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Restore Oregon attacked this legislative session with high hopes and a concerted lobbying effort to fix Oregon’s broken preservation policies.  After a uniquely contentious session, the results were decidedly mixed.
The good news:

• Special Assessment was renewed through 2022. Special Assessment freezes assessed property value for ten years in exchange for the rehabilitation of National Register-listed buildings.
• $5 million was allocated for Main Street revitalization grants – Funds matching grants up to $200,000 to acquire, rehabilitate, or construct buildings in designated Main Streets.
• Special appropriations were made to preserve several historic buildings, including:
  • The Liberty Theatre – $1M for stage, house and facilities improvements of this Astoria landmark.
  • The Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center– $500,000 for preservation and renovation of their headquarters in Portland’s Chinatown-Japantown historic district.
  • 2019-2021 Budgets for the Cultural Trust and the Oregon Arts Commission were funded at the Governor’s recommended levels.

We’ll need to continue the fight for these bills:

SB 927-3: The Public Participation in Preservation Act. This bill would have fixed Oregon’s broken system for how historic properties are designated and protected, creating a balanced process of community engagement and local control.
SB 929 – The Preservation, Housing, and Seismic Safety Act.  Would have created a state tax credit-funded “Rehab Rebate” to offset costs of restoration and seismic retrofitting, and prioritized projects that provide housing.
HB 2208 – Would have created an Unreinforced Masonry Seismic Safety Fund to cover 35% of retrofitting costs up to a maximum amount of $1.5M per building.
 In addition to the walk-outs that disrupted and shorted the time frame for hearings and deliberation on our policy bill, the ongoing budget crunch made passage of a new tax credit or seismic fund a bridge too far.
HOWEVER, we generated significant interest in our proposals and Restore Oregon plans to bring them back in the 2020 “short session.”
Of Note for Livability and Affordability:
One of the most intensely debated bills of the session was HB 2001 which narrowly passed in the final minutes of the session.  It mandates that cities with populations over 10,000 allow multi-family, “middle housing” on all single family zoned lots. While the bill does not prohibit protection of historic resources through design review and other means, Restore Oregon and many others are concerned that this up-zoning will create an incentive to demolish existing less-expensive homes and replace them with more expensive units. It did not include requirements for affordability. Will this lead to displacement and loss of community cultural heritage?  In the quest for affordable housing, remember the most affordable home is already standing!Giving the public a voice in the designation and protection of their community’s heritage, and launching a historic tax credit to offset seismic upgrades and restoration are a top priority for Restore Oregon. Your donations allow us to keep fighting to save the places that matter to us all.

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Waldon Bros. Drugtore: Restore Oregon Seed Grant to be Used for Reuse Plan

Friends of the Waldron Brothers Drugstore–an Oregon non-profit corporation working to save and restore the building– is working with Restore Oregon and other partners to plan for an economically viable future for this local historic landmark. Friends of the Waldron Brothers Drugstore has recently been approved for grant funding from Restore Oregon to develop a reuse plan for the building. One option to repurpose it is as a shared event-space with the neighboring Festival Park.
The Waldron building has been a part of The Dalles community almost from the town’s inception and is listed as a contributing resource to The Dalles Commercial Historic District in the National Register of Historic Places. The City of The Dalles Historic Landmarks Commission has listed the preservation of the Waldron Brothers Drugstore as one of its long term goals.
The building’s namesake, Henry Waldron, came to The Dalles in 1854 as the town’s first teacher. He was appointed postmaster in 1862, and moved the Post Office into the Drugstore in 1867. His drugstore sold various necessities and also housed the town newspaper, professional offices, and the Masonic Lodge hall. Henry Waldron died after over‐exerting himself while helping others save their buildings and property during a downtown fire in 1878.
The Dalles, Portland & Astoria Navigation Company subsequently used the building as a ticket office, and in 1923, Jack Gitchell renovated the building into apartments and offices. Percy L. Manser, a local artist renowned for his public murals and paintings of the gorge, also had his sign business and studio in the building.
Easily visible from both the town and Interstate 84, the Waldron Brothers Drugstore is the building that locals and visitors see and remember as a beacon for historic The Dalles. A likeness of the façade graces street banners and inspired the design of the Union Street underpass. As seen from recent drone footage by local resident, Cliff Danger, it is the historic face of the town, an irreplaceable tie connecting the past to the present and the last remaining anchor of historic downtown The Dalles to the busy waterfront of the Columbia River.  
Various owners of the building have renovated and reused it many times in the recent past. In 1978, when the Union Pacific railroad tracks were shifted to the northern side of 1st Street, the City of The Dalles purchased the building with the explicit purpose of preserving it. In 1982, the Jaycees leased the building from the City to restore it, but efforts stalled. In 2009, the city, recognizing the intrinsic value of the building, commissioned an engineering study and completed recommended stabilization repairs including the installation of a new roof and gutter system to seismic standards, the rebuilding of the parapet walls, and the stabilization of a crack in the NW corner of the building caused by the old leaking roof and gutter.
Friends of the Waldron Brothers Drugstore has been working with established community non‐profits, interested officials, and local residents to enter into an agreement with the City for the restoration and reuse of the building. At this time, The Dalles Main Street–a non‐profit dedicated to the economic revitalization and historic preservation of the downtown–is interested in absorbing the current involved group of preservationists into a committee dedicated to the goal of restoring and reusing the Waldron Drugstore as office space and as a source of rental income. This project would preserve and reuse a valuable community historic resource, while strengthening and providing space, predictable income, and independence for the Main Street Program. However, this option is far from being realized and Friends of the Waldron Brothers Drugstore need support from the community and from around the state of Oregon.
Friends of the Waldron Bros. Drugstore need your support! To donate, visit: https://www.thedallesmainstreet.org/waldron-bro-drug
For further information on how to support this effort, contact Eric Gleason, President of Friends of the Waldron Brothers Drugstore, at egleasonjcheung@gmail.com or Katelyn Weber, Preservation Programs Manager, at katelyn@restoreoregon.org.
 

The post Saving Oregon’s Most Endangered Places: Waldron Brothers Drugstore appeared first on Restore Oregon.

The Robert and Charles Wilson Homes, constructed along the banks of the Deschutes River, are significant for two reasons: their mid-century architectural pedigree, and the little-known role played by the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon (CTWSRO) in Central Oregon’s lumber industry.

The Wilson houses once embodied post-WWII American culture due to their inception as vacation homes for an affluent family that found success in the lumber industry. When constructed, the property was the epitome of the “American Dream,” built at the expense of the Tribes’ economy. The CTWSRO’s reclamation of the Wilson property has redefined the resources’ significance, allowing for the potential to convey the story of the CTWSRO’s understated presence in the lumber business and eventual development of Warm Springs Forest Products Industries (WSFPI).

As such, rehabilitation of the Wilson homes and the implementation of a preservation program will foster CTWSRO’s potential to convey tribal history and strengthen future awareness of the tribal nation. In addition, the Tribes’ reclamation of this property provides opportunity to redefine the narrative of WSFPI with emphasis placed on the efforts made by the CTWSRO to regain control of their economy by adapting resources that others developed on their Reservation, even after the closure of the mill.

The proposed project is a two-part preservation strategy that involves the immediate stabilization of the Robert and Charles Wilson houses and development of a long-term adaptive reuse plan for the property. The stabilization of the homes will support the implementation of a revenue-generating preservation plan for the property that will fund maintenance of the structures and other economic projects on the Reservation in the future.

Restore Oregon, in conjunction with PMA Architects and a multitude of local stakeholders, will work to assist the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs to conduct emergency stabilization and carrying out an adaptive reuse plan for these extraordinary homes. Saving this endangered place will recognize the Tribes’ history and role in Oregon’s lumber industry, and promote future awareness of tribal culture while developing their tourism industry.

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Constructed in 1892, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, also known as the Main Street Church, has stood as a landmark anchoring east Albany for 126 years. It is Albany’s only Queen Anne church, and is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. The building retains its unique historical integrity through architectural details such as original stained glass windows, doors, and ornate trim work.
 
For eighteen years this Queen Anne church–standing at a main intersection in Albany–was left vacant. The City of Albany owns the Cumberland Church, purchased as part of a plan to place a roundabout at the intersection of Main Street and Santiam Road. After plans were changed, the church was considered surplus and a new use for the building has never been pursued.  
 
But when the City decided to sell the land it sat on and the suggestion of burning the building down was made, locals took action. An organization called Save Our Cumberland formed in the summer of 2018 and the church started to come back to life. The interior was cleaned up and the local power company placed strings of lights along its eaves. Since then, the Save Our Cumberland Association (SOCA) has nominated the building for Restore Oregon’s Most Endangered Places Program and in November, 2018, it was officially added to the 2019 list.
 
SOCA has been holding monthly events and fundraisers to bring the building the attention and support of local citizens and groups.  
 
In July 2018, Albany’s Annual Historic Home Tour added the Cumberland as part of its annual public and private open house tour.
 
For October 2018, Save Our Cumberland held the Very Halloweenie Event for the community–children dressed up for a Safe Halloween Treat with Jeff McMahon, a Magician and Charlotte Norlin, a storyteller.
 
December saw an evening of Christmas decorating followed by two events. First on the Albany Historic Parlour Tour and a week later South Albany High School Choir and Calapooia Middle School Choir held a concert to a full Cumberland.
 
In February 2019 Oregon celebrated its 160th birthday. Albany opened its historic buildings to the public and included The Cumberland on its route. Camp Fire girls came dressed in period costumes and showed the public how to play the old fashioned games of yesteryear.
 
As word of the Cumberland’s reopening has spread throughout Albany, a growing number of community members and groups have asked to use the church for their events, demonstrating the need for Save Our Cumberland’s plans to turn the Cumberland into a community center. While this idea for reuse presents a number of obstacles, including moving the church to a new location, Save Our Cumberland has made significant progress in organizing and planning the next steps.
 
Restore Oregon is working with SOCA to establish partnerships, determine next steps, develop a preservation plan and market feasibility study, and determine appropriate grant funding. Completion of a feasibility study will provide a clear path to future sustainability of the Cumberland as a community center and help identify any changes to the building that will be necessary for success.
 
SOCA has met with the leaders of Albany’s most successful community minded services for guidance and to build partnerships. They have identified positions needed to start committees and held a call for anyone wanting to be more involved. SOCA has recruited Janice Calm a graphic artist, Teri Plagmann, legal counsel, and Beth Hogeland, an experienced grant writer. SOCA registered with the State of Oregon as a non-profit and entered into a fiscal sponsorship agreement with the Albany Parks and Recreation Foundation in order to accept donations. So far, they have raised over $23,000 of their $28,000 first phase goal.
 
SOCA has identified two phases of work to bring the Cumberland back to life as a community center for east Albany:
 
Short Term

• Raise funds (est. $28,000) to prepare architectural drawings of proposed community center (over $23,000 raised to date)
• Secure agreement with the City of Albany to allow the Cumberland building to be moved onto City owned land adjacent to the Skate Park
• Complete plans and initiate a campaign to secure needed resources for the project

Long Term

• Based on completed plans and construction estimates, secure contributions of cash and services, grants other revenues to relocate, renovate, restore and open the Cumberland for community use (estimated relocation and construction target: $750,000)
• Execute renovation project
• Establish operations and management organization to sustain the facility when completed (e.g., land trust, non-profit, or other strategy)

For more information on the Cumberland, SOCA, upcoming events, and how to support this preservation and reuse effort, visit: http://saveourcumberland.org/

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Glass Walls.

Fireplaces.

Well-Stocked Bars.

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• Does little to create affordable housing.
• Does not curb the demolition epidemic or displacement of renters.
• Fails to provide real incentives to retain existing, naturally more-affordable homes.
• Drastically changes the livability of neighborhoods.
• Ignores key aspects of the 2035 Comprehensive Plan and directives given by City Council.
• And will net merely a couple hundred additional housing units over 20 years!

Without significantly more incentives or regulations to retain existing homes, tens of thousands of Portland renters could be displaced or priced out by RIP-induced demolitions.
Check out this map (https://arcg.is/WiTf9 ) created by Meg Hansen, a Portland housing and preservation advocate and all-around data expert, that illustrates the proposed “a” overlay zone and number of Single Family Residential rental units that would be effected. It also contains layers for median family income, communities of color, vulnerable populations, and gentrification risk zones.
We have been working with a coalition of neighborhood associations and preservationists on this issue.  One group, United Neighborhoods for Reform, has compiled their assessment of the current RIP proposal which we are sharing here.  We encourage those who are concerned about demolitions, affordability, and balancing density with livability to submit testimony or testify in person at one of two hearings being held by the Planning and Sustainability Commission on May 8^th and 15^th @ 5:00pm.
Complete information and how to testify can be found at: www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/infill
 
United Neighborhoods for Reform (UNR) Assessment of RIP
Overall:

• The RIP will not provide affordable housing.
• The RIP operates in a vacuum. The proposal does not mesh well with Better Housing by Design, the Comprehensive Plan or any of the other fractured housing policies we have in this city.
• The RIP is not consistent with the city’s transportation and infrastructure policies and goals.
• The RIP violates the purpose of zoning: consistency, predictability and transparency.
• The RIP process is a product of ever changing goals.
• The RIP does not respect the housing choices families have already made.
• The City’s goal should be to bring people together but RIP does the opposite.

 
 
 
The RIP will not result in homes affordable to most people.

• The most affordable house is the one already standing. RIP does nothing to encourage retention of existing relatively affordable homes.
• By pushing more density into to well-established, i.e., “complete neighborhoods,” which come with associated high house and land prices, developers will not build homes affordable to most people in these areas.
• The city needs to encourage the development of new, complete, amenity rich neighborhoods and provide the needed infrastructure to assure this happens. A BPS spokesperson at the February 13, 2018 briefing for PSC acknowledged this need for creating new neighborhoods saying: “We can’t grow without creating new complete neighborhoods.”

