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

SPRING 2016

FREE

Fish Evangelists Home on the

Irvington Home Tour, May 15th
T

he 2016 Irvington Home Tour has a fish story.

A true fish story. One of this years Tour homes
was once home to a couple who had survived
the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 and moved to
Portland. Joseph Spencer became too ill to work, and it was
up to his wife, Evelene, to support the family. At first she
managed the tea room at Olds, Wortman, and King, one
of the long-gone local department stores. Soon she began
lecturing on thrifty kitchen practices, a sort of early day
Martha Stewart without the matching luncheon plates and
hefty, colorful standup mixers.
But Evelenes niche was fiche-I mean fish. An advertisement (google her name and youll see it) shows Evelene
touting the virtues of fish, looking more like a starched
nurse and nothing like print-bloused, aproned Julia Child.
Evelene tells folks to
Eat more Fish for your healths sake.
Get acquainted with cheaper kinds and use more of them.
Use Smoked and Salt Fish for breakfast.
Use Frozen Fish when Fresh Fish is scarce or out of season.
Use more Shell-Fish-America produces finest in the world.

She went on to suggest Separate Fish from Friday

Make Tuesday a Fish Day as well, and in underlined caps
EAT MORE FISH-A REAL HEALTH FOOD. In tiny
letters the reader is invited to Ask us for a recipe book.
No doubt it wasnt the very large book she co-authored
in 1921 titled Fish Cookery/Six Hundred Recipes for the
Preparation of Fish, Shellfish, and Other Aquatic Animals,
including Fish Soups, Salads and Entrees, with Accompanying
Sauces, Seasonings, Dressings and Forcemeats. Yes, this writer
had to look up that one. Forcemeats, says the dictionary,
are meats chopped and seasoned for use as a stuffing or a
garnish. Try to find that in a Martha Stewart recipe.
The book is, amazingly, still in print, listed on Amazon
for $21.00
Evelene worked for the Bureau of Fisheries, a forerunner
of the US Fish and Wildlife Service. She wrote a weekly article for The Oregonian. She traveled abroad as well as in the
U.S., and everywhere she praised fish. And she was praised
in turn by President Harding as The Fish Evangelist of the
United States, on her trip to Washington, D.C.
Evelene eventually swam away from her outreach position with the Federal Government to work for the National
Fish Company. She created the Spencer method, a way
of oven frying fish and chips that is healthier than deep frying. Her mathematical ratios calibrating the cooking times
for fish based on the size and thickness of each species (yes,
species, not pieces) were cited as a standard by gourmet
chef and food writer James Beard, the dean of American
cuisine. Beard was from Portland, and perhaps he was
influenced by Evelene. Be sure to visit this special home on
the Irvington Home Tour, May 15th.
Tickets are $25. Purchase online at www.irvingtonhometour.com, or from local vendors Broadway Books, 1714
NE Broadway; Caffe Destino, 1339 NE Fremont; and
Architectural Heritage Center, 701 SE Grand Ave. Broadway
Books and Caffe Destino take cash or check only.

To take the Tour free, volunteer as a Guide to spend 3

hours in one of the homes, watching over belongings, collections, antiques, and answering Tour-goers questions. On
your off-shift you can visit the other Tour homes. Go to
www.irvingtonhometour.com or email volunteer@
irvingtonhometour.com to sign up and chose your
preferred shift. You will receive a return email from Kay
Mosely, volunteer committee.
We appreciate our Sponsors and hope readers will
patronize them: Billy Grippo, Windermere; Hasson
Company, Realtors; Mimi Heil, REMAX/Equity Group;
Pratt and Larson Tile and Stone; WILLCO. Also please
visit the advertisers in the Tour brochure. The brochure
is your ticket to keep, given at the first home visited.
EachTour home address is listed, along with a description
and highlights and an Irvington street map.
In addition to sharing the rich history and amazing
homes that make up in Irvington, the Tour raises funds for
the Irvington Community Association to donate to charitable organizations which enhance the quality of life for the
neighborhood. The ICA website, www.irvingtonpdx.com,
lists the guidelines the ICA follows in selecting organizations to fund. 2015 recipients were the Grant high school
all-night graduation party and the Grant arts program,
$1500 and $1000, respectively; Kinship House, $1500;

Loaves and Fishes Meals on Wheels program, $2000; CAT

housing justice program, $1000; Irvington Preschool for
tuition assistance, $1000; Metropolitan Family Services
Project Linkage, $3000; Home Forward for foot care
at Grace Peck and Dahlke Manors, $3000; Northeast
Child Development Center for Imagination Yoga, $1000;
Hancock preschool for tuition assistance, $800; Blueprint
Ensemble Arts, $500; Beverly Clery/Fernwood campus and
Sabin school for arts, $500 each. In addition, the Irvington
Community Association has provided neighborhood
improvement such as the spray pool and playground equipment in Irving Park. A new project is in its planning stages,
so stay tuned.
On Tour day be sure to buy a glass of lemonade from
young entrepreneurs on Irvington street corners. For
coffee and a pick-me-up snack visit the Hancock Street
PreSchools cafe at the Irvington Tennis Club, NE 21st and
Thompson. From 9:30am-2:30pm the Irvington Farmers
Market, under new management, plans a test run for its
2016 season with more vendor and artists booths. Check
it out at NE 16th Avenue between NE Broadway and NE
Weidler to see whats new.
Rain or shine, expect the 34th Irvington Home Tour to
be another great day where you will see exceptional homes
and meet friends and neighbors.

ica board members 2015-2016

From the
PRESIDENT

OFFICERS
President: Steven Cole
stevencole86@gmail.com
Vice President: William Archer
archerwilliam26@gmail.com
Treasurer: Jeff Jones
jcjones@pacifier.com
Secretary: Beverly Burn
beverleyburn@gmail.com
Communications: Tiffanie Shakespeare
tshakesp@gmail.com

Steven Cole

his is my third and final year as president of the

Irvington Community Association. Come June,
the ICA will hold elections and a new president,
along with new board members and officers will be elected.
As such, this will be my final Presidents Letter.
I did not accomplish all that I had hoped, but as a volunteer run organization, we all find ourselves short on time.
One item I was able to accomplish, was to retain our historic
district designation. I hope some of the people who initially
expressed concerns are now seeing the benefits as homes
around our perimeter are being demolished.
Along those lines, one of the things that I enjoy as an
ICA board member is advocating for things which not only
improve the neighborhood, but improve the city of Portland,
as well as the region. Sometimes it is not a matter of our
advocating for something, rather we speak out against something we believe diminishes our neighborhood and city.
A recent example is, the ICA advocated for a bike greenway on 7th ave. in order to address the fact that there are
currently 5500 cars per day utilizing 7th between Knott and
Broadway; a number far in excess of what the city would
like to see on a neighborhood street. In addition to utilizing the street beyond its capacity, the drivers often speed
and drive recklessly, sometimes going so far as to drive
over the curbs, and in one noted instance driving on the
sidewalk. This untenable situation is aggravated by the fact
that 7th has become a popular bikeway and is a crossing for
Irvington school.

Another example, is a new disaster preparedness committee was recently formed by resident, Erik Hovmiller. They
will have had their first meeting by the time this hits your
mailbox. Its a great reminder that anyone, not only board
members, can form and join committees.
Because, we, as your neighborhood association, dont do
nearly as much as we would like. Our volunteer board members do our best and we try to be as transparent as we can.
But like many busy people today, we are all short on time.
So I encourage you, Irvington resident, to attend our next
meeting in June to become a board member or join a committee. If you have an issue you are passionate about, come
and get involved. Help us help you.
Finally, I would like to thank all of our tremendous
board members and committee members who give so much
of their time to help make Irvington and Portland a better
place to live.

503-287-3804
503-281-1023

503-544-2429

503-740-5216
503-335-1476
503-493-0671

503-284-3885
503-281-5629
503-460-3100

503-287-6196

503-312-4175
503-471-3402
503-680-2840

COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Beautification
Jason Messer j.messer@comcast.net
Charitable Giving
Susan Hathaway-Marxer susan.marxer@comcast.net

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2415NEBroadwayStreetPortland,OR97232

Historic Preservation
Barb Christopher barbfc@comcast.net
Home Tour
Brian Schaeperkoetter brianschaeperkoetter@gmail.com
Land Use
Dean Gisvold deang@mcewengisvold.com
NECN Representatives
Steven Cole stevencole86@gmail.com
Peter ONeil peteroneil@cbseal.com
Newsletter
Steven Cole stevencole86@gmail.com
Newsletter Advertising
Tiffanie Shakespeare tshakesp@gmail.com
Parks
Jason Messer j.messer@comcast.net
Jeff Jones jcjones@pacifier.com
Website
Tiffanie Shakespeare tshakesp@gmail.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
Noise Reporting & Control
503-823-7350
Office of Neighborhood Involvement
503-823-4519
Parking Enforcement
503-823-5195
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
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

Lloyd Tower
825 NE Multnomah Street Suite 120
Portland OR 97232

Page 2

DIRECTORS
Jim Barta
jbarta@securesite.net
Colin Burn
colin.burn@gmail.com
Ryan Carson
ryan@ryancarson.com
Barb Christopher
barbfc@comcast.net
Christine Coers-Mitchell
coers@comcast.net
Nathan Corser
nathan.corser@ch2m.com
Jon Eaton
jaeaton@gmail.com
Dean Gisvold
deang@mcewengisvold.com
Susan Hathaway-Marxer
susan.marxer@comcast.net
Pam Lindholm-Levy
pamlarrylevy@yahoo.com
Meryl Llogue
meryllogue@comcast.net
Michela McMahon
michela_mcmahon@yahoo.com
Sally McPherson
cwhidbey@comcast.net
Jason Messer
j.messer@comcast.net
Peter ONeil
peteroneil@cbseal.com
Tiffanie Shakespeare
tshakesp@gmail.com
Beverly Burn
beverlyburn@gmail.com

503-754-7713

HISTORIC IRVINGTON NEWSLETTER

503-986-1433
503-986-1445

503-986-1723
503-231-2564

SPRING 2016

THE
IRVINGTON
COMMUNITY
ASSOCIATION

P. O. B O X 1 21 02 , PORT L A ND, O REG O N 9721 2

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.

Irvington Farmers Market

Under New Ownership
By Steve Cole

Good news for those who wanted to support the

Irvington Farmers Market but found it difficult to do so
under the previous ownership. Wendy Jo Downing has purchased the farmers market and intends to make a number
of improvements which should make it a much greater asset
to our neighborhood. Wendy Jo sold vegetables for a small
family farm in Corbett before she worked for a pear and
apple orchardist in Hood River area. She currently works
for a metro food buying club and is a big advocate for local
foods. She and her husband live in Northeast Portland
and love the area. They are committed to remaining in the
neighborhood and raising their two children here. They
plan on the Irvington Farmers Market remaining a popular
fixture for the foreseeable future.
Wendy Jo wants the Irvington Farmers Market to
become a truly local market which is just the right size for
the surrounding neighborhoods. The market will remain
at the same location, NE 16th between Broadway and
Weidler, and will continue to operate on Sundays. But there
will be new management and new content. If things go
well, a lot of new content.
There will be local music and live entertainment each
week with food demonstrations, family fun, health and
nutrition programming, and lots of neighborly community
content for all. Each Sunday the Artisan Corner will host
rotating local artists, crafts, handmade items, pet supplies,
and services. There will be many more vendors in the past
with a greater emphasis on local produce.

Wendy Jo plans on introducing a new market model

which involves market share programs set up to introduce, support, and promote urban farm produce, micro
businesses, and local products.
After an early appearance at Better Broadway, the market will open June 5 and will run for five months with the
final market and wrap party on October 30th. The market will be open from 10 until 2:30 pm each Sunday, with
early shoppers welcome at 9:30 am.
The market, a non-profit, will implement a new token program and will accept EBT, Oregon Trail Cards, credit/debit,
PayPal, Oregon farm direct vouchers, and WIC benefits.
For more information, or if you want to volunteer,
donate or sponsor, contact: Wendy Jo Downing at irvingtonsundaymarket@gmail.com. The website is: www.
irvingtonfarmersmarket.org. Facebook is: Facebook.com/
irvingtonFM.

