All your historic district questions... answered
Where we are today - 2021
The historic district nomination shambles on, its future still in doubt. The City of Portland will present new the city's new Historic Resource Code to the City Council in November
How this historic district got started
Prior to 2010, the Eastmoreland Neighborhood Association (ENA) was a typical sleepy neighborhood association. But around 2012, a few board members were annoyed by changes.
Maps of the Eastmoreland historic district
Here are 18 maps of the proposed historic district, showing the boundaries and identifying individual homes by address. Also shows each home's contributing status.
Is your house "contributing" or not?
Find your home here and see if it's considered historic in character ("contributing") or "non-contributing" (not part of the historic inventory, and free from most HD restrictions.)
That weird federal law
The quirky federal law that's at the center of the debate law is so weird (and unfair), it's hard to grasp. Learn all about it here.
How many demolitions have there been in Eastmoreland?
Not as many as you think. Only four homes have been demolished in the proposed Eastmoreland historic district since 2016. Check it out.
Why are Eastmorelanders so upset?
Why are Eastmoreland neighbors so angry about this proposed historic district?
There are two big reasons that Eastmoreland residents are upset. The first reason is ...
The vote - the ENA gambles and loses
The ENA makes a risky bet that neighbors actually want a historic district.
Turns out the vote said they don't
Why the ENA obsesses on demolitions
The ENA needs something bad and scary to make people frightened and angry.
What makes good people do bad things?
This essay could have been written about Eastmoreland. Our neighborhood is full of good people but some have become tragically corrupt. Here's why.
The ENA's HD strategy
The ENA doesn't want to say much about the historic district.
It doesn't want you to say much either.
ENA spends big for help with HD application
They hired a consultant for $50k at first, and then spent much more.
22% of current owners are new to HD debate
It's been five years since the historic district nomination was filed in 2016.
What about all the homeowners since then?
Videos
A City of Portland planner reveals how an Eastmoreland historic district is likely to look and work under the new rules the City is preparing to implement. Your questions answered.
About those 5000 trusts
HD opponents create thousands of trusts. Why?
The maneuver created a firestorm but it worked (at least for a while.
ENA declares meetings off-limits
The ENA doubles down on secrecy, declaring all meetings are private except when once a month when votes are taken to pass motions. Specifically covers working sessions and committee meetings.
Elderly neighbors targeted
HD supporters seize on SHPO mistake to harass those who filed letters of objection.
Too much has changed in five years
The Eastmoreland historic district nomination is five years old.
The neighborhood has changed too much for it to be approved
The infamous "push poll", which it wasn't
The ENA declared it a fiendish mind control device.
Here's the transcript. (read it if you dare)
Eastmoreland demographics
Who we are. Latest stats from the ACS 5-year census, (spoiler alert - we're kinda wealthy, kinda smart and kinda White)
ENA has small meeting to seek support
Used as evidence of initial neighbor support for historic district, it was actually just an informal gathering of a small percentage of homeowners.
Design review is coming and the ENA can't wait
The ENA said they will fly drones over the neighborhood to find "rule-breakers".
You have been warned.