"In a historic district, can we build Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)?" That is a common question, and the answer is easy: YES. The LNA's Exploratory Historic District Committee investigated this and confirmed that ADUs can be and are being built in Portland's historic districts. In 2016, every ADU proposed in the historic districts of Irvington and Ladd's Addition was approved. More ADUs were built in those historic districts than were built in Laurelhurst. To see this i

A few months ago, we discussed the environmental benefits of preserving older houses, in The Environmental Benefits Of Historic District. In today's post, we'll focus on the toxic contamination created when houses are demolished. When houses are demolished, large amounts of airborne fragments and particulates - which we see as dust - are emitted in the neighborhood. The total radius of this "dust fall" is as much as 900 yards, on a windless day. Part of this dust is toxic le

We have lawn signs! Lawn signs show our pride in our neighborhood, demonstrate our support for the Historic District, and let our our neighbors know about the historic district petition effort. To request a lawn sign, send us an email or contact your quad leader. We will place a lawn sign in your front yard. If you would like to make a $5 or $10 donation to fund more signs and the historic district effort, please visit the DONATE page. The Historic Laurelhurst effort, inclu

Last week, we posted "A Case Study Of Demolitions: Beaumont-Wilshire Neighborhood". In that neighborhood, nearby to us, a resident documented 34 demolitions: The result of these demolitions has been that the average replacement house was +149% larger (2.5X times larger) than the original demolished house, and the average replacement house cost +148% more (2.5X times more) than the original demolished house. A reader asked if similar data has been located for Laurelhurst. Af

Portland houses are being demolished at an unprecedented rate. The city has recorded nearly 2,800 demolition permits since 2005, with 384 recorded in 2016 alone. Many more houses have been effectively demolished via a loophole in Portland's regulations, which allowed a developer to avoid obtaining a demolition permit by leaving a small piece of the original house standing, even just part of one wall. How have these demolitions affected neighborhoods? A recent study in the B