Sei sulla pagina 1di 8

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 2019
¶ FREE Example of a non-contributing multi-family

Contributing or Non-Contributing…

by Peter O’Neil
IHD FAQ Remodeling a Non-Contributing building still requires Historic Resource Review
ICA Board Member & Land Use Committee by the City – much like a Contributing building – but a Non-Contributing build-
ing has fewer protections. It can be demolished under the usual (lax) demolition City

S
o what’s the deal with “Contributing” and “Non-Contributing” buildings in standards. There has been only one home demolished in Irvington since the Historic
the Irvington Historic District? If it’s Contributing you can do this and if it’s District was formed; it was a non-contributing home on NE 13th Ave.
Non Contributing you can do that? What’s up with that? It is extremely difficult to get a permit to destroy a Contributing building, though.
Gather ‘round folks, and I’ll tell you the saga of tireless volunteers and their quest to Demolition of a Contributing building requires the approval of City Council – a nearly
find Contributing and Non-Contributing structures in Irvington. impossible hurdle.
Oh so many years ago – it must be twelve years by now – volunteers with their There are many other advantages to owning a Contributing structure. One of the
notepads and pencils roamed the neighborhood and classified each of the 2,800 struc- biggest is the fact that a major rehab project to a Contributing building can result in
tures in Irvington as Contributing to the overall historic fabric of the neighborhood thousands of dollars in property tax savings over the years through the Oregon Special
or Non-Contributing. It was an exhaustive inventory, and includes photos of all the Assessment program. If your project and home meet several strict criteria, the program
homes in Irvington. This was part of the application for Historic District status with freezes the assessed value of your property for a period of 10 years. This means that the
the National Park Service. increase in assessed value triggered by a major rehabilitation of your home will be put
In a Historic District individual homes and buildings either contribute to the his- off by 10 years while you enjoy the benefits of the investments immediately.
toric nature of the entire neighborhood or they don’t. In Irvington a Contributing There are certain specific requirements to qualify, of course, but the tax break is
structure is one that was built during the Historic Period of Significance – 1891 available, in theory, for all Contributing buildings in the Historic District. One of our
through 1948 – and over the years has maintained much of its original architecture Land Use Committee members, Jim Heuer (who also contributed to this article), has
and appearance. It may have been remodeled, but it looks essentially the same as it did written a detailed explanation of how to qualify for the Oregon Special Assessment pro-
when it was built and contributes to the overall fabric of the district. gram, and it’s posted on our website at www.irvingtonpdx.com/historic-tax-incentives/.
A Non-Contributing building, then, is one that was built outside the Period of Before you start your next project, check it out.
Significance or has been remodeled to the point it no longer resembles its original Besides the significant tax advantages available to Contributing buildings, there is
architecture and no longer contributes to the District. Although 85% of the structures little practical difference between the two.
in Irvington are Contributing, we have many homes that were “modernized” (especially Exterior remodeling projects require Historic Resource Review by the City, and they
in the seventies – what were we thinking?) and are now Non-Contributing. all must meet certain standards. However, changes to a Non-Contributing building
may be a bit less strict because it is Non-Contributing. Since
it has less historic accuracy and significance, changes may be
allowed that might not be allowed on a Contributing building.
A Non-Contributing home remodel must still fit the fabric of the
district, but changes might be accepted that otherwise wouldn’t
be if they help the home’s style move toward a more historically
accurate look.
So how do you know whether your home is Contributing or
Non-Contributing? Well, it’s on line, of course. Got to www.
portlandmaps.com. Type in your address and Enter. Click on
the MAPS link, then the ZONING link and you’ll see a page
with your home’s Zoning information including whether it’s
Contributing or not.
Finally, I usually put my caveat at the top, but be advised,
all this is general information. It is believed to be true, but not
guaranteed! Each project is different. Each project is reviewed
on its own merits.
And we can help you there. The Irvington Community
Association Land Use Committee will advise you on ways to
make your plans more acceptable to the City’s Historic Resource
Review. This is a free and friendly service we are happy to pro-
vide. Please contact Land Use Chair Dean Gisvold for more
information before you apply for your building permit.
Example of a contributing duplex Until next time!
From the www.stumptownbroker.com

PRESIDENT
• Listing
• Buying 237 NE BROADWAY#100
PORTLAND, OR 97232
• ADU Specialist office: (503) 287-8989
Broker - Licensed in Oregon mobile: (503) 998-6578

Bob Dobrich Jeff Beard


Mortgage Loan Originator

Neighborhood Associations and


Call Jeff For a Purchase or Refinance Review and
receive a $100 Gift Certificate to Beard’s Frame Shop
No Cash Value * Limited Quantities Available * No Purchase Required

the “Code Change” (360) 449-9496 Jeffrey.Beard1@usbank.com


JeffreyBeard.com

H
Equal Housing Lender
appy Fall and hope you enjoyed the sum- darkness with virtually no outreach to the neighborhood NMLS #113149
mer! It was a busy one both in Irvington associations or district coalitions. In fact, we and many
and in the City. There are several impor- NA’s did not find out about this until the very end of
tant issues coming before the city council which will the process. It was clear the committee not only didn’t
have an effect on Irvington. In this issue, please read up understand how NA’s operate but were outright antago-
on “Better Housing by Design” and the land use cal- nistic to NA’s.
endar. Also of importance is the code change initiative Concurrently, an article in the Oregonian (8/9/19)
brought by the Office of Civic Life. This is changing quoted staff of the Office of Civic Life stating tactics of
almost weekly, and I have summarized it to date below. division by generalizing people, creating classes and bait-
On a lighter side, we are starting a recurring column “In ing people against each other. NA’s were called racist and
The Hood…”. To kick off the column we feature two elitist. We deserve better!
new eateries along Broadway. Once this came to light there was significant outcry 

