Demolition Underway at 1912 Creston House

PORTLAND, Ore. – The demolition of a 103-year-old house in the Creston-Kenilworth neighborhood began last week, with more trees being felled as part of a project that will create a four-lot subdivision.

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

The single-family home, located at 3910 SE 34th Ave., was built in 1912 and sits on a 10,000-square-foot lot. The house itself totals 2,033 square feet in size.

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

On March 5 the city recorded a sale of the property for $675,000, to Francis Street Properties LLC, registered in the Southwest Hills of Portland to Ralph Fullerton. Prior to the sale going through, the city received several public registry applications confirming multiple lots on the now-single 10,000-square-foot parcel.

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

On April 20 the Bureau of Development Services received an application for land use review on the property. The application described a four-lot subdivision to be created, citing the multiple lots confirmed by the public registry applications.

On Aug. 21 the city received an application for demolition of the 1912 house. The permit was “approved to issue” Nov. 5 and demolition began last week, with the contractor on the demolition permit intake listed as Stone Creek Building and Development.

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

Photo credit: Submitted Photo

Although it is “approved to issue,” the permit has not yet appeared on any issued permit lists published by the BDS.

In early October the developer applied for the new construction projects: two single-family houses on the north side of the property and two attached townhouse units on the south portion.

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

Prior to the demolition the developer focused on the south side of the property, cutting down several large trees in early August to clear space for the townhouse project which has taken place over the past few months.

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

Signs appeared on a telephone pole in front of the property when the trees were felled.

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

The Daily Journal of Commerce reported in 2000 that Fullerton, the registrant of Francis Street Properties LLC, shut down his homebuilding business “because of government policies making it too difficult, too expensive and too time-consuming to stay in business,” and because “the land left to develop within the Urban Growth Boundary ‘is simply too difficult to develop.'”

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle