celebrate
their graduation.
Kinship House, which operates from two small
buildings located on NE 8th between Schuyler and
Hancock, received $1,500 to provide comprehensive
mental health assessment, counseling, and family
services for foster children and their families. The
program predominantly serves early childhood to
school aged children. Their goal is to find each one
a permanent loving home.
Loaves & Fishes received $2,000 for the Meals on
Wheels program that provides meals served at and
delivered from the kitchen facilities at its NE MLK,
Jr. Blvd. Center. They routinely deliver hot meals
to homebound, low-income adults and have recently
seen a significant increase in the number of seniors
needing meals. Their efforts to provide seniors with
adequate nutrition help to allow many people to
maintain their independence and remain in their
own homes. Meals on Wheels service is available to
anyone age 60 or older, regardless of income, who
lives in their service area.
Community Alliance of Tenants (CAT), a nonprofit organization that operates from Augustana
Lutheran Church on NE 14th and Knott, received
$1,000 to support its Housing Justice Program.
CAT is Oregon’s only statewide, grassroots, tenant
controlled, tenants rights organization. Its mission
is to educate and empower tenants to demand safe,
stable and affordable rental housing. Their Housing
Justice Program aims to develop educated and active
leaders who can effectively advocate for low-income
tenants.
Irvington Preschool received $1,000 to establish
a tuition assistance program for low-income families
to offset the cost of monthly tuition. The preschool
also operates from Augustana Lutheran Church and
has been in Irvington for over 50 years. They serve
30 children annually and on average, over the past
four years, 25% of their families have qualified for
full or partial tuition scholarship.
Metropolitan Family Services received $3,000
for its Project Linkage program. Project Linkage
provides in-home support and transportation
services to low-income older adults and people
with disabilities, the goal being to help them to
continue to live independently. Operating from their
location at NE 24th avenue between Thompson and
Tillamook, Project Linkage served 122 clients in
Irvington, providing over 4,800 rides. They have 15
transportation volunteers who live in Irvington and
the Program has strong ties in the neighborhood.
Home Forward (formerly the Portland Housing
Authority) received $3,000 to fund a major portion
of the cost of foot care clinics for the residents of
Dahlke Manor & Grace Peck Terrace. Over 200
low-income, elderly or disabled people live in the two
buildings, and the grant pays for the much-needed
services of a registered nurse. The foot care clinics
enable all the residents to be screened for diabetes
and its progression through regular examinations.
NE Child Development Center (NECDC)
received $1,000 to fund the majority of the cost for
FALL 2015
its weekly Imagination Yoga classes. They currently
serve 34 families with children ages one to five and
have found that offering yoga to the children in their
care helps to build strength, flexibility, self-confidence
and compassion. Now in its 30th year, NECDC is
a non-profit childcare center located in Westminster
Presbyterian Church’s building.
Hancock Street Preschool received $800 to
help fund their general tuition financial assistance
program. Also located at Westminster Presbyterian
Church, the leadership of this preschool has
determined that they do not want to turn away any
family that might find itself unexpectedly unable
to pay tuition during the school year, so they will
“bank” this money to aid in their financial support of
the families of their attending children.
Blueprint Ensemble Arts received $500 to
support its sponsorship program. The non-profit
organization, which rents space from Holiday Park
Church of God at NE 21st and Tillamook, is a
performing arts organization that offers 20 different
adult and youth ensembles to meet the needs of a
wide and diverse range of singers. Their goal is to
provide aid to participant singers that need financial
support in order to make progress with their desire
to perform choral music. This is the first time that
the organization has applied for and received a grant
from the ICA.
Irvington School applied for and received $2,054
to support the new principal’s proposal to fund a full
scholarship for a student’s participation in the 7th
and 8th graders’ spring trip to Washington, D.C.
Irvington students, along with adult chaperones, will
participate in educational tours in the nation’s capitol
during spring break of 2016.
U.S. Grant High School received $1,000 to
support arts programs for its students. Beverley
Cleary School – Fernwood Campus and Sabin
School each received $500 to support arts programs
for their students. Alameda School was asked to
submit an application for a grant, but declined to do
so. Alameda School told ICA representatives that
they would pass on the application for an ICA grant
in the hope that one of the other neighborhood area
schools with more need would be awarded money.
The Charitable Giving Program of the ICA has
been in place since 1992 and is a committee of the
ICA Board. The Oregon Community Foundation
advised the ICA Board on the setup of the program
and the guidelines for giving. The guidelines are
oriented toward serving the needs of the young
people and seniors in our neighborhood. The
program has defined criteria for eligibility; specifically
(1) that a recipient must be either a public school or
a 501c(3) organization under federal IRS rules, and
(2) that a recipient must either operate within or be
headquartered within the boundaries of the ICA.
Grants are awarded each year in June after a
competitive process administered by the ICA
Board that begins in April of each year. Its success
is completely dependent upon the success of the
Historic Irvington Home Tour. Thank you to all
who organize, manage and work on the Home Tour
Committee and thank you to all the homeowners
who offer their houses for the tour. None of these
awards would be possible without the efforts of these
dedicated volunteers.
Susan Hathaway-Marxer
Chair, Charitable Giving Committee
It’s a retirement thing.
Imagine a life where you have the
freedom to do more of the things
you want with less of the worry.
At Holladay Park Plaza,
we’re living that life. You can too.
Call today for a tour: 503.280.2216
Great Gifts For Gardeners!
1300 NE 16th Ave., Portland, OR 97232
www.retirement.org/hpp
Holladay Park Plaza is a Pacific
Retirement Services Community
HISTORIC IRVINGTON NEWSLETTER
PAGE 5
IRVINGTON HISTORIC
DISTRICT FAQ
by Peter O’Neil
Expect Eastside Expertise
Get Even More!
A question was asked recently that convinced me it was time to start up my Irvington Historic District FAQ
again. There‘s still a lot of misunderstanding and misinformation about the rules for remodeling in the
Historic District and how they work.
Question: “I want to convert my basement to an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU). Do you need
Irvington Historic Society approval if we don’t change the footprint?”
There are several errors just in the framing of that question. The first one is no big deal, but there is no
“Irvington historic society”; I suppose the questioner means Irvington Community Association. However, the
Irvington Community Association (ICA) does not approve building plans. The city does that. However, the
ICA does make exterior design recommendations which the city may, or may not, accept.
The Portland Bureau of Development Services (BDS) issues building permits. Historic Resource Review of
buildings within historic districts like Irvington is part of the permitting process. BDS inspects and approves
your new wiring and plumbing, for example, and it also reviews and approves your exterior design.
All alterations to the exterior of a building in the Irvington Historic District require review and approval by
BDS – not just changes to the footprint – but interior changes do not. They still need all the proper building
permits, but Historic Resource Review is not necessary for interior changes.
So where does that leave us in answering the question?
The proposed ADU is for a basement conversion. That’s an interior alteration so it does not require
Historic Resource Review and approval as long as it does not affect the exterior. Again, it needs all the
usual permits, but not historic review. If the construction includes changes to the basement windows
to accommodate the ADU, that window change would require the lowest and easiest level of review
and approval (Type I). Basement egress windows are routinely approved so that’s a small hurdle.
Question: I want to expand my bedroom and add a master bath, but I heard you can’t do that in
Irvington.