As you may know, the ICA is one of 95 officially from the community and very quickly backpedaling 

recognized neighborhood associations (NA) in Portland. occurred. A new section was added to the proposed code 

The NA’s were formed over 40 years ago and have which kept the neighborhood associations recognized “as
become a national model for civic engagement. Since identified in other sections of the City Code.” However,
Portland does not have district city council members, whether this means the intent is for NA’s to be viable
many times the NA is the your first point of contact and funded is up for debate. The City Council has
with city government. As currently written, the city moved a hearing on the topic to November 14.
code, section 3.96, authorizes the neighborhood asso- According to the Willamette Week (9/19/19),
ciations and district coalitions, and sets requirements Commissioner Eudaly has sent “threatening” emails to
and responsibilities such as open meetings. The code her City Council colleagues if they do not support her Lloyd Tower
also provides a funding mechanism and accountability. plan “to weaken neighborhood associations.” Again, we 825 NE Multnomah Street Suite 120
This year the Office of Civic Life (formerly Office of deserve better. Portland OR 97232
Neighborhood Involvement), under the direction of I agree that Portland does need to have processes
Commissioner Chloe Eudaly, embarked on a project to and policies in place to broaden and make it easier for
change the code that governs NA’s. The stated intent civic engagement. We want a big table for participation.
was to broaden the ways Portlanders could engage with However, to accomplish this you do not throw away
the city. However, as they started the process the com- what is currently in place. Instead, you fix what is bro-
mittee removed mention of NA’s along with district
coalitions and our responsibilities. Even more concern-
ken and create mechanisms for greater participation. I
won’t presume that every NA is perfect and we all could
Need a Home Loan?
be better. The City should be spending resources to
ing was the committee operated under the cover of
help the NA’s reach those goals instead of attempting to
New and updated options
“write them out of the code.” now available!
The ICA over the years has advocated for an inclu-
sive neighborhood. I encourage all of you to become
involved with your neighborhood association and its
committees.

This topic is moving at a very fast pace. The


Oregonian, Willamette Week and Hollywood Star are
all covering this. We will post updates on our website,
irvingtonpdx.com, including copies of correspondence
to City Council members. Please take a look. Feel free
to reach out to me or any of the board members if you
have thoughts or opinions.
Finally, I would ask you to make your personal opin-
ions, whatever they may be, known to the City Council.
• Mayor Ted Wheeler:
MayorWheeler@portlandoregon.gov; Your Neighborhood Mortgage Resource
•Commissioner Nick Fish:
Nick@portlandoregon.gov
Purchase • Refinance • Reverse
• Commissioner Amanda Fritz: 503-972-4900
Amanda@portlandoregon.gov "I am very grateful to all of you for being so patient
• Commissioner JoAnn Hardesty: with us, and for always being so service-minded.
JoAnn@portlandoregton.gov Every time we've worked with your team
it's been a great experience.“
• Commissioner Chloe Eudaly:
Chloe@portlandoregon.gov See many more client testimonials at:
w w w. N W P re m i e r.o rg

PAGE 2 HISTORIC IRVINGTON NEWSLETTER Fall 2019


ica board members • 2018
THE Are you looking for the minutes from our

IRVINGTON
recent board meetings?
All Irvington residents, renters and homeowners Minutes are posted in full on our Web site
along with business owners are members of the

COMMUNITY
at www.irvingtonpdx.com.
Irvington Community Association. Our meet-
ings are on the second Thursday of each month
at Irvington School Library, 1320 NE Brazee
St. starting at 7 PM. However, please verify the
meeting date and location at irvingtonpdx.com.
ASSOCIATION
P.O. B O X 12102 , P ORT L A N D, ORE GO N 97212
OFFICERS
President: Bob Dobrich.............................. president@irvingtonpdx.com The ICA meets on the second Thursday of every month (except July and August),
Vice President: Steven Cole................. vicepresident@irvingtonpdx.com
Treasurer: Jeff Jones.................................... treasurer@irvingtonpdx.com 7 p.m. in the library at the Irvington Elementary School, 1320 NE Brazee St.
Secretary: Doug Cooke..............................secretary@irvingtonpdx.com
Communications: Tiffanie Shakespeare.........website@irvingtonpdx.com
Local issues are discussed and all Irvington residents are welcome to attend.
DIRECTORS
Huck Bales Jason Messer
Jim Barta Barbara Nagle
Nathan Corser Peter O’Neil
Jon Eaton Josh Plager
Dean Gisvold Christine Satterlee
Susan Hathaway-Marxer Sean Stone
Alex Michel Lizabeth Tyler

COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Beautification...................................................................... Jason Messer
Capital Projects................................................................ Nathan Corser
Charitable Giving ...............Susan Hathaway-Marxer and Bob Dobrich
charitablegiving@irvingtonpdx.com
Community Connections...........................Lizabeth Tyler and Jon Eaton
community@irvingtonpdx.com
Disaster Preparedness
Historic Preservation..................historicpreservation@irvingtonpdx.com
Home Tour........................................................... Brian Schaeperkoetter
Land Use ...........................................................................Dean Gisvold
landuse@irvingtonpdx.com
Livability .................. Christine Satterlee livability@irvingtonpdx.com
NECN Representative
Newsletter .........................................................................Bob Dobrich
newslettereditor@irvingtonpdx.com
Newsletter Advertising .................... newsletterads@irvingtonpdx.com
Parks ............................................................. Jeff Jones & Jason Messer
Tree Team Kyna Rubin.............................. treeteam@irvingtonpdx.com
Website ......................Tiffanie Shakespeare website@irvingtonpdx.com
NEIGHBORHOOD RESOURCES
Abandoned Vehicles (24-hour hotline)..............................503-823-7309
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

Irvington Artists featured as part of


Noise Reporting & Control..............................................503-823-7350
Office of Neighborhood Involvement ..............................503-823-4519
Parking Enforcement.........................................................503-823-5195

Portland Open Studios


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

P
LEGISLATORS ortland Open Studios creates a unique edu- well as several located in the Irvington neighborhood
State Representatives
Tawana Sanchez Rep. cational opportunity for the public to witness itself.
TawanaSanchez@oregonlegislature.gov ..........................503-986-1443 art in the making, and learn about media, Dates and times are the weekends of October 12-13,
Barbara Smith Warner
Rep.BarbaraSmithWarner@state.or.us ...........................503-986-1445 materials and the business of creative endeavor. Through and October 19-20. Hours are 10am to 5pm for each of
State Senators this interaction, Portland Open Studios creates a plat- the four days.
Michael Dembrow form for local artists to thrive, engage and foster a com- Look soon for the free official Open Studio map guide
Sen.MichaelDembrow@state.or.us.................................503-986-1723
Lew Frederick, District 22 munity that values the arts. available all over the Portland metro area!
Sen.LewFrederick@oregonlegislature.com......................503-986-1722 This year, the juried group of artist studios open to the
public includes around 20 northeast Portland artists, as
Trade Roots
Peter O’Neil
Historic Irvington Expert
Realtor®
Seniors Real Estate Specialist®
Earth Advantage® Broker
Licensed in the State of Oregon
poneil@windermere.com
503.863.7877

“Peter is reliable, thoughtful, hard-working, and


a terrific problem solver.” - Zoe A., Home Seller

I live in the neighborhood. Providing Support for Our Community-


I work in the neighborhood. and around the World
I walk Archie in the neighborhood.
Shop Local-Think Global
No one knows Irvington better! Clothing, jewelry, accessories and gifts
Great Gifts For Gardeners! ~1831 NE Broadway~
1220 NW Lovejoy St Ste 130
Portland OR 97209 www.traderootsinc.com

Fall 2019 HISTORIC IRVINGTON NEWSLETTER PAGE 3


What Does Irvington Want to Be When It Grows Up?
occupy just 51% of the land area – allowing for substan- proposing to retain height limits, so that in the R1 zone,
Is BHBD Part of the Answer? tial redevelopment potential on the empty lots and sites height limits of 45’ would be retained. But wait… there

W
of non-contributing structures. is a catch!
hat a crazy question you say! With a It was this area that the ICA fought to keep in the In addition to these dramatic changes in the allowed
median age of Irvington’s historic build- Historic District during the nomination process of 2008 density of housing units in the R1 (and similar in the R2
ings being 97 years and with the earliest through 2010, over some objections of City planners, zone, but less dramatically), BHBD provides for bonuses
having been built in the 1890s, Irvington is no young largely because of the number of potentially significant allowing greater FAR if developers provide “benefits” to
belle anticipating her future, but rather a “Grande Dame” historic homes and structures among the more modern the City of several kinds, including transfer from sites
of the city. Yet change is coming to Portland in the next buildings: with architects like Joseph Jacobberger, Elmer where tree protections limit development, additional FAR
couple of decades, and we have to ask how will that Feig, Raymond Hockenberry, Emil Schacht, and others – allowances for moderate income housing units, and even
change be accommodated “gracefully” into the historic not to mention some of the best examples of Queen Anne greater FAR capacity allowances for buildings which pro-
fabric of our neighborhood while protecting the historic Victorian style cottages in the city. vide housing for tenants at or below 60% of the Median
character defined by our listing on the National Register So what will BHBD bring to Irvington? And more Family Income (MFI). In practice, this can mean that
of Historic Places. importantly, what do we need changed in the BHBD bonuses could drive the allowable sizes of new construc-
Two big City of Portland planning projects are plan to better protect Irvington’s historic character and tion substantially above the “base zone” allowances. Let’s
expected to impact Irvington as change sweeps across its treasure of historic, “contributing” homes, apartments see what this means in Irvington:
the city, in spite of – but hopefully tempered by – our and commercial buildings? First the proposed changes in In Figure 1 below, we show the current actual FAR
protected status. The first one of these, being considered multi-family zoning that generally the ICA supports. ratios (scale at left) for both existing contributing and
in October by City Council, is optimistically dubbed Summarizing the words of the planners’ proposal they non-contributing buildings in each of three current
“Better Housing by Design” – or BHBD -- by its cre- are looking to change the allowable form and configura- Irvington zones, R2, R1,and RH. In none of these zones
ators in the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability. The tion of multi-family buildings to achieve these generally is the existing Floor Area Ratio in excess of 1 to 1 or,
second, widely referred to as “RIP” (Residential Infill laudable goals: expressed as a simple number 1.0. But look to the right
Project), has been moved back by the City for consid- Requirements for courtyards and other common areas in the chart and see how much larger the base zones are
eration later in the year – possibly due to its extremely for larger sites in comparison. This is a significant enough change, but
controversial nature. Provisions for ecoroofs and bioswales the real concern is the amount of FAR allowed structures
BHBD applies to that part of Irvington that is zoned Transfers of development rights to protect large exist- that max out the allowable “bonus” FAR. In this case,
multi-family – that means about 18% of our total ing trees buildings as much as 4 times the size of our existing
land area – or a full 69 acres in a strip 3-4 blocks deep, Smaller allowable area for surface parking to eliminate buildings would be allowed!
immediately north of Broadway. This is the first part the “motel like” configurations so common in Irvington
of Irvington that people see as they head north from and other east-side neighborhoods dating to the 1970s The ICA, working through a consortium of neighbor-
Broadway and Weidler streets. (This means zones R1, Reduced overall parking requirements [only limited hood associations affected by these changes in historic
R2, and RH.) This is an area which has already suffered impact due to Irvington’s crisscrossing frequent service districts has been pushing for some limitations on these
significant change in the 1960s and 1970s, but which bus lines, which already allow minimum parking]. allowances where there is a potential – as clearly indi-
still has 62% contributing buildings, of which about a Increased landscaped setbacks for larger buildings and cated above – for major economic pressure on smaller
third are single family residences, mostly dating to the step-down configuration adjacent to lower density zones. contributing structures (which generally already provide
period before 1910. Yet these contributing buildings In discussions with the City, your ICA Land Use lower cost housing options, especially in our multi-family
Committee representatives have generally been supportive zones) and would incentivize their demolition. The argu-
of these provisions. ment simply has been that the proposed Base Zone FAR
But there are a series of proposals that, when com- allowances are big enough, and bonus FAR should NOT
bined, could potentially have significant impacts on our be allowed on sites where contributing buildings already
city-scape. First of these is changing the approach from are standing. Recall, that this only applies to about 50%
an “allowable housing units” basis in the zoning limits to of the total land area in Irvington’s multi-family zones
a “Floor Area Ratio” basis or FAR. So, for example in occupied by contributing buildings.
the current R1 zone, the code allows one housing unit The ICA recognizes that new buildings in the multi-
for each 1000 square feet of lot area. In the proposed family zones will be built, but there is a need to keep
replacement RM2 zone, there will be NO limit on the our existing contributing buildings intact to preserve the
number of housing units, but a base limit of a FAR of essence of the Historic District. The Portland Historic
1.5:1. In this example, then that 5000 square foot stan- Landmarks Commission, with input from the ICA and
dard lot in the R1 zone, now allowed 5 housing units, the historic preservation community, will help ensure
would be allowed 7500 square feet of living space (1.5 that what is built fits architecturally and with height that
times 5000 square feet of lot) which might have 15 500 is compatible with the immediate surroundings, thus

Every tree square foot one bedroom apartments – or even 21 350


square foot studios! Much more than the current 5 hous-
encouraging “gentle” density increases – but that job will
be much harder if unrestricted bonus FAR is allowed on

needs ing units!


To make this approach more palatable, BHBD is
the sites of contributing properties.
The ICA Land Use Committee urges all Irvington

a champion. residents to make their feelings known to City Council


as soon as possible on this issue. We are hoping that
Commissioner Fritz will introduce amendments after the
testimony which implements the limitation on bonus
PRUNING FAR to non-contributing sites per the discussion above.
CABLING & BRACING There was a City Council meeting on October 2 and
INSECT & DISEASE possibly more to follow. Check our website for the latest
including how to submit testimony.
MANAGEMENT
FERTILIZATION
SOIL CARE
The ICA Land Use Initiatives
Call us at 503-722-7267
bartlett.com/Clackamas-OR
and Calendar is now online
at irvingtonpdx.com. Check it
out for important information
that will affect you and how to
engage with the City.