Ive lived in and loved Irvington for 23

years youve probably seen me around
the neighborhood! Id love to help you
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SPRING 2016

HISTORIC IRVINGTON NEWSLETTER

PAGE 3

A Better Broadway is coming

to a corridor near you

Early in the evening of May 8th, for one week, a milelong section of Broadway, between 24th and 7th, will
undergo a dramatic transformation. While the transformation will be temporary, the hope is that it will be a catalyst
to creating a more vibrant, healthy, and livable Broadway
corridor where businesses will be reinvigorated; where
local and regional residents will be excited to shop, eat, get
their hair cut, hang out and enjoy the day; where travelers
to Portland will mark their map as a must-see destination
point in the city.
The northern-most travel lane will become the new
parking lane, while the The northern-most parking lane will
become, basically, an imagined extension of the sidewalk,
or activated space for businesses to program. The current
bike lane will remain a bike lane, with parked cars acting as
a buffer between the cyclists and the two west-bound traffic. lanes.
This modal experiment will come about because of the
efforts of the Broadway/Weidler Alliance (BWA), the organization Better Block PDX, the Portland State University
(PSU) School of Urban Planning, and the assistance of
individual business associations and neighborhoods, including the Irvington Community Association.
The seeds of the project initially came to into being
when Keiel Johnson, a representative of the Lloyd District
Community Association, and BWA board member, suggested that the BWA reach out to Better Block PDX, an
organization which works with the Portland Bureau of
Transportation and PSU to find particular streets where
the street can be reimagined, sometimes in several different
ways. The BWA voted to pursue working with Better Block
to put forth a proposal to PSU to have their students take
a look at the Broadway corridor. The PSU students selected
the Broadway project over a number of other projects.
Better Block PDX has been tremendously successful in
working with various areas of the city. Last year Naito was
reconfigured during the Rose Festival. The north-bound
travel lane was blocked off for several blocks allowing pedestrians and cyclists to traverse the park without the risk of
being run-over by hurried drivers.
The group also implemented temporary changes on SW
3rd in Oldtown. The businesses in that stretch ultimately
decided to ask the city to make changes based on what
they learned from the Better Blocks demonstration project.
They are currently working on a Better Burnside, a project
whichthat will take place in June after the completion of
the Better Broadway project.
Ryan Hashaegen, one of the core members of Better
Block, emphasizes that the aim of the group is not to promote a single mode of transportation over another mode.
The groups goal is to create new environment and provide

Page 4

something tangible that business owners, cyclists, pedestrians, drivers, can visualize and interact with so that they can
see what works and what doesnt.
The Broadway project will attempt to look at different types of improvements to see if any are more attractive
to shoppers. One business may choose to have chairs and
tables in front of the their business. Another may opt for a
bike corral next to a parklet.
Businesses on the south side of Broadway will be able
to temporarily change some of the parking spots in front
of their businesses into parklets, seating areas, bike corrals,
or whatever idea they can come up with. Or, they can leave
the parking spots.
PSU students will be gathering data with the assistance
of volunteers and business owners. We hope to see whether
there will be and adverse impact on car traffic movement
through the corridor, and if so, at what level is the impact.
They will be looking to see whether reducing the number
of travel lanes results in slower traffic and an increased ability on the part of pedestrians to cross the street. One of
the problems with Broadway is that, while cars are legally
required to stop for pedestrians at all crosswalks, when you
have three travel lanes cars in the outside lane dont always
see the pedestrian. Even worse, a pedestrian may be crossing
after two lanes of traffic stop but may not realize a car in
the third lane is not stopping.
Businesses will be hoping to see if pedestrians are happier with an environment where there are not three lanes
of traffic blowing by at 35 to 40 mph. They are currently
working out a method to gather data (made more difficult

HISTORIC IRVINGTON NEWSLETTER

by the lack of sales tax) and maybe find out where the customers arrived from and by what mode they arrived.
The entire project is anticipated to cost approximately
$10,000. In addition to the $500 the ICA donated to the
Broadway/Weidler Charrette, and $500 the ICA donated to
assist the BWA with implementing a website, the ICA has
proposed donating $1,500 to the Better Broadway project,
with that donation to be ratified at the May meeting.
The project appears to have already have energized
some of the businesses who have been participating in the
work sessions which taking place at various locations on
Broadway, including Aztec Willies, Pizza Schmizza, and
Blackwater Bar.
In 2015, Better Block PDX was awarded the Bicycle
Transportation Alliance Alice Award for building momentum for the next twenty-five years. In 2015, the group
was awarded the Oregon Walks Weston Award for making
Portland streets safer.
Volunteer work parties meetings are open
to the public and kid-friendly. Contact Volunteer.
BetterBlockPDX@gmail.com if you want to hear updates
on these or other projects. The organization can be reached
at BetterBlockPDX@gmail.com.
Everyone is encouraged to visit Broadway during the
Better Broadway project on May 9th through the 15th. See
for yourself how the changes make the Broadway corridor
feel. Hangout, shop, grab a bite to eat, take advantage of
outdoor seating without having cars whiz by within feet of
your table. Lets see what the future can hold and then work
to make something happen.

