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

WINTER 2014

Originally printed in the Historic Irvington Newsletter in Summer 2013.

Holiday Dinner, we felt it appropriate to share
with the neighborhood what made Herbert so
special. Please join us at December 11th (see
page X for details) when we recognize Mr.
Amerson for his co-founding of the ICA and his
many contributions to our community.

here was a time not all that long ago, when an

African American moving into the Irvington
district meant the surrounding neighbors moved
out. This was the experience of Herbert L. Amerson and his
family in 1958 when they moved into their new home on
N.E. 9th Avenue, where by the way the spry 92 year old still
lives today. Born in St. Louis, Missouri during Jim Crow, Mr.
Amerson experienced prejudice and racism as a young man,
which led him to escape his humble origins by enlisting in
the service. There he served his country and was honorably
discharged. As part of the migration of blacks from the deep
south in the 1920s-1950s, Mr. Amerson decided to journey
west to Oregon in the mid 1940s where he had relatives who
had previously made that trek several years before him, and
soon afterwards began building his life and a family.
Never one to be satisfied with the status quo, Mr.
Amerson was acutely aware of the social inequities in
Portland and became involved in several community based
and State funded projects designed to examine and mitigate the social injustices of post WWII America of which
Portland was no exception. He became involved in many
organizations, most notably he chaired the Oregon State
Human Rights Council and was President of the Urban
League of Portland. He also found time to co-host a weekly
television show in the mid-60s on KOIN-TV called The
Opportunity Line which provided access to local jobs for
unemployed and underemployed Portlanders.
It was there that Pacific Northwest Bell (one of the
original baby bells of the original AT&T) took notice and
hired Mr. Amerson as one of their very first black executives, ostensibly to improve their image in the community
but also to infuse their own ranks with some diversity at
the management level.
During this time in his own community of Irvington,
Mr. Amerson found that the only person who would talk
with him about racism and its counterproductive influence in Portland was Reverend Robert H. Bonthius, lead
minister at Westminster Presbyterian Church. Amerson had
broached the subject with other neighborhood pastors in
an attempt to form a consensus but his concerns were of
little interest to them.
Amerson and Bonthius found that they were kindred
spirits on the subject and equally enthusiastic about taking

WINTER 2014

See page 3 to learn more.

FREE

Integrating Irvington: Herbert Amerson

The Original Portland Trailblazer
As the ICA is honoring Herbert Amerson at the

The ICA helps the

community...

proactive steps to address the matter. With the cooperation

of Mr. Lowell, the presiding principal of Irvington School,
they conducted a public forum held at the school. The
meeting was publicized with the help of the Irvington PTA
which sent notices home via the students. The Oregonian
sent a reporter to the packed meeting in the school auditorium, which has since been converted to the library.
Bonthius and Lowell had convinced Mr. Amerson that he
should be the speaker and present the subject of racism
from his personal perspective. The Oregonian reporter
wrote that a short, black man spoke. Since Mr. Amerson
was at the front, lower level, and the reporter at the back,
Mr. Amerson, who is just under six feet tall, must have
appeared smaller that he actually was. but apparently his
words werent.
Amerson began recounting the story of when he and
his family moved into the Irvington district ten years earlier
and how neighbor after neighbor conicidentally sold their
homes and moved away within a relatively short period
of time. He also indicated that he felt that the teachers
at Irvington School were not interested in his children
or the other students who looked like them. There were
only a few other black students attending and at that time
Irvington School (which was then was K-8) was considered
one of the best public schools in the city. Mr. Amerson
made certain that his children were exemplary students and
performed well in and out of the classroom. When he and
his wife registered their oldest daughter Denise into Grant
High School, the principal told them there were a lot of
cashmere sweaters in his high school. The Amersons did
not miss the not-so-subtle implication.
The upshot of that very first community meeting was
that people wanted to continue the provocative and timely
conversation. Mr. Amerson and the Reverend Bonthius
mutually came to the name Irvington Community
Association for their group. They set goals for the future
of the organization and continued to meet, eventually
adopting Augustana Lutheran Church as the venue. In
spite of Rev. Bonthius being moved to a new assignment
in Ohio, other community leaders and neighbors crowded
into the meetings. Mr. Amerson recalls there was quite a
diverse mix of demographics. As an example, in the midsixties the recording secretary of the ICA was a young man
in his 20s---Robert Rynerson who Amerson recalls was very
involved and committed to making a difference, as many
young people were during that very volatile time in our
countrys history.
The Portland City Commissioners were very positive
and supportive of a community association like the ICA,
which was the first such neighborhood group established
in Portland. Today every neighborhood has an organization
like the ICA and thats how we designate various parts of
our city.

HISTORIC IRVINGTON NEWSLETTER

Mr. Amerson recalls one particular issue the ICA took

on. At the time, the Portland Development Commission
(PDC) wanted to create mini-parks throughout the
Irvington district. Mini-parks would replace homes that
had been condemned for demolition (another interesting
story from Irvingtons past). Mr. Amerson had grown up
in a St. Louis neighborhood with mini-parks. He remembered that those mini-parks were a failure because no
entity was singularly responsible for maintaining the grassy
spaces that soon turned into weeds and overgrown shrubbery and became magnets for trash dumping, drug dealing
and crime despite amenities such as resting benches and
basketball courts. A home near Mr. Amerson was actually
offered by the owner for a mini-park conversion, which is
how the program came to his attention in the first place.
Fortunately it was turned down by the city and the house
still stands as a residence all these years later.
However, the southwest corner of the Irvington area
was indeed eyed by the city of Portland for the very first
mini-park installation. Mr. Amerson went to the Model
Cities (a now defunct federal urban renewal agency) office
and arranged beforehand for four vans to transport dozens of older, white widows who lived in the targeted area.
The women, Mr. Amerson says with a smile on his face,
Marched into the Commissioners meeting at City Hall
on a mission. Needless to say, the mini-parks plan went
into the wastebasket.
Mr. Amerson and some of his neighbors along with the
PDC next took on Irving Park as a project, albeit unassociated with the ICA. Mr. Amerson remarked that when
blacks moved into Irvington the tall hedges which provided
shade around the park were directed to be cut down by the
city. Draw your own conclusions. The group made many
significant improvements to the park e.g. brand new tennis
courts, covered structure for the basketball area, sprinklers,
swings and a Little League baseball diamond was installed.
They also started a summer reading program, staffed by
many of his colleagues from Pacific Northwest Bell whom
he had convinced to donate their time. Today Mr. Amerson
wishes the off-leash area in Irving Park were not so near the
picnic tables and he cant help but notice that some dog
owners arent responsible for cleaning up after their pets
something that he would not have tolerated if he were still
calling the shots !
As we learned late in the interview, Mr. Amerson
resigned from the ICA board in 1972 because he felt the
community had become intractably racist yet again, however he declined to go into more detail. Those of us interviewing Mr. Amerson would have liked drawing out more
precious memories of that early Irvington era from him,
but he was gracious enough to give us a couple hours of
his time and we didnt want to overstay our welcome in his
home. Irvington (and the greater Portland area by extension) is today a better place because of Herb Amerson and
the other community leaders of that period who addressed
issues of prejudice and discrimination when it wasnt the
popular thing to do and as a result our neighborhood and
quality of life have been the beneficiary of one man who
made a difference.
Thank you, Mr. Amerson for being our neighbor and a
true Portland Trailblazer!

PAGE 1

ica board members 2013-2014

From the
PRESIDENT
Steven Cole

hope everyone is having a great holiday season. As

usual the ICA is quite busy. Since the last newsletter, the ICA has continued to work with The
Northeast Broadway Business Association, NEBBA, as
well as Lloyd District entities such as Go Lloyd, the Lloyd
District Community Associaiton, and the Lloyd Center Mall,
in addition to Grant Park, Sullivans Gulch and the Eliot
neighborhood. We have been working to towards entering
a more formal relationship by adopting a Memorandum
of Understanding which will govern our meetings and set
our goals. The short version is that we want to improve the
Broadway/Weidler corridor and make it a destination spot
for shoppers and restaurant goers. We want it to become a
place in which nearby neighbors will enjoy walking and which
will act as an attractive gateway to the up and coming Lloyd
District, rather than a barrier.
The ICA has signed on as a sponsor for two different
applications to be submitted to the Portland State Masters
of Urban Planning program to have their students perform
studies and make recommendations. One study would
involve the Broadway/Weidler corridor. The other study
would involve the Klickitat Mall. A big thank you to Mac
Bartholomew who has taken the lead on the Klickitat Mall
improvements.
Parking continues to be an issue with residents. Don
Wood will be representing Irvington on the citys parking
task force. We will be investigating permit parking as well
as other options which may reduce the likely increase in
conflicts as more high density developments occur in and
around Irvington.
Progress appears to have been made on the proposed
development at 7th and Morris. The developer will likely
reduce the number of stories. We are also working on other
issues surrounding the development.

2-nobel_extralight_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-=[]\;,./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:<>?
` `fifl
`fifl| '"
3-nobel_extralightitalic_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-=[]\;,./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:<>?
` `fifl
`fifl| '"
4-nobel_light_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-=[]\;,./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:<>?
` `fifl
`fifl| '"
5-nobel_lightitalic_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-=[]\;,./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:<>?
` `fifl
`fifl| '"

The city will soon begin installing the 20s bikeway

which will run down 26th street through Irvington. I
attended a meeting with several stakeholders and discussed
looking at obtaining funds for potential improvements at
26th and Broadway. Suggestions included a bike repair station, additional bike parking, way-finding signs, and possibly other amenities.

6-nobel_book_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-=[]\;,./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:<>?
` `fifl
`fifl| '"
7-nobel_bookitalic_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-=[]\;,./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:<>?
` `fifl
`fifl| '"
8-nobel_regular_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-=[]\;,./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:<>?
` `fifl
`fifl| '"
9-nobel_regularitalic_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-=[]\;,./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:<>?
` `fifl
`fifl| '"
10-nobel_bold_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-=[]\;,./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_
+{}|:<>?` `fifl
`fifl| '"
11-nobel_bolditalic_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-=[]\;,./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_
+{}|:<>?` `fifl
`fifl| '"
12-nobel_black_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-=[]\;,./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVW
XYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:<>?` `
fifl
`fifl| '"

Transforming classic homes since 1987

13-nobel_blackitalic_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-=[]\;,./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUV
WXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:<>?` `
fifl
`fifl| '"
14-nobel_condensed_extralight_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-=[]\;,./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:<>?`
`fifl
`fifl| '"

Classic Sash & Door Company

1106 SE 6th Avenue
Portland, OR 97214
503-227-0202

15-nobel_condensed_light_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-=[]\;,./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:<>?`
`fifl
`fifl| '"
16-nobel_condensed_book_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-=[]\;,./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:<>?`
`fifl
`fifl| '"
17-nobel_condensed_regular_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-=[]\;,./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:<>?`
`fifl
`fifl| '"
18-nobel_condensed_bold_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-=[]\;,./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:<>?
` `fifl`fifl|
'"
19-nobel_condensed_black_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-=[]\;,./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:<>?
` `fifl`fifl|
'"

Everyone is invited our ICA Holiday Party, which

will be on December 11th at the Irvington Club. It will
be a potluck dinner and we will be honoring one of the
cofounders of the ICA, Herb Amerson as well as Mary
Piper who was instrumental in creating our National
Historic District. Because we will be honoring Mr.
Amerson, we have reprinted an article about Mr. Amersons
time in Irvington.
We continue to work on the website with our newly
formed commitee of board members and technical experts.
As usual, if you have any suggestions or concerns, dont
hesitate to call or email.
Steve Cole