PAGE 4 HISTORIC IRVINGTON NEWSLETTER Fall 2019


In the Hood…..
Noshing along old Broadway
James Duncan

N
E Broadway may not be lined with movie
house marquees and overpriced bou-
tiques—yet—but it’s developing its own
kind of stroller’s charm. Now, just as summer changes
to fall, a couple of bright new eateries have popped up
along its sidewalks and side streets, offering browsers a
new taste of Latin cuisine, baked goods, and chocolate
delicacies created directly from roasted cocoa beans.
We’re going to focus on two of them: Carne, a Latin-
tinged dinner, drink and music spot, and Woodblock
Chocolate, a combination chocolate “foundry” and casual
café.
Open Tuesdays through Saturdays at NE 25th &
Broadway is Carne, which bills itself as a “Latin Jazz
steakhouse and bar.” Despite the name, the menu features
plenty of vegetarian alternatives to balance the grilled
meat specialties of chef Joaquin Fernandez. While you
decide what you want to eat (and, of course, during and
after your meal), you can choose from an extensive line of
beverages ranging from house Sangrias to South American
wines and Latin cocktails. Particularly intriguing is the
Brazilian drink known as “caipirinhas,” a mojito with lime
juice, sugar and ice.
The space is welcoming, with carefully arranged dis-
plays of Latin musical and cultural motifs over a dark
green and maroon background. A full length bar along other side of the glass working with an assistant or two. spend the day working from the lotus position, sorting
one side is backed by a gilt-frame mirror, artfully arranged He and wife Jessica founded Woodblock about ten years better beans from lesser ones. And they are only one stage
shelves of wine and liquor bottles, with light glinting off ago. The space on NE 17th culminates a quest for the of a comprehensive quality control process.
the gold of Aztec rosettes and filigree crosses. Dominating perfect space that began when they pioneered the “bean- Ironically, all the beans are organic, but a farmer
the scene is a big black-and-white photograph of a Cuban to-bar” process using their Southeast Portland home as would have to pay to get his beans certified organic,
jazz band at work in the forties or fifties. manufactory. which many merchants prefer to stock. “I don’t even hear
A steady stream of Afro-Cuban jazz plays over the PA The Wheelocks are transplanted New Yorkers, who of anyone using pesticides in Tanzania, says Charley. “It’s
system —never intrusive but serving almost as a garnish were first brought together by a common interest in all organic . . . it actually hurts the small farmers who are
to the food and drink. fine antiques. “We specialized in 18th and 19th century legitimately organic that their crops are labeled conven-
Rarely does one write up a bistro’s bathrooms except French furniture,” he says. Jessica was a specialist in tional.”
to note whether they are clean or otherwise, but the pair finishes and restoration, Charley a skilled woodworker. Conventional is hardly the word for either of these
at the rear of this restaurant rate a special mention: each He recalls the irony of a clientele that would acquire new additions to the list of Irvington cafés and restau-
features a photo mural with a dance theme. In the left period furniture and have it “restored” to 21st century rants. Each one opens the neighborhood door to admit a
hand chamber is a silhouette of tango dancers; in the newness that really violated the essence of such artifacts. little more fresh air from other parts of the globe.
right a street scene with a pair of dancers flanking an The Wheelocks would then be called upon to return the
imposing 40s-era sedan. In general the atmosphere in furniture to its native antiquity. James Duncan is a former teacher, journalist and free-
Carne evokes a kind of Buena Vista Social Club ambi- This artisan’s ethic is at the heart of their current lance artist who has lived in Irvington off and on since the
ence, with Brazilian flourishes in the menu. vocation of roasting and grinding cocoa beans to cre- 1970s.
Restaurateurs Tod Breslau and Matt Brown plan to ate a line of chocolate specialties. Even the roasters are
bill plenty of live music, all with a Latin flavor, to justify antiques: 100 plus year old units with the quaint Art In the Hood is a new recurring column. To nominate
Carne’s “Latin Jazz” label. Interested parties can call Carne Nouveau-ish decorative facing that even the most mun- something in the hood, please send an email to newsletteredi-
or check its website to find out more about entertainment dane tools of yesteryear used to display. tor@irvingtonpdx.com
schedule. The dark, scarred and weathered wood comprising
Back down Broadway towards the river, there’s the the flooring and counter come from battered oak con-
recently-opened Woodblock Chocolate Manufactory café tainers used in overseas shipping. “The rule is they have
& expresso bar around the corner on NE 17th. This airy, to be decommissioned after ten million miles of travel,”
light-filled space is divided between a glassed-in roasting comments Charley, who personally transformed these SERVING FAMILIES, FRIENDS, AND NEIGHBORS IN
and processing “manufactory” and a gracious counter rustic shipping crates into the woodwork of Woodblock. NORTHEAST PORTLAND

opposite that’s lined with chocolate bars, pastries and Just last month Charley did some oceanic travel-
other delectables to be bought and consumed on site or ing of his own, voyaging to Tanzania to visit one of STEPHEN BACKER
BROKER — PIENOVI PROPERTIES
taken home. Woodblock’s sources for cocoa, Kokoa Kamili, where sbacker@pienoviproperties.com
Up near the entrance are café tables and chairs where the owners “buy wet cocoa beans from 2,000 farmers,” (503) 459-2319
chocolate epicures can consume their pastries along with then ferment and dry them for shipping worldwide. One
fresh coffee drinks brewed from Stumptown beans. This of Charley’s photos from his trip depicts a farmer who
particular epicure can vouch for the quality of the mocha, bicycled in with a bucketful of wet beans on his rack.
one of the few he’s had that wasn’t overly sweet and cloy- Woodblock’s beans also come from sources in
ing. This mocha was hot and fresh with a distinctive taste Madagascar, Peru, Ecuador and Trinidad, but Charley
of Woodblock chocolate. said the cocoa in the mocha this writer ordered is pure
If you want to watch the process whereby raw cacao Tanzanian.
becomes finished treats for the palate, there are stools “Quality control is very tight over there. Everywhere
along the manufactory side where you can sit and survey along the line they’re sorting the beans so we get the best
the scene. Co-owner Charley Wheelock might be on the quality.” He shows some photos of dignified ladies who
Fall 2019 HISTORIC IRVINGTON NEWSLETTER PAGE 5
Tales of Irvington
Who Moved that Streetcar Track?
By Meryl Logue

