It's a house out of a dream!
Unknown Carpenter Gothic home
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
New Telephone Exchange - Portland OR
This view of the New Telephone Exchange in 1949 shows the corner of SE 17th and Belmont though the buildings address is 1724 SE Morrison St. Some odd almost Brutalist remodeling but the original structure is still in there.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Another One Bites the Dust - R.I.P. 3330 SE Oak St Portland OR
This wonderful Arts & Crafts home sold in September of 2013 for $810,000 to Lisa D Brooke of Wellington Properties LLC. It was promptly razed to be replaced with something that I'm sure is nice but is a total slap in the face to it's neighbors, the Laurelhurst neighborhood, and quite frankly the City of Portland. This WAS a unique home and I'm sure the previous owners are sick that their home was leveled. I was in the house for an estate sale a few years back and it was stunning and well maintained. I have no idea why she took an interest in this particular address for a "Statement of Wealth" home? She lives in Dunthorpe amongst the monied mansions of Southwest Portland but even there I think only the newly rich would attempt something this tasteless.
According to Shawn Wood, the Construction Waste Specialist for the City of Portland, demolitions are at a 20 year high in 2013. He explains that there are a few reasons. First, properties that appear "historic" or that even are on the National Register or Historic Resource Inventory have no protection. The developer simply has to write the City a letter. Second, EXISTING houses come with a set of development fee credits. Essentially a developer can target a property with a low improvement value and remove it without new fees so long as what goes in it's place it somewhat the same (you can't avoid fees if you tear down a house and put up an apartment building). A new house on a vacant lot is assessed fees simply by being an improvement over well, nothing. Developers can apply this credit system to a new home that keeps only a wall or floor or something. You can see these all over town. My grandmothers home was a "remodel" because they kept one chimney base and parts of the foundation. Last but not least, there are no demolition delays. There is even such a thing as SAME DAY demolition where you can get ready, go to the City and get the permit and start trashing. No time to comment, move, or salvage. In the case of this home on Oak, I didn't know about it and who knows what happened to all the wonderful house parts inside.
According to Shawn Wood, the Construction Waste Specialist for the City of Portland, demolitions are at a 20 year high in 2013. He explains that there are a few reasons. First, properties that appear "historic" or that even are on the National Register or Historic Resource Inventory have no protection. The developer simply has to write the City a letter. Second, EXISTING houses come with a set of development fee credits. Essentially a developer can target a property with a low improvement value and remove it without new fees so long as what goes in it's place it somewhat the same (you can't avoid fees if you tear down a house and put up an apartment building). A new house on a vacant lot is assessed fees simply by being an improvement over well, nothing. Developers can apply this credit system to a new home that keeps only a wall or floor or something. You can see these all over town. My grandmothers home was a "remodel" because they kept one chimney base and parts of the foundation. Last but not least, there are no demolition delays. There is even such a thing as SAME DAY demolition where you can get ready, go to the City and get the permit and start trashing. No time to comment, move, or salvage. In the case of this home on Oak, I didn't know about it and who knows what happened to all the wonderful house parts inside.
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