SPRING 2016

PPS Looks to
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Portland Public Schools is once again changing its mind as to what should be the proper school configuration. This
time the district has decided that K-8s are problematic and that they now like K-5s better. In addition, they are once again
reworking boundaries. If you are not a fan of the new direction or the new boundaries, keep in mind that, if history is any
guide, they may change again in a few years.

3.25 x 1.8

Relevant to our neighborhood schools is the proposed plan to convert Irvington K-8 and Sabin K-8 to K-5s and
then have the students attend Tubman School in the Eliot neighborhood along with students from King and Boise-Eliot/
Humboldt.
The main concern expressed by current parents is that it is not a good idea to require elementary or middle-school aged
children to cross a busy thoroughfare in order to get to school. And, Martin Luther King is a really busy and very dangerous street to cross, especially if you are a small child who cannot be easily seen by drivers. Frankly, when there are neighborhood options, it seems an odd choice to unnecessarily subject pre-teens to such danger.
From what has been conveyed to the ICA, the views on Irvington remaining K-8 are mixed, but with a majority being
in favor of the school remaining k-8. However, there appears to be much more unanimity on the issue of whether the
students should be required to cross MLK to attend a middle school, rather than convert Beverly Cleary back to a middle
school and have them attend that school. Not only is Beverly Cleary the historic middle school for Irvington, it is unimpeded by dangerous street crossings.
If Sabin is going to be converted back to a K-5, it also seems to make more sense to have Sabin students attend the
closer Beaumont Middle School which also does not have an MLK acting as a barrier.
Some parents have also expressed concern that removing middle schoolers will result in a drop in enrollment and a subsequent reduction in per student funds. However, a school board member that I spoke to stated that would not be the case.
In regard to sending Irvington students to a converted Beverly Cleary Middle School, the board member argued that
Beverly Cleary does not have the capacity to take in Irvington students. If that is indeed the case, that is a problem which
PPS created with its previous shut-downs and redrawing of boundaries. I recall the argument of PPS in 2007-08 that Rose
City Park had to be shut down and many of those students had to be added to Alameda or it would not have enough students to keep it open. Within two years Alameda was bursting at the seams and PPS reworked the boundaries to remove
closer-in students who could walk to school while keeping students who lived far enough away that they felt compelled to
drive.
Under the current scenario, presumably, PPS could alter boundaries so that children living closest to that middle school
can actually attend that middle school, rather than creating boundaries which exclude close-in students but require students to attend from such distances that it encourages driving.
The PPS board member I spoke to agreed that if students from Irvington were going to be required to attend Tubman
than crossing improvements should be made on MLK and possibly other streets. The problem in the past has been that
PPS has very little, if any, sway over PBOT and ODOT, the agencies who have control over MLK. The board member also
emphasized that Tubman actually has superior facilities to Beverly Cleary.
The current plan seems to be in a wait and see mode, with a potential decision arriving in late fall. Whatever PPS
decides, I was informed that Irvington students will continue to go to Grant High. The ICA is still taking in information
prior to determining whether what stand, if any, it wants to take on this issue. One would hope that PPS can come up
with a plan that ensures a safe, healthy, and environmentally friendly commuting environment for the students and one
which will not encourage increased driving. If you have an opinion feel free to let us, PPS, or the school board know. The
ICA will likely be discussing the matter again at our May meeting.

Great Gifts For Gardeners!

SPRING 2016

HISTORIC IRVINGTON NEWSLETTER

PAGE 5

Broadway/Wieder Charrette
On May 14th, the same weekend that people will be
experiencing Broadway with one less travel lane and wider
sidewalks, the Broadway/Weidler Alliance will be sponsoring a charrette to exam ways in which to make Broadway
better. The charrette will be held at Grace Episcopal Church
between NE 16th and 17th on Weidler.
Metro Councilor Bob Stacey will be the guest speaker
and will be discussing Climate Smart Communities.
Following Councilor Staceys talk, the attendees will be
invited to visit various representatives, including Portland
Streetcar, the Portland Bureau of Transportation, Trimet,
Oregon Walks, ALTA (bikes), and Better Block PDX.
Attendees will be able to move from table to table and
gather information from the various representatives.

