Property containing a 125-year-old house has received approval on a preliminary plan to divide the lot into two parcels.
The lot, located at SE 16th and Clatsop in the Sellwood neighborhood, was purchased in August by Metro Homes Northwest LLC, a development firm previously profiled by the Chronicle. The sale price was $295,000.
A week after the sale, the developer applied for a land use review. Two days ago, the decision was rendered, and the plan has received approval. The decision has a few addendums, which must be satisfied before final plat approval. The developer will need to apply for a demolition permit, and the demolition plan must preserve all trees and root protection zones outlined by city documents.
A garage behind the house will also likely be demolished.
Demolition will likely be subject to Title 24’s demolition delay ordinance, which requires a 35-day delay on demolition for many residential structures. The ordinance also includes a possible extension of the delay, up to 120 days.
The demolition delay ordinance is “intended to allow an adequate amount of time to help save viable housing in the City while recognizing a property owner’s right to develop or redevelop property.”
However, the ordinance has been criticized for being fairly easy to circumvent. Its stipulations “do not apply to applications for demolition of single family residences if the application is accompanied by an application for a building permit for a replacement single family residence.” Therefore, if the developer applies for new construction at the same time as demolition, the delay may be waived.
The land partition “will result in lots for attached housing on a corner lot,” according to the permit.