20-Helvetica_Neue_LT_Std_55_Roman_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-=[]\;,./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNO
123456789:;_!?
@\^]u {e|}ndz`bafqrmiAjw
{|}xtzcklops
uv~yzcklopsuv~y]
uiA
h

21-Helvetica_Neue_LT_Std_75_Bold_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-=[]\;,./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOP
23456789:;_!?
@\^]w }e~pd|`bafstoiAjy
}~zv|cklmnqru
wx{|cklmnqruwx{]
wiA
h

WINTER 2014

HISTORIC IRVINGTON NEWSLETTER

OFFICERS
President: Steven Cole
stevencole86@gmail.com
Vice President: William Archer
archerwilliam26@gmail.com
Treasurer: Jeff Jones
jcjones@pacifier.com
Secretary: Brian Schaeperkoetter
brianschaeperkoetter@comcast.net
DIRECTORS
Jim Barta
jbarta@securesite.net
Nathan Christensen
nchristensen@perkinscoie.com
Barb Christopher
barbfc@comcast.net
Christine Coers-Mitchell
coers@comcast.net
Nathan Corser
nathan.corser@ch2m.com
Dean Gisvold
deang@mcewengisvold.com
Susan Hathaway-Marxer
susan.marxer@comcast.net
Pam Lindholm-Levy
pamlarrylevy@yahoo.com
Michela McMahon
michela_mcmahon@yahoo.com
Thomas Mertes
tmertes@linfield.edu
Jason Messer
j.messer@comcast.net
Peter ONeil
peteroneil@cbseal.com
Brad Perkins
perkinsrealty@comcast.net
Christine Poole-Jones
cwpj@comcast.net
Emily Weltman
weltman@gmail.com
Tiffanie Shakespeare
tshakesp@gmail.com
Kysa Kelleher
kalport@hotmail.com
Beverly Burn
beverlyburn@gmail.com

503-754-7713
503-287-3804
503-281-1023
206-228-6428

503-544-2429
503-727-2172
503-740-5216
503-335-1476
503-493-0671
503-284-3885
503-281-5629
503-460-3100
503-287-6196
310-990-9786
503-312-4175
503-471-3402
503-317-6455
503-281-5979
503-680-2840
503-680-2840
503-680-2840

COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Beautification

+BTPO
.FTTFS
t
KNFTTFS!DPNDBTUOFU

Charitable Giving

4VTBO
)BUIBXBZ.BSYFS
t
TVTBONBSYFS!DPNDBTUOFU
Historic Preservation
Barb Christopher t
CBSCGD!DPNDBTUOFU
Home Tour

,JN
#JTTFMM
t
LJN@CJTTFMM!NTODPN
Land Use

%FBO
(JTWPME
t
EFBOH!NDFXFOHJTWPMEDPN
NECN Representatives

4UFWFO
$PMF
t
TUFWFODPMF!HNBJMDPN

1FUFS
0/FJM
t
QFUFSPOFJM!DCTFBMDPN
Newsletter

&NJMZ
8FMUNBO
t
XFMUNBO!HNBJMDPN


4UFWFO
$PMF
t
TUFWFODPMF!HNBJMDPN
Newsletter Advertising






+FGG
+POFT
t jcjones@pacifier.com
Parks

+BTPO
.FTTFS
t
KNFTTFS!DPNDBTUOFU
+FGG
+POFT
t jcjones@pacifier.com
Web Site Develoment

#BSCBSB
$ISJTUPQIFS
t
CBSCGD!DPNDBTUOFU

#SJBO
4DIBFQFSLPFUUFS
t
CSJBOTDIBFQFSLPFUUFS!DPNDBTUOFU
NEIGHBORHOOD RESOURCES
Abandoned Vehicles (24-hour hotline)
Abandoned Vehicles (daytime)
Animal Control
Bicycle Program
Garbage Service Info/Problems
Graffiti Cleanup (Info/assistance)
Graffiti Hotline (Police)
Landlord/Tenant Mediation
NE Coalition of Neighborhoods
NE Crime Prevention
NE Precinct (Police)
Neighborhood Mediation
Noise Reporting & Control
Office of Neighborhood Involvement
Parking Enforcement
Rider Advocates
Street Light Outages & Tree Trims
Tree Planting Information
Zoning/Code Enforcement
LEGISLATORS
State Representatives
Lew Frederick
Rep.LewFrederick@state.or.us
Barbara Smith Warner
Rep.BarbaraSmithWarner@state.or.us
State Senators
Michael Dembrow
Sen.MichaelDembrow@state.or.us
Chip Shields
Sen.ChipShields@state.or.us

503-823-7309
503-823-6814
503-988-3066
503-823-2925
503-823-7202
503-823-5860
503-823-4824
503-282-1964
503-823-4575
503-823-4763
503-823-2122
503-823-3152
503-823-7350
503-823-4519
503-823-5195
503-823-4223
503-823-5216
503-823-4489
503-823-7526

503-986-1433
503-986-1445
503-986-1723
503-231-2564

spring 2014

THE
IRVINGTON
COMMUNITY
ASSOCIATION
P.O. BOX 1 2 1 0 2 , P O R T L A N D, O R E G O N 9 7 212

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.

Renewing the ICA

Holiday Dinner
The ICA-sponsored Holiday Dinner, after

An introduction to the Irvington communitys

Neighborhood Improvement Fund

being on sabbatical for several years,

by Nathan Clark Corser, ICA Board Member & Capital Projects Committee Chair

Club. The dinner will be tucked into the

hen residents think about the Irvington

neighborhood some folks are aware theres
an Irvington Community Association. The
ICA is the second oldest neighborhood association in Portland
and put on the Irvington Home Tour. The Irvington neighborhood (and a little bit of Sabin, Grants Park and Alameda
neighborhoods) comprise the largest Federally recognized historic district in the state. Some in the neighborhood are also
aware that as a result of the success of Irvington Home Tour,
the ICA provides charitable grants to numerous organizations
and entities and even individuals within the neighborhood.
Lesser known is that the ICA has also provided tens
of thousands of dollars of funding to some large capital
projects in the neighborhood. Amongst these projects are
the Irving Park spray pool, the Irving Park playground, the
Field of Dreams at Madeline School, and the Irvington
School Field project. The ICA has also provided money for
improvements outside of the neighborhood, such as the
Grant High School track and field renovation. Many of
these projects and investments were spearheaded by your
neighbors. They included sponsorships and charitable giving from a variety of other sources. The ICA contributed
charitable funds intended to make meaningful and lasting capital improvements to the neighborhood for todays
users, and for future generations.
From these initial capital efforts was born a designated
Neighborhood Improvement Fund. This fund was established to encourage the development of capital projects in
public spaces within the Irvington neighborhood boundaries. Specifically charitable giving funds (monies raised from
the Home Tour and advertising in the newsletter) have
been set aside to help seed projects that require a significant outlay of capital, those greater than $5000.00. Grants
for projects were not intended to necessarily cover the full
cost of projects, but could be used for seed money, planning, or partial funding for a considerably larger project.
Since the inception of this Fund in 2006, the ICA
funded the projects mentioned earlier. The ICA has subsequently identified opportunities for the investment of these
kinds of charitable funds in the future. They include:
1.
The installation of a Benson Bubbler at the
corner of Broadway & 15th Avenue.
2.
Landscaping, furnishings, and pathway improvements to the Klickitat Mall
3.
The installation of a walk/bike path at the
perimeter of Irving Park (as was originally designedbut
never built)
4.
A new turf field to replace a swath of the blacktop at Irvington School
5.
Fencing off the off-leash area at Irving Park.
For anyone who has done any kind of home improvement projects, you can easily imagine how far $5000.00
can go. By way of example the Benson Bubbler project
mentioned above and pursued with the governing City
agencies for nearly two years (thus far to no avail) was
expected to cost up to $10,000.00.
Another proposal on the list, the pathway at the perim-

WINTER 2014

invites all neighbors to its renewal, 6

p.m. December 11 at the Irvington Tennis
14 days after Thanksgiving (November

eter of Irving Park would, as you might expect, could

require tens and perhaps hundreds of thousands of dollars
to complete.
As many of you know, getting started on such endeavors is sometimes the hardest part and often serendipitous. In 2006 one such serendipitous event, an out of
the blue phone call from a neighbor, alerted the ICA to
a $25,0000.00 grant available for school playgrounds. A
couple of champions and the ICA capital contribution of
$7500.00 ultimately leveraged that initial grant into nearly
$200,000.00 of goods and services for the restoration and
renovation project of the Irvington Elementary Schools
grounds.
Although the ICA and the Capital Projects Committee
believe all the potential projects listed have merit, (with the
Klickitat Mall project recently acquiring a champion), the
Committee welcomes and encourages neighbors to offer
their input, thoughts and suggestions for these or other
capital projects that they believe can make the best use of
available Neighborhood Improvement Funds.
Should neighbors and interested parties have ideas
or queries, please do not hesitate to contact me at
nathan.corser@ch2m.com
Applications for Neighborhood Improvement Funds
are due no later than April 15, 2015.

29), five days before the beginning of

Hannukah (December 16), and two
weeks before Christmas.
Come meet your board and give us
some ideas for neighborhood improvement. The board will provide information
on current proposed projects and on the
Irvington Home Tour, which raises funds
for the ICA Charitable Giving program
and improvement projects.
Last names A-I please bring salads, J-R
please bring a side dish, and S-Z please
bring dessert. Please make note whether
your dish is gluten free. Bring the dish to
share, and enjoy turkey courtesy of the
ICA board. Please bring your own table
service. The ICA will provide beverages
and lots of ice cream.

HISTORIC IRVINGTON
NEWSLETTER

HISTORIC IRVINGTON NEWSLETTER

P.O. Box 12102
Portland, OR 97212
For advertising inquiries, contact:
newsletter@irvingtonpdx.com
For editorial contributions or comments, contact:
newsletter@irvingtonpdx.com
Published four times a year.
Comments, suggestions, and/or contributions
are welcome. This is your newsletter!
For general ICA info or questions, contact:
StevenCole86@gmail.com
Dont miss the ICA Web pages:
www.irvingtonpdx.com
www.irvingtonhometour.com
Deadline for Summer Issue: April 1, 2014

HISTORIC IRVINGTON NEWSLETTER

PAGE 3

acombined45years
experienceinnatural
nailsandskincare

~manicures
~pedicures
~powerpolish

~organicfacials
~waxing
~makeupartistry

Myers+YoungBeauty
CherylMyers
nails

971.285.7664

RemaYoung,LE

skin,waxing,makeup
720.299.1994
www.waxmasterrema.com

2415NEBroadwayStreetPortland,OR97232

Update on Accessory
Short-Term Rentals

ffective 8/29/14, the City of Portland officially

allowed accessory short-term rentals in residential
neighborhoods. An accessory short-term rental is
where an individual or family resides in a dwelling unit and
rents bedrooms to overnight guests for fewer than 30 days.
Hundreds of short-term rentals were already occurring
in Portland prior to the passage of the new code: Chapter
33.207. Portland is now regulating the business and collecting taxes which are similar to normal hotel taxes. The
code requires a permit and includes an inspection from
Building Services. They will require the residence owner
to meet building code, have working smoke detectors and
a carbon monoxide alarm if the dwelling has a possible
carbon monoxide source.
The permit also requires notification of neighbors
and recognized neighborhood organizations such as the
Irvington Community Association and the Northeast
Coalition of Neighborhoods along with phone numbers
and names of the residence owner and their operator.
Permits can be revoked for failure to comply with the new
regulations. Income is taxable and reportable to State and
Federal taxing authorities.
On October 9th, the Oregonian newspaper reported
that Airbnb had 1,600 listings for Portland and more are
listed on other sites but only 28 residents have applied for
the accessory short-term rental permits. Nine have been
approved so far and 1 rejected for failed safety regulations.
Seven complaints have been filed.
More specific information, including documents,
forms and frequently asked questions, can be found at:
Portlandonline.com, Development Services, Permits, Signs
and Other Permits.

PAGE 4

Sweet Sound of Jazz:

Music at Grant Highschool
by Steven Cole, President of the ICA

f you follow the local news, you probably know that

Grant High has a lot of really good sports teams. You
may have also heard that the Grant Constitutional
Team won the national championship a couple of years ago
and that the choir program has been recognized nationally.
However, unless you have a child in the band program, you
probably are not aware that Grant High is one of the few area
high schools offering a vibrant band and orchestra program
and has a number of very talented musicians. In recent years,
musicians received music scholarships, and fellowships to
music conservatories such as Julliard and Berklee in addition to
music programs at USC, Stanford and other highly respected
colleges. Some have gone on to be professional musicians.
There are currently many excellent musicians including several
who participate at the highest level in regional jazz groups,
wind ensembles and orchestras.
Unfortunately, band programs, and the arts in general,
do not receive the same level of support as sports teams in
our society. So, it has been left up to individuals and businesses to provide funds in order to provide instruments for
students who cannot afford them; to pay travel and entry
fees for festivals, as well as other opportunities outside of
the school; to provide teaching and clinicians; and even to
provide for facilities.
This year, the Grant High band plans to travel to Los
Angeles to participate in work sessions at the University of
Southern California, including the opportunity to score
a film (they will be conducted while the film plays on a
screen). In addition, they will get to perform at a festival
along with other schools to be held at Disneyland. In order
to be able to do that, they will need to raise a significant
amount of money.
To that end, Grant High will be hosting a fundraiser
(see below) to lower the costs for the student musicians.
Please consider supporting the Grant High Band program.
It is a real asset to our neighborhood to be able to send our
young musicians to our neighborhood high school. Even
the students who dont plan on a career in music gain from
the opportunity to learn about and participate in music as
it is a benefit which will last them a lifetime.
Full disclosure: our son is one of those excellent Grant
High musicians.

Friends of Trees Turns

Twenty-Five, Offers $25
Street Trees

o commemorate its 25th anniversary, Friends of

Trees is offering residents a wide variety of street
trees for just $25! The price includes inspection, permits, delivery of a healthy young tree, and planting
the tree in the strip between the sidewalk and the street.
Street trees are usually priced at $35 to $75. (Note: This
year yard trees remain at $75).
This years neighborhood tree planting in the Irvington,
Sabin, Alameda, Grant Park, and Sullivans Gulch neighborhood is on Saturday February 28. Why the deal this
year on street trees? Our goal is to bring the benefits of
trees to even more neighbors, said Scott Fogarty, Friends
of Trees executive director. Trees not only beautify our
neighborhoods, they help lower power bills, raise home values, and clean our citys air and water.
Residents may sign up for trees at FriendsofTrees.org/
plant or call 503-595-0212. Be sure to sign up for our
neighborhood planting by January 26, 2015.
Once signed up, a city inspector will visit your home to
assess planting space and conditions. Residents then order
trees from a list of approved species and may show up to
help on their neighborhoods planting day, when Friends
of Trees organizes volunteers to plant. A video of the entire
process can be found at http://bit.ly/1tMnIhk
Friends of Trees invites residents to match their tree
purchase by sponsoring additional $25 trees for residents
who cant afford them. Cost should never be a barrier to
getting a tree for your home, Fogarty said. Thanks to
generous supporters, we can offer planting scholarships to a
neighbor in need.
Even if you dont plan to purchase a tree through
Friends of Trees this season, you can still join Friends of
Trees and fellow Irvington neighbors for our February
28, 2015
Irvington Tree Planting Day! Come out on
Saturday morning to help plant trees in your neighborhood
and create a healthier community.
Questions? Contact Friends of Trees Irvington
Neighborhood Coordinator Kyna Rubin at
irvington@plantitportland.org

Grant Highschool is proud to present:

The Sweet Sound of Jazz
A Dessert Concert and Silent Auction to Benefit the Grant High School Band Program
When: February 6, 2015, 6:30-9:00 pm
Where: Grant High Schools Old Gym, 2245 NE 36th Avenue, Portland
Enjoy the smooth sounds of Grant High Schools award-winning ensembles while
sampling mouth-watering desserts and a wide selection of silent auction and raffle
items. This special evening event benefits Grants band program and the Jazz and
Wind Ensembles Anaheim CA Performance Tour this April. Please join us to celebrate
and support our wonderful youth musicians! We are looking for sponsors to support
this event, so please consider how you can participate.
Tickets: $15 adults, $12 students/senior. Tickets will be available online at www.grantband.org or at the door. Want to make sure you and your guests are up close to your
favorite musician? Book at table of 10 with preferred seating for $300.
Major Chord Sponsor $500 (logo on signage and website, full page program ad, and
4 tickets)
Minor Chord Sponsor $250 (logo on signage and website, 1/4 page program ad and
2 tickets)
For more information, please visit www.grantband.org or contact Amy Geoffroy, band
booster president at geoffroyamy@gmail.com

