what's happening
The Historic District is coming
The Eastmoreland Neighborhood Association (ENA) has been taken over by a handful of zealots who have been working for years to impose a Historic District on the Eastmoreland neighborhood. This would essentially ban new construction and severely curtail remodeling on existing homes.. Any alterations, additions or modifications which can been seen from the street would be prohibited.
What if I don't want to be part of the Historic District?
Sorry, you have no choice. The Historic District affects the entire neighborhood. And it will be in effect indefinitely.
What kinds of remodeling will be prohibited?
Anything that changes the look of your house. This includes a dormer for an extra bedroom, an addition for some needed living space, porches, doorways, carports, skylights and solar panels.
Wait. I wasn't asked about this.
The weird thing about the Historic District process is that it can be done without the permission of the homeowners. In Eastmoreland, the neighborhood association was spent years of effort and about $80,000 of neighborhood funds create the district. To prevent the Historic District, the majority of all homeowners had to file individual notarized objections. So it has been in the best interests of the ENA to be as stealthy as possible about the process and its impact on our neighbors.
Didn't the neighborhood vote on this?
Yes, we did have a vote. The ENA carefully sent out letters to all households, asking if they wanted a Historic District. Unfortunately (for them) the majority of households said no thanks. Undeterred, the ENA ignored the results and continued to push ahead with HD.
You've got questions. Join the conversation.
We've got a new chat/text/audio/video server set up and it's pretty cool. It's a Discord server, which will mean something to you hipsters. We can exchange messages about all this, even have an audio or video meetup.
Here's your exclusive link to join us - https://discord.gg/hq3ukVPrpp
Some homes have a loophole
Most homes have been classified as "historic" and as such, are subject to severe restrictions. But some homes are "non-contributing" to the HD and have more freedom from the HD constraints. But even simple changes such as skylights and windows require a costly and lengthy review and approval process. Check out what one homeowner needed to do - https://www.portlandoregon.gov/bds/article/640317
Shoot us an email and we can help you determine the status of your home.
Hidden costs
Even if you are ultimately allowed to remodel your home in the Historic District, the review and approval process will take longer and be more expensive than normal. And the materials and labor necessary to meet the HD guidelines usually cost more as well. Some contractors will not work in a historic district due to the restrictions.
Doesn't my home increase in value in a Historic District?
Not from what we've seen. The homes in a Historic District remain frozen in time, unable to change to fit modern trends. Your two or three bedroom home can't change to fit your growing family or increase in value with more square feet.
When does this Historic District take effect?
It could happen at any time. The final approval has been delayed by the efforts of some Eastmorelanders who have been opposed both the idea of a Historic District and the way the ENA has handled the process. But time is running out and approval could be granted any day by the state and federal authorities.
And then there's the trees
To fund the Historic District process, the ENA has been diverting monies from tree care. Despite what is said as part of their fundraising and literature, pruning and maintenance of the trees on Reed College Place by the ENA has not been done for over ten years. The inoculation of street trees against Dutch Elm Disease has been abandoned. Giving up on efforts to save existing old-growth trees, the ENA has announced that the Friends of Trees organization will be planting saplings instead. More money continues to be spent on the Historic District than valuable neighborhood priorities.
Things you couldn't do in a historic District
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