Design Review

The Land Use Committee (LUC) provides a support program for Irvington property owners planning to submit an application for Historic Resource Review. In order to preserve the historic character of the neighborhood, the City of Portland officially began regulating the Irvington Historic District on November 2, 2010. These regulations state that all new construction and most exterior alterations are subject to historic resource review, which is a land use process. Paint colors and repairing/replacing roofs are not subject to historic review.

The LUC can make suggestions about navigating the process, may be able to point out ways to comply with the regulations cost effectively, and otherwise make the process clearer and easier for you.

Do I need a review?

You can determine if an alteration to your property is subject or exempt from historic resource review via these methods. Note: Paint colors and repairing/replacing roofs are not subject to historic review:

  • Information can be found via the City of Portland and refer to Portland Zoning Code 33.445.320. When a proposal requires review, it must meet the approval criteria in Portland Zoning Code 33.846.060 G. If you have questions about code interpretation or process, call 503-823-7526.

  • The Irvington Community Association's Land Use and Historic Preservation Committees can also help property owners who have questions about determining if their changes to their property are subject to a historic resource review.

  • Download a primer on historic resource review in Irvington. The primer will walk you through the process step by step and try to answer the most frequently asked questions.

Design Review Consult

You may choose to meet with the Land Use Committee (LUC) before you apply to the City for a land use case, OR you may come to the LUC after your application with the City is complete, and the City has given the neighborhood official notice regarding your project.  We recommend meeting with the ICA's Land Use Committee to get preliminary advice on your project. Often, this early pre-application process can save you both time and money. Try to bring as much specific information as you are able.  Your sketches and photos would be useful.  Fully rendered architectural drawings are not required.  Actual application forms are not required.  Remember as you come to the Committee meeting, the neighborhood's role is strictly advisory.  The City of Portland planners in the Bureau of Development Services make the decisions on Historic Resource Review.  In Irvington, those decisions are based on Section 33.846.060.G of City Code.  During pre-application meetings, ICA committees can potentially spot pitfalls in proposals for building alterations or infill construction based on experience with prior cases and understanding of the architectural history and character of the Historic District.  We may make informal suggestions and respond to your questions, but in the end it is the City that has the final say..

In situations where the ICA Committees feel your plans are appropriate and the City planner disagrees, the ICA has limited ability to sway the City's decision in your favor by submitting historic research and historic resource survey information in support of your proposal, and will do so as volunteer resources are available.  If the City turns down your application, and you decide to appeal the City's ruling, the ICA may elect to support your appeal (or even make the appeal for you), but that involves presentations to the Portland Historic Landmarks Commission, which can be a lengthy process.  To date, since the Historic District designation in 2010, there have been only a handful of appeals by property owners who have applied for Historic Resource Review. If the ICA feels your alteration proposal is inappropriate for the District under the terms of applicable City Code in Section 33.846.060.G, it will say so in any pre-application review meeting, and, if the application is not revised before filing with the City, the neighborhood will reiterate the opinion in formal comments delivered to the BDS Planner handling the case.  If the City approves the design despite the ICA's recommendation to the contrary, the ICA has standing to appeal the decision to the Historic Landmarks Commission.  In fact, the ICA has rarely appealed the decision of the Bureau of Development Services. Again only a handful of these appeals have been filed, compared to the hundreds of historic resource reviews since the Historic District was created in November, 2010.

FAQ

Are there fees associated with the historic resource review?

  • Historic resource review is carried out by the Land Use Division of the Bureau of Development Services. Because the bureau is a cost-recovery agency, there are fees associated with the review. Public notification and appeal periods are mandated by state law, and the process can take a number of weeks from the date the application is deemed complete. The fee schedule can be found here.

  • The Irvington Community Association’s Land Use and Historic Preservation Committees can also help property owners with questions about fees associated with a historic resource review and the review process itself.

What is a historically appropriate garage?

Many homeowners have questions about historically appropriate garages and garage doors. Check out this article (pdf) for further information on the history of twentieth century garages. Or you may want to look at these photos (pdf)collected by a garage researcher.

How can I make my house warmer?

The Irvington Community Association spearheaded and funded the development of a guide to window repair and weatherization for historic homes (pdf), in partnership with the Architectural Heritage Center.

Contact

To learn more about the Irvington Historic District, please email: