To the Board:
My neighborhood is under siege. Tractors and heavy equipment come early in the morning to demolish perfectly fine homes and cut down large majestic oak, fir, and maple trees as well—all to fit two massive and expensive “McMansions” on lots that used to fit one affordable home. Not to mention those constant letters from developers or “real estate companies” promising to “restore” my home, and when you call them and press them for details on possible demolition, they are evasive and hang up.
My home has been lovingly restored by my wife and me; yet with the way land use laws are now, and the fact that it sits on a corner lot, it is prime to be demolished. Why should a developer care about the integrity of the home when they know they can tear it down, sell two McMansions, and easily make $300,000 dollars for two to three months work? No home is safe from demolition, and the replacements are far from matching the character of the neighborhood.
I worry about predator buyers harassing other home-owners. My elderly neighbor told me she is getting constant phone calls from an individual pressing her to sell. It sounds relentless. Portland City Commissioners and the Mayor need to wake up to the fact that we are under siege, the character of our neighborhood is being ruined, sustainability not practiced, and affordable housing systematically diminished.
– Ervin Siverson