HISTORIC IRVINGTON NEWSLETTER

WINTER 2014

Key Lessons from an Exterior Home Renovation:

Remodeling in the Historic District

Expect Eastside Expertise

by Nathan Clark Corser, member ICA Land Use Committee

WINTER 2014

by the Federal Government. Each new or extant structure,

(contributing or not), adds to that character in fundamental
ways. The location, size, height, siting, massing, scale and
proportion are all important. Each structure (predominantly houses) contributes to the character through its
style, the vocabulary that style employs, and the patterns of elements that make up the style. If this sounds a
bit too much like architecture-talk the shorthand version
is that all of these characteristics and expressions, from siding, to window size and proportions, to chimneys, have
a potential impact on your property and, because of our
compactness, often your neighbors too. For lack of a better
analogy, none of us in Irvington is an island. The changes
we make to the exterior of our structures on all sides of our
properties are invariably to be enjoyed by you, your immediate neighbors and Irvington as a whole. All sides matter.

Billy Grippo
Principal Broker
Living, working,
and serving in
our community for
over 21 years.
Top Eastside Producer
Portland Monthly Five Star Real Estate Agent
Windermere Leadership Advisory Council

(503)497-5249
bgrippo@windermere.com
www.BillyGrippo.com
Lloyd Tower
825 NE Multnomah St. #120
Portland, OR 97232

Ive lived in and loved Irvington for 23

years youve probably seen me around
the neighborhood! Id love to help you
buy or sell in Irvington and beyond!

Tips for Staying Warm and

Cozy this Winterfrom Clean Energy Works

fter a hot summer, temperatures are finally droppingand winter is just around the corner. Grab
a coffee or a hot apple cider, put on your favorite
flannel, and cuddle up to your sweetie because weve got you
covered when it comes to the best tips for keeping toasty
indoors.
Take advantage of winter sun. Yes, there is sun, even in
Oregon winter! When its shining, be sure to open southfacing window curtains, drapes, and blinds during the day,
so the sunlight can naturally heat your home. Close window coverings at night to keep the heat in.
Cover drafty windows. Tape a do-it-yourself, clear, plastic film to the inside of your window frames. Make sure
the plastic is sealed tightly to the frame. Installing window
treatments, such as blinds, drapes, or shades, can also help
reduce heat loss.
Adjust the temperature. Set the thermostat 10 to 15
degrees cooler when youre not home to use less energy
and lower utility bills. Lowering the temperature slightly
at night and adding an extra blanket to the bed keeps the
whole family extra cozy.
Give your home a free check up from Clean Energy
Works. Your home does a lot for youeveryone needs a
check up every once in a while. Well give you a complete
look at all the ways you can improve your home: becoming more efficient, creating comfort, providing better air
quality, and even being safe during an earthquake. Take
an online eValuation, and use HomeScope to see what
your neighbors are doing for their homeswith all kinds
of information on rebates and financing available when
youre ready for a home upgrade. Its all available at: www.
cleanenergyworksoregon.org

HISTORIC IRVINGTON NEWSLETTER

Each Office Independently Owned and Operated

237 NE Broadway, Portland, OR 97232 503-287-8989

JUDITH ROLFE

503-516-8632 agentrolfe@msn.com

4586

ot surprisingly, many neighbors, including

myself, can be concerned and find themselves
confused about remodeling the outside of their
home. You may wonder as I did what work can be done to
the exterior structure and how it might be impacted by the
Federal and City guidelines that govern such work within the
Historic District. These guidelines and their interpretation
by the local governing authority, the Bureau of Development
Services (BDS), can seem sometimes vague and subjective, and
in other circumstances weirdly specific, and sometimes both.
The blessing and the curse of the historic district
designation is that the quality and character of the built
environment that attracted folks to Irvington in the first
place (like the massing, scale and proportion of existing
structures) have been recognized as worth preserving in its
entirety, largely fixed in place, as is. Some of our neighbors have had the most challenges not necessarily building
a brand new structure, but more often than not when they
want to replace something like a window or, as in one
recent case, repair or replace their homes siding.
This last instance again reminded neighbors of some of
the kinds of pitfalls that can frustrate even the professionals, slow projects down, and at times place folks at odds
with their neighbors. Even those of us trying to help
them through the City processes and support them with
peer and expert reviews through the auspices of the ICA
Land Use Committee can sometimes get frustrated. So, as
a reminder, and in the interest of trying to mitigate confusion and poor outcomes, the following are some of our
recommendations:
1. Seek out and try to work with a professional (architect, builder, fabricator, etc.) who has done work in this or
another historic district in town. This advice is not intended to preclude working with whomever you like or you feel
most comfortable with, but familiarity with the pertinent
guidelines and the BDS personnel and procedures will go a
long way towards being successful.
2. There are two kinds of historic design reviews. One
is more onerous and time consuming than the other. If you
have questions about what kind of Historic Design Review
you might need to be engaged in, please dont hesitate to
reach out to the ICA Land Use Committee through its
Chair, Dean Gisvold.
The aforementioned siding replacement project was
hampered because of difficulty in determining what kind
of review was required, even among BDS staff. The project
was moved back and forth from one type of easier review,
to the other more onerous type and then, in the end, back
to the simpler one. Months passed with frustration all
around. Lack of the particular builders experience coupled
with some unfortunate interpretations by BDS staff were
the primary culprits.
The ICA Land Use Committee working with Owners
in conjunction with BDS staff sooner rather than later has
proven repeatedly to be helpful, especially when all are
engaged at the earliest possible phase of a project.
3. The ICA Land Use Committee members are volunteers and many are simply neighbors who really like and
support the built environment that is Irvington. Some
members are also professionally trained architects, architectural historians, designers and lawyers.
This committee is solely advisory to homeowners and
to BDS. The City makes the final decisions about the level
of review and whether or not to approve the application.
ICA members wealth of knowledge and experience may
be of value to you and/or your neighbors. Sometimes that
service may be just a fresh pair of eyes or pointing folks
towards resources and entities that can help them in their
endeavors. This committee will not design your project,
but the members can certainly help identify where some
of the challenges and pitfalls may lie for a project you are
considering.
4. Lastly, all sides of our properties matter. It is the
character of the overall neighborhood that was recognized

Get Even More!

A Place to Play

Its never too early to plan a

retirement future that will free you
to play more, in a friendly community
filled with pursuits you enjoy and
people you cherish.
Ask about the new Holladay Place!
Call today for a tour.

503-280-2216

1300 NE 16th Ave., Portland, OR 97232

www.retirement.org/hpp
An Affiliate of Pacific Retirement Services, Inc.

PAGE 5

Trade Roots

Providing support for our community

and around the world.
Shop local, think global.
1831 NE Broadway 503-281-5335
www.traderootsinc.com

lessons and clinics daily

coached by US #1 pro player
portlandsquashacademy.com
julian.illingworth@gmail.com

Adventures with Old Oil Tanks

uying and owning an old historic home in

Irvington has many benefits; the interior detailing
of moulding and built-ins and the history behind
the home are just a few. There can also be some challenges to
these beautiful, old houses and one of those can be hidden oil
tanks. If you dont know what youre looking for before purchasing, an unknown oil tank can take you by surprise.
Its a safe bet to assume that an old historic home in
Irvington had oil heating at some point. A big clue is if you
spot an oil vent on the back of the house which can remain
even if the tank has already been decommissioned.
Theres a cool resource you can use to look up an
address to see if the oil tank has already been taken care of:
http://www.deq.state.or.us/lq/tanks/lust/LustPublicLookup.
asp. Though I believe this only shows tanks that have
leaked - meaning a soil test was done and it came back
positive. The probability of a tank leaking is fairly high so
odds are good that if the house has a decommissioned oil
tank, it would be listed here.
If you dont find the house listed there, you can hire
someone to try to locate the tank. When purchasing a
home, this would be done during inspection process before
buying the house - along with a regular inspector and other
testing you may perform. In the case of an oil tank being
found, you may want the current owner to take care of it
rather than taking a discount on the closing costs. This is
due to the fact that its impossible to predict the extent of
the cleanup costs until youre in the thick of it.
In the instance that you are already the current owner
of an old historic home the buck stops with you; you are
responsible for cleanup and costs to decommission the oil
tank. This would be one of those few instances where ignorance could very well be bliss but could be a double edge
sword as well. Its up to the owner as to whether or not
they want to go hunting for an oil tank. If youre unlucky
enough to randomly discover one, like us, you could still
choose to ignore it. But because of disclosure laws, you
would have to disclose that fact to potential buyers when
selling.
Our oil tank encounter started with needing to replace
the deck when an oil tank was discovered. This is the process we went through to get the tank decommissioned in
order to resume the deck project.
The first step is finding a company that is certified to
handle oil tanks. They will come out and take some soil
samples from each end of the tank. This test shows how
much oil has leaked into the soil which dictates the rest of
the process. Theyll also determine the size of the tank and
its orientation, check to see if theres oil still in the tank
and how much, and if there is any water in there too. For
us, as the crew dug deeper the soil started to turn a greyish
color and smelled like oil. But color and smell arent a good
indicator of a leaks severity as soil composition impacts
that. The soil test results will indicate the severity.
Our tests showed the leak was minimal and indicated
that the tank could stay in place and be cleaned out rather
than be removed. Since we did have a leak, DEQ was notified and now we appear in the search link I mentioned
above.
A second round of soil tests were conducted because
another aspect when determining the extent of remediation
is the volume of soil contaminated. The round consisted
of taking samples on all four sides and then on the worst
side (shown from the first set of tests) 3 feet from the tanks
end. They also test to see if there is groundwater which
could have spread the contamination.
The third step in this process was another crew came
to drain and clean the oil tank. This involved cutting a
giant hole in the top and using this power washer and suction tube to clean everything out - this kind of reminded

me of the dentist! Once everything is clean, the bottom

is inspected to ensure there are no holes which could have
leaked oil.
Our second set of tests came back within the DEQ
acceptable ranges and since there werent any holes in the
bottom, our saga can come to a close. Theyll backfill the
tank with cement and we can go on with our deck building. Eventually, well get certification from the DEQ, our
case will be closed, and we will be able to sell our home
worry free in the future.
Overall, we were pretty lucky that the leaks werent
more severe and the remediation didnt cost us more. Im
glad that we took care of it now when rust was still minimal rather than dealing with a much bigger and more
costly project.
The moral of out story is look before you buy - if thats
too late, dealing with an oil tank sooner will probably end
better than waiting and risking a more severe leak, even
though absorbing the unexpected cost is not super pleasant.
Happy hunting!

A tradition of giving
back to our neighborhood: Our charitable
giving guidelines
For nearly 20 years, the Irvington
Community Association has made it a
priority to supporting worthwhile organizations in our neighborhood. 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 501 c3 organization under federal IRS rules, and
(2) that a recipient must either operate
within or be headquartered within the
boundaries of the ICA.

Please join us for our upcoming ICA Land Use Committee meetings. They are held at 7 p.m.
in the Chapel of Westminster Church at 1624 NE Hancock St. For exact dates, e-mail
Dean Gisvold at deang@mcewengisvold.com. To reach the Chapel, enter the church at the awning door
(close to NE 16th) and head downstairs. You will need the code for the key pad at the door.

PAGE 6

HISTORIC IRVINGTON NEWSLETTER

WINTER 2014

Preserving the Past, One New Building at a Time

by Jim Heuer

ots of folks wondered when the Historic District

was created whether it would freeze Irvington in
amber and not permit growth and development.
The answer is now visible in a number of significant construction projects in the last 4 years, the most substantial of which
is Guy Bryants five row town houses -- disguised as a mansion
-- on 17th Avenue. By the time you read this, they will be
nearly finished a single very handsome building concealing
five separate homes, each with its own garage.

Originally conceived as something of a motel turned sideways, under the pressure of Historic Resource Review the
design acquired the more traditional form of a streetcar-era
commercial building while displaying modern materials
even sporting balconies overlooking the passing scene.

Four years ago, with the advent of the District, we had

the promise of more neighborhood involvement in the
design and appropriateness of buildings constructed in
our midst, but little idea of how that would play out with
actual proposals. Within a few weeks, the first such project
was announced: two town homes to be built near NE 8th
and Tillamook. The ICA Land Use Committee met with
the developer and staff from the Bureau of Development
Services which must approve all new designs for the
District to explore ways to meet the detailed standards for
new construction in the City Code.
The result was a new building that borrowed design
vocabulary from 1900s era buildings while using modern
materials and building techniques. Bay windows at the
front provide visual interest and a cornice at the top defines
and frames the street presence while concealing roof-top
components. Brick facing provides a sense of permanence.
Other projects soon followed, including a four-unit
condominium building which completed a 1910s row of
two-story apartment structures at 2013 NE 10th Avenue,
maintaining the historic pattern of apartments with prominent front porches and a symmetrical design first brought
to the neighborhood by the architect/builder Frederick
Bowman in the years from 1912 to 1922. While unmistakably a modern building based on its contemporary
materials, its classical columns pay homage to its centuryold neighbors.
Another new building paying homage to its neighbors
is a brand new Craftsman Revival Style home at 2547 NE
21st Avenue, built on a lot left empty for 100 years. While
many such homes have been built around Portland in socalled Traditional Style by modern builders, often in areas
where there are no Craftsman Style homes anywhere close,
this home is surrounded by classic Craftsman Style homes
and its designers took guidance from the ICA Land Use
Committee and BDS staff in following traditional design
practices much more closely than typical modern builders
have done to enhance its compatibility with its neighbors.
Commercial construction has occurred too, with
a retail/residential building at 2007 NE Broadway.

Corner view of new construction with historic design feel

But the largest and most ambitious project of all is the
5-unit town house project mentioned above at 17th and
Schuyler. The developer understood at the outset that traditional row houses would not fit into Irvingtons historic
fabric and brought a number of alternative designs to the
ICA Land Use Committee for review all informed by traditional design vocabulary but not replicas of any specific
historic building. The Committee made its selection and
then worked with the developer to obtain approval from
BDS and the Portland Historic Landmarks Commission.
A number of 4-plexes and larger apartment buildings in
the neighborhood inspired the design which presents itself
to the street as a single large mansion with a grand center
entrance while artfully concealing 5 separate entrances.
Yet more projects are in the pipeline for the neighborhood. Ever rising property values and a very tight rental
market will continue to impel development in Irvington.
Some, still larger projects are likely in Irvingtons future,
but in all cases there will have to be a conscious effort to
fit in with the existing historic fabric, and not overwhelm
it, as has happened in recent years along Williams Avenue
and Division Street and other major streets on the East
Side of Portland without historic district protections.

Fine Home Remodeling & Maintenance

The Total Home Care Difference

503-282-0545
www.cooperdesignbuilders.com
Design Remodel Small Projects Repair Maintenance

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

remier
MORTGAGE
R E S O U R C E S

WINTER 2014

HISTORIC IRVINGTON NEWSLETTER

PAGE 7

WINTER 2014




Neighborhood
Calendar of Events
Irvington Community Association Board Meetings
7 PM Irvington School Library
2nd Thursday of every month (except July/August)
January 8 and February 12
Contact Steven Cole (stevencole86@gmail.com)
Irvington Land Use Committee Meetings
4th Thursday of every month (except July/August)
7:00 9:00 PM Westminster Presbyterian Church,
NE 16th & Hancock
Contact Dean Gisvold (deang@mcewengisvold.com)
Irvington Historic Preservation Committee
Meetings
2nd Wednesday of every month (except July/August)
7:00 9:00 PM Westminster Presbyterian Church,
NE 16th & Hancock
Contact Barb Christopher (barbfc@comcast.net)

 !"#$! #%

&%!' (''#)(*"(+*
,( - ##$!("

 



 

 
 
 
 


Tips for biking in the

neighborhood this Winter

ith the onset of the rain and shorter daylight hours there is one thing you can do to
protect yourself riding home this winter. Be
defensive. Whether you are a pedestrian, bicyclist or vehicular
driver dont ever assume others can see you. When in doubt be
prepared to yieldwhether you have the right-of-way or not.
If you are bicyclist assume no one sees you at any time
of day and especially at dawn, dusk and during the night.
Because of the mature and extensive tree canopy we enjoy
in Irvington these hours of lower visibility are increased.
If you can clearly discern the headlamps and the tail/brake
lights of the vehicles around you should have your lights on
too. Want to be as visible as possible at all times? Always
turn your lights on.
It goes without saying that Oregon law requires that
bicycle lights be installed and used at those times noted
above. The bigger and most important point is that front
and back bike lights provide valuable visibility to those
with whom we share the streets and sidewalks.

SAVE THESE 2014 DATES

ICA Holiday Party
Irvington Club December 11
Sweet Sound of Jazz Concert
6:30 PM at Grant High Old Gym
February 6, 2015
2245 NE 36th Avenue

And wear your helmets.

Cheers and have a safe ride!

P.O. Box 12102

Portland, OR 97212

PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT NO. 88
GRESHAM, OR

Irvington Community Association

HISTORIc

IRVINGTON