Lloyd Tower
825 NE Multnomah Street Suite 120
Portland OR 97232
a combined 45 years
experience in natural
nails and skincare
~manicures
~pedicures
~power polish
~organic facials
~waxing
~makeup artistry
Myers + Young Beauty
Cheryl Myers
nails
971.285.7664
Rema Young, LE
skin, waxing, makeup
720.299.1994
www.waxmasterrema.com
2415 NE Broadway Street Portland, OR 97232
What you’ve heard is incorrect. The City’s guidelines allow expansions to homes in the District. Expansions
to add floor space either by adding dormers (typically at the back of the house) or by extended the footprint
at the back of the house have been approved many times. The key to obtaining approval is to preserve
the historic character of the house while expanding the floor space. There are usually a number of ways to
accomplish this. The ICA’s Land Use Committee routinely works with home owners to find an approvable
approach to get the extra usable floor space they need. For example if you want to add one or more dormers to
your roof, making your attic space into a livable area, the dormers will need to fit the general architectural style
of the house and the City will require that their size doesn’t overwhelm the size and proportions of the house.
Major expansions of the footprint will also need to meet these criteria while also avoiding adding so much mass
as to overwhelm surrounding homes.
Question: If I expand my house while rehabbing the structure, can I get still the historic property tax
breaks?
The program you’re referring to is the Oregon Special Assessment which caps the increase in your home’s
assessed value for property tax purposes for 10 years. This can be especially useful when planning an
addition which will trigger a re-assessment despite the Measure 47 tax limitation rules. If there is substantial
rehabilitation coupled with the expansion, if (as is required anyway) the expansion passes the City’s Historic
Resource Review process, and if your house is defined as “Contributing” in the District, then yes, you are still
potentially eligible for the Special Assessment despite the modification to the structure. For more information
see the ICA’s website at www.irvingtonpdx.com or http://www.oregon.gov/oprd/HCD/SHPO/Pages/tax_
assessment.aspx
The Land Use Committee of the Irvington Community Association can help you if you’re thinking of
remodeling. We work with homeowners to help them create plans for their remodels that will likely be
approved by the city. Just contact me or Dean Gisvold if you have a remodeling project in mind so the Land
Use Committee advise you on your particular plan before you go to the city and pay your permit fees.
If you have questions about Irvington Historic District, contact me or any member of the ICA Board of
Directors.
DOCUMENT SHREDDING
M
ost of you know that the Saturday
before Mothers’ Day Irvington has
a cleanup day at the Holladay Park
Church of God, who hosts the cleanup in their
west side parking lot off 21st. The drop box’s go
down and your unwanted junk gets hauled away.
All the stuff that is too good to toss gets regenerated
back into good use again. We are very thankful
to the church parishioners and other volunteers
who have generously given their time to make this
event successful. There have been many requests
for document shedding to be part of the cleanup.
Unfortunately, it has never worked out. However, the
church will sponsor a document shredding event on
PAGE 6
HISTORIC IRVINGTON NEWSLETTER
October 10th. Please take advantage of this event to
unload that pile of papers and unneeded documents.
Shredding will be done by Steve Walsh of Steve’s
Shredding, who is licensed and bonded.
HOLLADAY Park Church of God
2120. BE Tillamook Street
Portland Oregon 97212
9 am to 1 pm
West parking lot at 21st
50 cents per pound or $10.00 per 12x10” box
FALL 2015
Indies First Day
I’ve lived in and loved Irvington for 23
years – you’ve probably seen me around
the neighborhood! I’d love to help you
buy or sell in Irvington and beyond!
By Sally McPherson (Sally is co-owner of Broadway Books and an ICA board member)
I
rvington resident and bestselling author Cheryl
Strayed was recently named national spokesperson
for this year’s Indies First Day, a day of celebration
created two years ago by author Sherman Alexie as a way
for book authors and illustrators to show their love and
support for their favorite local independent bookstores.
That first year, more than 1100 of Sherman’s colleagues
spent the Saturday after Thanksgiving meeting with
customers and hand-selling their favorite books. One
of those authors was Cheryl Strayed, who spent much
of the day working at Broadway Books in northeast
Portland, signing and answering questions about her
books—she’s the author of Torch, Wild, Tiny Beautiful
Things, and a new book of inspirational quotations, Brave Enough, which will be published on October 27th—and also
recommending books by other authors she loves.
In her recent letter to authors and illustrators, inviting them to participate in the event this year, Cheryl described
Indies First as “a way to say thank you” to independent booksellers. “There are so many ways that a rich and vibrant
network of independent booksellers contribute to the betterment of book culture in America,” she wrote, «but perhaps
the most important one is the support they give to authors and illustrators by hand-selling their books. I love that term,
hand-selling. It reminds us that humans are involved, humans with a passion for language and stories and pictures.”
Cheryl will be in Australia on November 28th, on tour for her new book, but if she weren’t she said, “I’d be spending
this Indies First Day the way I spent the first one—at Broadway Books, the beloved independent bookstore I’m fortunate
enough to have in my neighborhood. Several of my local author friends do plan to be at Broadway Books that day,
sharing book recommendations and signing their books for customers, so I know it will be a fun day.” Though Cheryl will
not be joining them this year, signed and personalized copies of her books are always available through Broadway Books.
Cheryl and her husband, documentary filmmaker Brian Lindstrom, and their son Carver and daughter Bobbi moved
into the Irvington neighborhood in 2013, but they have long been customers and supporters of many of the local stores
and businesses in northeast Portland. In an interview shortly after they settled into their new home, Cheryl emphasized
“I’m an east side person,” explaining why she loves it here: “This is home. I love Portland. I feel so lucky that I have access
to an incredibly vibrant urban center – which is really where I see my life – and also the wild places that are so close,
within thirty minutes. The coast, too. It’s just an hour and a half away and there you are on this incredibly rugged beach.”
Indies First Day takes place on Small Business Saturday, which this year is November 28th. Shopping at your
neighborhood businesses on Small Business Saturday is a great to let them know you appreciate them! Another
independent neighborhood bookstore which you should visit is A Children’s Place at 15th and Fremont.
Each Office Independently Owned and Operated
237 NE Broadway, Portland, OR 97232 503-287-8989
JUDITH ROLFE
503-516-8632 [email protected]
Fall’s here, and your comfortable, safe
home awaits
By Stephanie Swanson
Enhabit (formerly Clean Energy Works).
A
fter what seemed like an endless, hot summer,
we’re all breathing a sigh of relief as temperatures
are finally dropping—winter is just around the
corner! But before the cold sets in for good, fall is the perfect
time to take some easy steps to make your home cozier,
healthier and safe for this winter and beyond.
Watch your windows. Did you know your windows
can help keep your home warm in the winter? Take
advantage of the winter sun’s heat by opening south-facing
curtains, drapes and blinds during the day, and then
closing window coverings at night to keep the heat in. If
you don’t have blinds or shades, consider installing them to
reduce heat loss (they’ll also help keep your house cool next
summer).
Lower the dial and get cozy. Keep your home 10 to
15 degrees cooler when you are not at home, and lower
the temperature slightly at night to save energy. Nothing’s
cozier than bundling up with blankets on a winter night!
Breathe easy. Many homes trap allergens and
pollutants, which affect indoor air quality and can seriously
impact the whole family. Checking for radon and installing
a carbon monoxide detector are two simple steps that will
help everyone breathe more easily.
Get prepared. Back to school is a great time to take
stock of emergency preparedness plans and supplies. It’s
also a good time to ensure your home is prepared for what
may come. Seismic “hardening” of your home helps keep
your home secured during severe storms, high winds and
earthquakes. It’s also a necessary first step if you’re looking
to get earthquake insurance.
For more information about how to improve the
comfort, health and safety of your home, visit Enhabit.
org/neighborhood and take a quick online quiz, or if
you’re ready – schedule a free in-home visit with an
Enhabit-certified contractor. Our qualified contractors
and easy financing are available for a variety of home
upgrades including energy efficiency improvements, radon
mitigation, seismic retrofits and solar energy installations.
