PORTLAND, Ore. – Property formerly home to a 120-year-old house in the Sunnyside neighborhood will be the site of new construction, and permits suggest the development may be in violation of the demolition delay ordinance.
Photo credit: Portland Chronicle
The property, covered by the Portland Chronicle in December, was purchased by CKW Construction LLC in August for $512,000. This company is registered to Amanda Williams in Milwaukee.
On Sept. 12 the developer applied for demolition of the 1894 house. It was approved and issued the same day, with the permit stating “NOT SUBJECT TO 35-DAY DEMOLITION DELAY” and citing “one new single family residence permit.” Under the city demolition delay ordinance, a demolition is exempt from the delay if the house will be replaced “with only one single family dwelling.”
Photo credit: Portland Chronicle
As we reported in December, the property is located in an R2.5 zone, meaning there can be one dwelling unit per 2,500 square feet of land. While the demolished house was located on a 6,666 square foot parcel, city data indicates the lot has since been partitioned into two 3,333 square foot lots.
Former 6,666 square foot property lines on the left, newly partitioned 3,333 square foot lots on the right
On Jan. 21 the Bureau of Development Services issued a construction permit for a three-story single-family residence, citing it as the replacement house for the demolished home.
However, its foundation suggests it will only take up the newly partitioned south lot, leaving the northern lot vacant.
Photo credit: Portland Chronicle
If construction permits are filed for a second residence, this would appear to be in violation of the demolition delay ordinance. The ordinance states that a demolition must be subject to the delay if “the proposal is to replace the demolished residential dwelling with more than one residential dwelling.”
Photo credit: Portland Chronicle
This is the second property we have covered in the past week that has utilized the demolition delay waiver and subsequently split the lot for multiple new units. The first was a property located at NE 39th and Couch St.
The Portland Chronicle has not determined what enforcement action the city takes in cases such as these.