At the end of the charrette, attendees will be invited to

head over to the Better Broadway demonstration and visit
the businesses, experiencing Broadway in a temporarily
improved state.
The BWA hopes to receive feedback from neighbors
and business owners about what potential improvements
they think will work best. They will also have an opportunity to ask about various details of different mode options.
Questions such as what is a buffered bike lane? or how is
a streetcar paid for? or will the city allow for a reduction
in travel lanes?
Many members on the BWA believe that removing a
lane of traffic will result in a better experience for shoppers
and customers. There is also wide agreement that more

marked crosswalks and signalized intersections needed as

well as an improved biking experience. However, we still
need to look at details such as how to improve the biking
experience. For example, is a protected bike lane something
we should be looking at and if so, what type of protected
bike lane.
Another potential opportunity for improving the corridor is the Portland Streetcar. If Broadway is chosen for the
next line, that is millions of dollars coming in from outside
sources, federal, state and city, which will be spent to revitalize Broadway. Dan Bower of Portland Streetcar will be
present along with some business owners who will discuss
the benefits of a streetcar.
The public is encouraged to attend.

Op e ni ng d o o r s t o o u r
p as t , p r e s ent & fu t u r e
34th annual

AN IRVINGTON COMMUNITY
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B ro a d w a y B o o k s 1 7 1 4 N E B ro a d w a y / C a f f D e st i n o 1 3 3 9 N E Fre m o n t

Page 6

HISTORIC IRVINGTON NEWSLETTER

1300 NE 16th Ave., Portland, OR 97232

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SPRING 2016

Comprehensive Plan Update

By Dean Gisvold

2035 Comp Plan Amendment Package.

No amendments were filed by the Mayor or the Council
that would make the changes asked of them by the ICA
Board and Land Use Committee. However, such changes
are being considered in three component parts of the Comp
Plan work, which are discussed below.
1. Mixed Use Zoning Project.
Go to https://www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/index.
cfm?&c=63621 for more info this project. Please note that
testimony to the Planning and Sustainability Commission
(PSC) on the Proposed Draft is open until May 10,
2016. Excerpts from my submission to BPS staffer Bill
Cunningham, one of the authors of the Report, is copied
below:
Corner lot at 15th and NE Brazee
The Comp Plan amendment makes this 15,000 sq foot
property CM 1, which is a new mixed use zone designation.
This means that the Property becomes a commercial zone
and the Property loses its nonconforming status. Similar
amendments are being made elsewhere in the City as part
of the Comp Plan process, since the City does not like nonconforming uses. All surrounding property retains the R-5
zoning designation, which predominates throughout most
of the Irvington Historic District.
The Report indicates that small commercial properties surrounded by single family zoning, will retain the
limitation on hours of use that such property enjoyed as a
nonconforming use, close by 11pm and no morning activity until 6 am. The limitation would only apply to sites of
7,500 sq. feet or less. The ICA proposes either the limitation be increased to 15,000 sq feet or the zoning remain an
R-5 zone.
Broadway Strip from NE 16th to NE 28th
The Comp Plan changed the zoning on this portion of
the Broadway strip from its current zoning to CM-2, a new
mixed use zoning designation that carries with it an allowed
height of 45 feet as a base height, and possible bonus height
up to 55 feet, and a base FAR of 2.5 to 1, and possible
bonus FAR up to 4 to 1. The base height and FAR for
CM-2 is similar to the current zoning, but the bonuses are
not. The properties within the Irvington Historic District,
from NE 16th to NE 28th, would not be eligible for the
bonus height and bonus FAR.

7th and Hancock Area

The 2035 Comp Plan proposed to change this area to
CM-3, a new commercial zone designation, with a base
height of 65 feet and a base FAR of 3 to 1, plus a bonus
height of up to 75 feet and a bonus FAR of up to 5 to 1.
We objected to this new mixed use zoning designation.
The Report recommends that this property be designated EG 1 rather than CM-3. An EG 1 zone has a maximum
height of 45 feet and a maximum FAR of 3-to-1, with no
bonuses allowed. The primary differences between the EG1
zone and the various commercial/mixed use zones are in the
uses allowed in the zones, including prohibition of new residential uses in the EG zones. This is acceptable to the ICA.
2. Residential and Open Space Zoning Map Update.
The current zoning of RH in the District that is not
covered by the Central City Plan is found between NE 7th
and NE 15th and NE Schuyler and NE Hancock. The ICA
requested that this RH area be rezoned to R-1, which has a
height limit of 45 feet under the current code.
The changes will make the FAR and height limitations in the Broadway area compatible with the Irvington
Historic District, and especially the criteria used to evaluate
new construction. These changes will assure that new construction will be compatible with the transition to the residential portion of the neighborhood. These changes should
also reduce conflicts between neighbors and developers, and
the developers will know what to expect in terms of mass,
scale, and size.
3. Central City Plan.
The ICA requested that the CCPlan show an FAR of
2 to 1 rather than the proposed 4 to 1; and a maximum
height of 50 feet rather than the proposed 75 feet as those
changes would make the FAR and height limitations in
the Broadway Strip compatible with the Irvington Historic
District and the criteria which govern new construction.
The current height for the Broadway Strip is a base zone of
50 feet with possible bonuses of 75 feet more for a total of
125 feet. The CC plan proposes a 75 foot maximum height
with no potential for bonuses. The elimination of bonuses
is appropriate for the historic district, which we support.
However, to insure real compatibility with the historic district criteria in the City Code, the base zone must be kept
at 50 feet and the FAR reduced to 2 to 1.

Irvington Cleanup
By William Archer and Steve Cole
It is that time of year again to do a bit of spring cleaning. Metro and the Ica will provide a place to dump that
stuff you no longer want and that doesnt fit into your
curbside recycling bin or trash container. The ICA will
provide drop boxes to hall your stuff away as well as a place
to recycle other goods back into the community. This will
make for a cleaner neighborhood and city at large.
Due to health and safety concerns for the public and
Metro transfer station employees, Metro notified disposal
voucher applicants (the ICA cleanup team) of extra precautions to take to make sure that construction debris is not
inadvertently included in the drop boxes. Asbestos , which
is used in numerous building materials, is well known as an
extremely hazardous material and direct contact with any
amount should be avoided. Thus, Metro transfer station
employees are prohibited from accepting asbestos-containing materials from any source based on a new ruling from
the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). Those
materials should be dropped off at the Hazardous Waste
Station at the Central Transfer Station.
The ICA will be taking tires and mattresses. However,
televisions and electronics are prohibited. Those items can
be dropped off at any Goodwill for recycling.

SPRING 2016

4. Middle Housing Proposal.

New amendments regarding middle housing were
proposed by the Mayor and appears in a report entitled
Alternative Housing Options, issued by the Stakeholder
Advisory Committee for the Residential Infill Project. I
believe this Proposal deserves the same consideration as the
Central City Plan, and the Mixed Use Project. We should
have time to determine what effect, if any, the Proposal will
have on the potential demolition of existing viable, older,
and relatively affordable homes in the affected neighborhoods. The City should exercise caution. Regarding historic
districts, such as Irvington, does the Proposal build in safe
guards for historic compatibility. I know there is interest in
putting more duplexes and triplexes in Irvington, where we
already have some wonderful turn of the century duplexes,
and where duplexes are now allowed on corners. However,
mass, size, and scale matter, not only in historic districts,
but in most inner ring neighborhoods.
The Portland 2035 Comp Plan has been a five year
project and, in my opinion, has been the most complicated
land use effort in the Citys history, perhaps the State. The
size and complexity of the Plan made meaningful citizen
involvement almost impossible. Thus, your land use committee has focused on those segments with major impact
on the Irvington Historic District, the largest historic district in the Pacific Northwest. The ICA land use committee believes the proposed changes will make our Historic
District a success and still accommodate many changes in
the housing stock comprising the District.