 
The RIP does not incorporate the amendments approved by City Council on December 7, 2016.

• The RIP ignores the Council’s amendment disallowing rezoning of narrow lots in R5 zones to R2.5.
• The RIP ignores the Council’s amendment to provide options for the housing opportunity overlay zone map.
• The RIP ignores the Council’s amendment allowing front loaded garages on narrow lots.

  
The RIP does not support major goals of the 2035 Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Code.

• The Buildable Land Inventory states there is sufficient land to meet Portland’s growing population for the next twenty years without changing zoning and allowable density.
• Allowing duplexes and triplexes in the Single Dwelling Zone makes large portions of these areas into de facto multifamily zones without going through the process of changing the zoning designation. This does not lead to predictability and transparency.
• Using a one-size-fits-all formula encourages demolitions of smaller houses, provides inequitable opportunities, and rejects protection of neighborhood character and historic context.
• Dispersed higher density development is contrary to the Comprehensive Plan directives to focus density around centers and transportation hubs. This results in greater auto dependency and inefficient use of infrastructure.
• The RIP does little to encourage the development of smaller single family houses, the most desired type of housing stock.
• The RIP does not encourage the development of new high amenity, walkable neighborhoods.

 
The RIP will result in more displacement of renters and vulnerable homeowners.

• Within the RIP “a” overlay there currently are many rental units dispersed throughout the area.
• BPS planners acknowledge displacement of renters as a potential outcome of the up-zoning and “opportunity” overlay but only exempt some small areas in three neighborhoods and East Portland. This analysis grossly underestimates the potential for displacement.
• Many renters already have been displaced from the “opportunity” overlay. Many more rental homes will be demolished under the RIP because builders profit from tearing down an affordable rental home and building bigger houses or multiple market-rate units.
• For years homeowners in Portland have been receiving never-ending postcards and letters from developers offering to buy their houses for cash without any need to do repairs and without any need to involve realtors. This is predatory behavior particularly when it targets older homeowners.

 
The most affordable and “greenest” house is the one already standing; RIP does little to encourage retention of existing houses.

• Bonus units should only be allowed if the existing house is retained.
• The exterior of the existing house should remain reasonably intact.

 
Promoting ADUs is a positive but only if use is restricted to long-term renters

• Since 2012 the City of Portland has been encouraging development of ADUs by eliminating system development fees.
• The RIP further encourages ADU development by allowing more than one ADU on a property.
• ADU development is a positive for Portland but only if the ADU is used to help with the housing crisis, i.e., only if the ADU use is restricted to a full-time renter.
• Furthermore, taxpayers should only be subsidizing development of ADUs that are used for full time rentals, not vacation rentals.

 
Other, more progressive cities, are doing far more than Portland to analyze the potential impacts of new infill activity.

• Tacoma, Washington has chosen to do a pilot program to promote residential infill development types and housing choice, while ensuring that such development demonstrates high quality building and site design that is responsive to and harmonious with neighborhood patterns. The pilot is intended to develop a body of successful, well-regarded examples of innovative residential infill in order to inform a future Council decision on development regulations and design standards for some or all of these infill housing types. Read the link for more information: http://cms.cityoftacoma.org/planning/Residential%20Infill%20Pilot%20Program/Tacoma%20Infill%20Pilot%20Program%20Handbook%20(Nov2016).pdf
• The City of Los Angeles put in place code to preserve the scale and character of its irreplaceable single-family neighborhoods. Read the link for more information: http://www.nomoremcmansionsinlosangeles.org/the-conclusion

 
The housing option “a” overlay does not follow the intent of the missing middle housing concept.

• “Missing middle” housing is designed to transition between higher density and detached single family housing. The housing options overlay does not make this transition; there are no adjoining single family housing areas.
• Based on the Comprehensive Plan, middle housing and higher density should be located around centers. The RIP does not do this.
• What the RIP overlay does do is promote helter-skelter development with multi-units allowed randomly throughout areas of single family homes. In effect the entire overlay becomes a multi-unit zone.

 
These portions of the April 2018 RIP proposal are positive step:

• Reduced scale of houses, provided that all habitable space be included in the FAR (floor area ratio).
• Reduced height limits
• Increased front setbacks
• Limiting the height of the first floor above grade
• Incentives for affordable housing. (However, we oppose allowing developers to purchase the right to build bigger homes by contributing to an in-lieu fund)
• Incentives for historic preservation, including flexibility for internal conversions of existing homes

(Reprinted with permission)

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