W
henever I hear someone talking about how the streetcar used to run off of Broadway north on NE
23rd, and back to Broadway on NE 24th, I just smile to myself, because I know different. How I
know it is a great Irvington story, though.
We know the streetcar left Irvington heading for downtown from NE 24th onto NE Broadway. In fact, I salvaged
a bit of the rail when the City tore them out around 2010. But was it NE 22nd, or 23rd, that it took off Broadway
going north into Irvington?
First, I could cheat and look at the layout of the streets of 22nd, 23rd, and 24th on a map. That gives you the first
clue that it was not leaving Broadway on 23rd. (It does not extend to Broadway.)
Second, I could step off my porch, and out on to 22nd (I live on 22nd) and look at the cracks in the pavement
showing the old tracks going north to Tillamook, then making a slight jog left and then back right to continue north
on 22nd.
But even better, I could just remember the story told to me by the family of the woman who lived in my house
from around 1941. Her name was Dottie.
Dottie moved with her family in 1941 at the age of 8 to live in what is now my house. She was a good and caring
daughter. In fact, as she got older, she spent her teens and most of her adult life in the role of care-giver. And it this
care-giving that is the heart of this story of how I know of the streetcar was on NE 22nd.
One fine spring day when the weather was warm, a teen-aged Dottie went with a girlfriend to Astoria on the
Coast. There they met a couple of nice young men who were sailors in the United States Navy. They chatted away the
afternoon in an ice cream parlor. Later that afternoon, Dottie was called home to care for someone who had just taken
a turn for the worse. She left hurriedly. Her young male companion begged her for her phone number. Knowing the
reputation of sailors, she primly replied, “No. I’m sorry.” And she left for home.
Several days later, the weather had warmed again, and the house windows were open. Her mother called her to the
front of the house. Outside, they could hear a young man calling her name.
The man had remembered that Dottie lived on the streetcar tracks off of Broadway. And he knew her name. But
that was all he knew. So he traveled to Portland, boarded the streetcar downtown, and called her name repeatedly all
the way out Broadway, and north along NE 22nd.
Dottie and her sailor married. They moved across the street into the carriage house of what is now the Portland
White House Inn (B&B). They had 3 children. Eventually they moved out to NE 77nd. Sadly, he died of a heart
attack at the Charbonneau rest stop on the northbound Interstate 5 in about 1965. Dottie and the children moved
back in with her mom and dad (the children’s grandparents). The house was later sold to a church for a period of
time, then re-possessed and sold to Dottie herself. Dottie remained in the house until her dying day. During her life,
she cared for many people. I was told that the attic was filled to the rafters before her death. It was all the possessions
of people she cared for, held by Dottie in safe-keeping.
She was a wonderful, caring woman, and I hold the house in safe-keeping today.
We all love the historic nature of Irvington and we celebrate the historic homes and deep history of our neighbor-
hood. Part of this history are the thousands of stories of our fellow Irvingtonians throughout the years. If you have a
story to share contact newslettereditor@irvingtonpdx.com

Discover the little


school where big
things happen.
Since 1913, St. Rose School has helped
raise scholars and saints in a small
community centered on faith and values.
We provide a comprehensive pre-k through
eighth-grade education that includes art,
music, PE and much more—helping to form
lifelong learners who respect others and
serve their community.
Contact us at info@strosepdx.org or
503-281-1912 to learn more or set up a tour.

IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
5309 NE Alameda St. | strosepdx.org
emerick-architects.com

PAGE 6 HISTORIC IRVINGTON NEWSLETTER Fall 2019


Irvington’s Charitable Giving Program Awards
$16,500 in Spring Grants to
Community Organizations
By Susan Hathaway-Marxer senior who requests one. Their mission is to feed people, notice of potential health issues. In order to qualify to