In addition to the drop boxes, where items go to be

hauled away, we also set up a too good to toss area as we
always try to recycle as much as possible. This is a great
place to drop off the odd chair or no longer needed garden
tools, plant pots, or out-grown bicycles and toys. So, after
dropping off your junk, look to see if there is some item
you could use.
After expenses are paid, the money raised at the cleanup
goes to the ICA to be used for neighborhood projects, charities, schools, and contributions to organizations working to
make Portland better.
The Irvington Community Association annual cleanup
is Saturday, May 7, 2016 (the day before Mothers day).
9:00 AM until 2:00 PM at the Holladay Park Church of
God, NE Tillamook and 21st avenue Please enter the parking lot off of 21st avenue Donations will be accepted Feel
free to stay, add a hand, and meet your neighbors if you
have time.
The following is a list of prohibited materials which we
will NOT be able to accept: Hazardous waste (paint, oil,
cleaning goods) Construction debris of any kind Kitchen
garbage Residential yard debris and trimmings Wastes
and recyclables which are normally collected curbside
Commercial landscaping waste Roofing material

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PAGE 7

Spring 2016

Irvington Walking Tours Scheduled

for a Second Season
By Jim Heuer
Four sold-out historic Irvington walking
tours in 2015 have encouraged neighborhood
historian Robert Mercer to repeat the series in
2016 4 Saturdays this summer. The history
of Irvington is replete with lore of the builders, early residents, and architects that helped
shape our neighborhood landscape. Historian
Robert Mercer, who has for the last 15 years
researched the histories of all the homes on
the Irvington Home Tour for each years brochure, will share his knowledge in walking
tours scheduled each month from June through
September, 2016.
The tour makes for a great introduction
for newcomers to Irvington. They can learn
how the neighborhood was created through

the vision of pioneering developer Elizabeth

Irvington from the early days in the 1880s
through the boom years of the Streetcar Era
through the end of trolley car service in 1948.
Even long-time residents will learn a bit of the
lore and history that help make Irvington such
a special place that it qualified for the National
Register of Historic Places.
Each walking tour will begin at 10am and
last roughly 90 minutes on four Saturdays:
June 25
July 23
August 20
September 17
For those who took the tour last year and
want a somewhat different perspective on the
neighborhood, Mercer will be scheduling a spe-

cial tour focused on one of the premier architects

working in Irvington to be announced. The
schedule will be posted on nextdoor.com and
on the Irvington neighborhood website, www.
irvingtonpdx.com, when the date is finalized.
There isnt a specific charge for taking
the Tour, but attendees will be encouraged
to make a suggested donation of $10 each to
the ICAs Historic Preservation Committee,
which will use the funds for its programming.
Reservations for each tour are required. For
reservations or questions send an email to
Robert Mercer at Robert@househistorypdx.
com, being sure to indicate which date youd
like to take the tour. The number of attendees
for each tour will be limited to the first 20 people to request reservations.

Would you like a

Century House sign for 2016?

The ICAs Mary and Smith Piper Century

House Program: helps raise awareness for
neighborhood architectural history is a tribute
to Mary and Smith Piper - honoring the Pipers
tireless efforts to create the Irvington Historic
District as well as their many years of service to
the Irvington Community shows support for the
preservation principle that the greenest building is the one that is already built gives you a
great excuse to hold a centennial birthday party.
The following 1916 houses are having their
centennial this year, and do not have a Century
House sign yet. If you would like to celebrate
with a sign, contact the ICA at: historicpreservation@irvingtonpdx.com.

3007 NE 8th

3036 NE 20th

2625 NE 16th

2235 NE 28th

2536 NE 10th

3427 NE 20th

3006 NE 16th

2429 NE Brazee

3221 NE 11th

3132 NE 22nd

3146 NE 16th

2228 NE Knott

2518 NE 12th

3416 NE 22nd

3225 NE 17th

2008 NE Siskiyou

3017 NE 12th

2936 NE 24th

2326 NE 18th

2003 NE Stanton

2813 NE 13th

2202 NE 25th

2124 NE 19th

2732 NE Thompson

3008 NE 14th

2921 NE 26th

3446 NE 19th

2721 NE Tillamook

3124 NE 15th

2136 NE 27th

3003 NE 20th

2729 NE Tillamook

2110 NE 16th

2223 NE 28th

PRSRT STD
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PERMIT NO. 88
GRESHAM, OR

P.O. Box 12102

Portland, OR 97212

Irvington Community Association

HISTORIc

IRVINGTON