Enhabit (formerly Clean Energy Works), a non-profit, is
the next step for homeowners who want to make their homes
work and feel better. From the initial review of your home,
to choosing a trusted contractor or financing to choosing the
right efficiency and health and safety upgrades, Enhabit is
committed to high-performance home renewal that makes
sense.
P
remier
MORTGAGE
R E S O U R C E S
Fine Home Remodeling & Maintenance
The Total Home Care Difference
503-282-0545
www.cooperdesignbuilders.com
Design ◦ Remodel ◦ Small Projects ◦ Repair ◦ Maintenance
FALL 2015
HISTORIC IRVINGTON NEWSLETTER
PAGE 7
FALL 2015
Challenge to the Historic
District is Rejected
By Steve Cole
District intact.
T
Given the proliferation of home demolitions
occurring in Alameda and our other
abutting neighborhoods, this comes as
a relief to many of the neighbors in the
challenged blocks, some of whom may
initially have been sympathetic to the
challenge, but now see the biggest benefit to
the historic district in the protection from
wanton demolition and construction of
hugely out-of-scale, expensive replacements.
A recent KGW story which focused on
the loss of homes in Alameda has a good
visual representation of the impacts from
developers who don’t live in our city and are
more concerned with making money than
neighborhood livability – in an area without
Historic District protections. Another side
effect of the demolitions and lot-splitting
which occurs in other neighborhoods is the
loss of stately old trees. In Alameda, many
large trees have been cut down in order to
build a larger home or add a home to an
over-sized lot. In fact, the only proposed
demolition we have pending in Irvington
is the non-contributing house at 2602 NE
13th, which is described in the land use
article by Dean Gisvold.
he challenge to the Irvington
Historic District by a group of
neighbors from the northeast part
of the District unhappy with the historic
designation may well be at an end. For those
of you new to the neighborhood, or may have
just not heard, a small group of neighbors
who live in the blocks which are currently
considered by the City as both in the
Irvington neighborhood and in the Alameda
neighborhood, prepared a formal application
to remove the blocks east of 21st and north
of Knott from the Irvington Historic District.
The core argument advanced by the group
was that the area was historically known as
part of Alameda, even though a significant
part of it was originally platted in the
Irvington development.
The application for the boundary change
was first rejected at the city level last spring
when the Portland Historic Landmarks
Commission recommended denial. The
Commission noted that there was no
difference in the percentage of historic homes
in the challenged area, or even the type
compared to other areas of Irvington. The
next stage of review was a hearing before
the State Advisory Commission on Historic
Preservation, held in Eugene. The SACHP voted to
reject the application. The group then exercised their
right of appeal to the Keeper of the National Register
of Historic Places in Washington, D.C., a part of
the National Park Service in the U.S. Department
of the Interior. The Keeper denied their request as
well. The only remaining option for the applicants
is now an appeal of the Keeper’s decision to the U.S.
Secretary of the Interior.
Rebutting the challenge required having several board
members and neighborhood volunteers take time
to testify at the various hearings. While we never
thought the challenge would be successful, in an
abundance of caution, the ICA also hired an expert,
at an expense of over $3,000, to prepare the ICA’s
formal, technical rebuttal. In support of that formal
response, the ICA’s Historic Preservation Committee
also assembled some 40 pages of documentation
in support of retaining the area in question in the
District. Also, a number of neighbors also took time
to write letters in support of keeping the Historic
While the historic district arguably has a
few downsides, its benefits are numerous
and undeniable. Those benefits will become clearer
in the upcoming years as the neighborhoods around
us change in ways that alter their character and
further aggravate Portland’s problems with housing
affordability.
More details of the applications for boundary change
and the arguments against it (and a great deal more
information about the Historic District) can be found
at http://www.irvingtonpdx.com/historic-overview/
P.O. Box 12102
Portland, OR 97212
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT NO. 88
GRESHAM, OR
Irvington Community Association
HISTORIc
IRVINGTON
