Brooklyn Home to Be Replaced by Four Houses

PORTLAND, Ore. – A single-family home in the Brooklyn neighborhood is slated for demolition, with plans to split the property and construct multiple units in place of the former house.

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

The 1,296 square foot home was built in 1948. It is located on a 10,000 square foot lot.

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

In November 2013 the city received an application for a land division review in order for the applicant to subdivide the property. In March a notice went out to neighbors of the developer’s plans: demolish the house and garage and excavate the patio, pond and driveway, split the property into four lots and construct a new house on each lot.

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

The new lots will range in size from 2,040 to 3,008 square feet.

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

Don Stephens of the Brooklyn Action Corps filed an appeal of the BDS decision in July. “Substandard narrow lots proposed,” says the appeal. “Not enough room for reasonably sized houses … lots don’t meet R2.5 standards … not enough room for private outdoor area … too narrow … for access to very narrow Pershing Street … not compatible with existing lots — use of lots to the north for comparison is inappropriate.”

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

City data indicates that the “appellant did not prevail” and the demolition and redevelopment will occur as planned.

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

The demolition is in the middle of its 35-day waiting period.

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

The city received the application on Dec. 19, which suggests that on Jan. 23 the house will be officially issued the demolition permit.

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

The owners of the property are Darren Lilla and Tanja Olson, registered at the address of the house to be demolished.

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

The most recent listed sale date was in 2003, suggesting that the existing owners of the house will be developing it, and have not sold to an outside developer.

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

Bruce Vincent of Bedsaul/Vincent Consulting LLC is listed as a consultant on the project. Its website is down, but a cached version says the consulting firm “is dedicated to ‘cut through the red tape’ of zoning regulations”.

City documents list “Tim Sisul” of Sisul Engineering as the project engineer. That engineering firm is headed by Tom Sisul.