S
oon after the Irvington Community and they report additional requests for service every year. reside at the public buildings, a person must be elderly
Association (ICA) began its Charitable Giving They reported serving, in the Irvington neighborhood, and/or disabled and have an income below 50-80% of the
Program in 1993, it developed Charitable 800 older adults 68,086 meals in 2018. area median income. This grant will fund 100 foot-care
Giving Guidelines to help the ICA Board make fair Irvington Community Cooperative Preschool received appointments for a one-year period, and Home Forward
and wise decisions about gifting its money. These $1,500 that it will use to expand its scholarship program is providing additional funding so that the nurse can
Guidelines also help the potential recipients of funding for the 2019-20 school year. The preschool, which is schedule 12 appointments at each site per month. This
to understand the ICA’s objective in establishing and located at Augustana Lutheran Church on NE 14th and totals 144-foot care appointments because of our funding
maintaining the program. Knott, wants to encourage families from all social and and the contribution by Home Forward.
The guidelines are periodically reviewed for relevance, economic backgrounds to attend the school. They have Metropolitan Family Services’ Project Linkage
and a recent review still has the program focused on operated in the Irvington neighborhood for over 50 years Program received $3,000 that it will use to provide trans-
giving money through a competitive grant program to and, typically, serve 30 families, forming a community portation services to seniors and others who can’t access
organizations that serve children, senior citizens and eco- that is dedicated to meeting the developmental needs of public transportation, but need to travel locally. The
nomically disadvantaged persons living within Irvington. each child in the school. Project Linkage buses serve an estimated 95 Irvington
The Board allocates funding for the Charitable Giving Hancock Street Preschool received $1,500 to support area clients, and they provide approximately 4,000 rides
Program when it approves the ICA annual budget. That its tuition assistance program and to help with expenses to those clients within the course of a calendar year.
first year, $2,000 was distributed and five organizations related to its community engagement efforts. The tuition Many of the seniors using these services have limited
shared the funding. assistance program allows the preschool to welcome fami- incomes and they attribute the ability to remain in their
The cash grant program has always been competi- lies of any economic background and offer their children homes, do their own grocery shopping and get to medical
tive; but the criteria to apply is simple: the applicant an excellent early childhood education experience. Their appointments to the Project Linkage transportation pro-
must either be a public school serving the neighborhood community engagement effort is outreach and recruit- gram. Project Linkage reports it has 24 volunteers who
or a 501 ©(3) organization and must also be physically ment to encourage a diverse population as openings occur are Irvington residents, and it greatly values their support,
headquartered within or operate within the boundaries of within the program. Hancock Street Preschool is located kindness and ongoing connection with clients.
the Irvington Community Association. An eligible orga- within the Westminster Presbyterian Church building at The ICA Board extends best wishes to all the organi-
nization needs to submit a narrative proposal to apply for NE 16th and Hancock Streets. zations that applied for and received funding. It extends
a grant, and each recipient is required to submit a short Kinship House received $3,000 to help fund its sup- sincere gratitude to Irvington residents for the support
follow-up narrative within a year reporting on the impact port programs for foster and adopted children and their of the Historic Home Tour and the Charitable Giving
of receiving the money. families. Located on NE 8th across from the US Post Program, both of which make this annual endeavor so
Recently, the ICA Board changed the timing of the Office, Kinship House delivers outpatient mental health rewarding to organizations serving and people living in
funding given to public schools to be in the fall and therapy services for children in the foster and adoptive this community.
continued the funding of non-profits to be in the spring. system in the metropolitan area. They care for approxi- The Committee looks forward to having the opportu-
This change was made to accommodate the staff requests mately 500 children each year, primarily vulnerable foster nity to recommend gifts to our public schools before the
of public school officials and was based on the hectic children. New Year.
year-end schedules of Portland Public School’s principals. Northeast Community Child Development Center
At its June 13, 2019 meeting, the Board of Directors (NECCDC) received $1,000 to fund movement enrich-
of the ICA awarded cash grants totaling $16,500 to eight ment classes for the children in their care, who are typi-
(8) organizations that operate within the neighborhood cally three to five years of age. They will hire an instruc-
whose proposals met the ICA Board adopted Giving tor they have worked with before who is experienced
Guidelines. and skilled in incorporating the physical benefits of yoga
These are the organizations that applied for and with calming and concentration techniques and kind-
received grants in June 2019: ness exercises. NECCDC is located inside Westminster
The Grant High School All-Night Party Committee Presbyterian Church at NE 16th and Hancock, and the
received $1,500 for seed money to help fund the June nonprofit cooperative childcare center is now in its 37th
2020 all-night party for graduating seniors. Grant gradu- year of operation.
ated over 350 seniors on Sunday, June 2, 2019. It is Home Forward received $3,000 to help support the
the goal of the All Night Party Committee that every services of a registered nurse at the foot care clinic it
graduating senior have the opportunity to celebrate the operates for the residents of Grace Peck Terrace on NE
occasion in a safe, fun and positive environment. The 14th and Dahlke Manor on NE Schuyler. There are 210
Committee reports that the ICA is the largest single one-bedroom apartments between the two public hous-
donor to this event, and the ICA has consistently sup- ing buildings; they are always occupied and all residents
ported the Grant seniors’ party since the first year of the are encouraged to visit the clinic, which can provide early
Charitable Giving Program.
The Meals on Wheels People received $2,000 that
it will use to pay for food, food preparation and food
delivery service to its many clients. The clients are
homebound seniors and seniors who are able to access
their Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. location to dine with It’s a retirement thing.
others. Meals on Wheels is justly famous for its com- Imagine a life where you have the
mitment to providing a hot, nutritious meal to every 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

1300 NE 16th Ave., Portland, OR 97232


www.retirement.org/hpp

Holladay Park Plaza is a Pacific


Retirement Services Community

Fall 2019 HISTORIC IRVINGTON NEWSLETTER PAGE 7


Fall 2019
Dahlke Manor Update
I
n the Spring 2019 Issue of the Irvington work together! Perhaps improved news can be even more broken drug pipe in the hallway, and someone left a melting
Community Newsletter, there was an article of a call to action than bad news. It appears to me that ice cream bar in the hallway. Why would someone do that?
about Dahlke Manor entitled, “Hidden Behind the general tenor of the Irvington community is a will- I saw a guy who has been excluded from the building selling
the Walls.” It was anonymously written with a group ingness to be a part of the solution to housing problems drugs behind the building. The difference is that he is not
process. After reading the article, many people asked, that affect our city. I personally would be thrilled if more coming in and out of the building.”
“How did things get so bad?” Obviously, funding for low-income housing could be built close to our home. “It’s cleaned up pretty good. I don’t worry about people
public housing maintenance and management has Getting to know our neighbors at Dahlke Manor and in charging the door when I go in. People who live here are
decreased as the needs of the community have increased. the surrounding area has been a positive experience in friendlier and seem less tense. The change from when I first
But more critical questions may be “How did it get bet- our lives, even though we were facing situations that were moved here to now is amazing.”
ter in less than a year?” and “How can we move forward sad and serious. I have asked the Residents’ Association
to address other housing problems that are occurring in to let us know how we can continue to support them. Quotes from 2 neighbors:
our city?” There are issues that still need to be addressed, and new “The biggest impact on us is that the cars that were
Most credit for improvement goes to the tenants ones are sure to arise in the future. Feel free to contact us parked all along the street and associated with illegal activi-
of Dahlke Manor. They reached out to their neighbors if you would like to be a part of that support network. ties are gone. We no longer routinely find discarded syringes
and the Irvington Community Association, they photo- Diane Drum in our street. Residents often stop and thank us for the neigh-
graphed and documented conditions inside the building, dahlkereports@gmail.com borhood support.”
they addressed the Home Forward Board, and have now “I would say that drug sales on the street have been
formed a Residents’ Association. An article by the presi- Quotes from 5 residents: reduced by at least 85%. The dealing that does occur is more
dent of the Association, Cathy Millis, appears below. “Oh, it is totally different. I’m not afraid to enter the discreet. There have not been fights on the street.”
Credit also goes to Irvington neighbors. We listened building at night. There aren’t people sleeping in the hall-
to the resident’s concerns and tried to be supportive of ways or coming in and out of rooms that appear to have Report from the president of the Dahlke Manor
their efforts. Many of you who read the aforementioned drug dealing. There aren’t a lot of men who don’t live here Residents’ Association
article called or wrote Home Forward. hanging out in groups in the parking lot like there used to Looking back at my notes, it was some time in March
My personal opinion is that local Home Forward be.” of this year that I began to start talking about forming
management responded well to the concerns, so they also “We have people here who are seriously mentally ill and a Residents’ Association. I had heard about forming a
deserve credit. I want to acknowledge that some residents who seem to have no services. I feel bad for them, but when council although I didn’t have any experience. A neigh-
who still have concerns about cleanliness, repairs, and they are unpredictable, it is stressful for the rest of us. They bor, Diane Drum, who is involved with the Irvington
security, and who have had to deal with bad conditions need to be in a place that can take better care of them. Or Community Association, agreed to help us start. Our
for a long time, may not share that opinion. Home we need to have better services here.” first group meeting was on April 25th and was facilitated
Forward management has hired a security company that “There are better changes in the last 6 months. The by Diane. Seven residents attended and we discussed
has an on-site presence. They have put in better light- residents are more active. There are fewer strangers coming the need for an association. We agreed to meet together
ing. Renovations are being planned; they are looking for in and out. The cleanliness is a bit better; the garbage area, once a month. After a few more meetings, in June we
funding to improve security monitoring. They currently laundry room, and community room are much cleaner. For agreed to elect a board to be over the association. There
have heard resident dissatisfaction with the new security now, I don’t see cockroaches. I think we are getting better were nine residents nominated to run for a board posi-
company. In response, they have called a meeting for communication from management; there is better commu- tion. In the summer Dahlke Newsletter there was a bal-
tenants to meet with the company’s representatives. Even nication all around. There are still a lot of people who are lot for each resident to vote for 7 board members. The
after the very critical article “Hidden Behind the Walls” disgruntled. For example, people don’t seem to be happy with following people were elected: Cathy Millis, Mark Cole,
was printed, management never expressed resentment the new security company. We still need a front desk, a sign- Arthur Morales, Arcia Wilson, Robert Seals, Pearl Jones,
with the neighbors who may have helped with the article. in area. Residents still sometimes open the door for people and Chris Lucas. Our first project is to propose that the
One of them said, “Frankly, it gives me hope that neigh- who aren’t their guests.” Home Forward staff open the lobby bathroom for more
bors care about, respect, and support our tenants.” “It’s still a mess. There are maintenance staff who don’t hours. We conducted a survey. The results strongly sup-
Look what can happen when residents, neighbors, do their work. It’s good that there aren’t cockroaches in the ported the proposal, so we are moving forward.
neighborhood associations and public sector management laundry room, but it’s still very dirty. Just this week I saw a Cathy Millis

GRESHAM, OR Portland, OR 97212


PERMIT NO. 88
PAID P.O. Box 12102
U.S. POSTAGE Irvington Community Association
PRSRT STD

IRVINGTON HISTORIc

Potrebbero piacerti anche