With the plethora of older homes being torn down, and the destruction of ancient trees, the greed of developers is turning the neighborhoods of Portland into crass repetitive urban blight, losing the quiet neighborhoods of yesteryear where folks went on long walks and knew their neighbors.Betsy, Sullivan's Gulch
I’m grateful for being kept informed about the status and background of demolition activity here. Your reporting on the financial arrangements and the cast of characters is first-rate; goes into far greater depth than usual media coverage.
It’s clear that you would prefer some brakes to slow the frenzy although your presentation is certainly factual.
But…
Not all candidates for demolition are sacred. From pictures and details, it seems that many older residences have simply outlived their useful life and renovation by newcomers might be prohibitively expensive.
Shouldn’t there be some criteria that sometimes support demolition? My quick thought is “yes” but the planned uses of the location are more useful determinants rather than the loss of a small century-old structure.Don, Southeast Portland
Letters to the editor
The Portland Chronicle periodically publishes letters to the editor. Letters can be addressed to editor@portlandchronicle.com and should include the author’s first name and neighborhood of residence.