On Friday, June 3, the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability released a Proposed Draft of the South Portland Historic District Design Guidelines for public review and comment. The Proposed Draft design guidelines were developed by BPS staff and a consultant team, with the assistance of a volunteer community advisory group of area residents, architects, and historic preservation professionals.
The draft design guidelines are intended to provide flexible approval criteria for alteration, addition, and new construction proposals in the South Portland Historic District, a small area around the Ross Island Bridgehead in South Portland. The area is significant to the city’s early immigrant history and representative of building typologies characteristic of the 1876-1926 period. A map of the Historic District is available on PortlandMaps.
Read more about the Proposed Draft
The draft design guidelines include 13 approval criteria to be met in order for alteration, addition, and new construction proposals to be approved in the South Portland Historic District. The guidelines address a variety of topics ranging from site planning to cultural history, vehicular parking to tall new buildings.
The Portland Historic Landmarks Commission will consider the draft design guidelines at a series of public meetings this summer, including at a public hearing on July 11 during which testimony will be taken. Following the Historic Landmarks Commission’s review and incorporation of public comments, the Commission will forward the design guidelines to City Council, which will hold another public hearing and vote to adopt the new design guidelines later in 2022.
Review and testify on the Recommended Draft
The Proposed Draft South Portland Historic District Design Guidelines are available for download as a PDF. Project staff will provide an overview of the draft design guidelines at the June 13 meeting of the Portland Historic Landmarks Commission, starting at 1:30 p.m., for those interested in learning more about the project.
Portlanders can testify to the Portland Historic Landmarks Commission in writing or orally at a public hearing. Comments must be submitted by July 11, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. to be considered by the Historic Landmarks Commission.
- Emailed comments can be submitted to historic.resources@portlandoregon.gov with the subject “South Portland Historic District Design Guidelines.”
- Mailed comments can be sent to the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability Historic Resources Program, 1810 SW 5th Ave, Suite 710, Portland, OR 97201.
- Oral testimony can be provided to the Historic Landmarks Commission at the July 11 meeting, which will be held virtually. Advanced registration is required.
After considering public comments, the Historic Landmarks Commission will make changes to the draft design guidelines and vote to forward a revised Recommended Draft to City Council for final consideration this fall. Portlanders will also be able to testify on the Recommended Draft design guidelines before the City Council takes a final vote to adopt the design guidelines in late 2022.