Saturday, June 10, 6-7 PM
Join us on Saturday, June 10th as Katie Rathmell demonstrates how to make a restored window operable. Katie, a local general contractor who specializes in historic restoration of windows, will host a presentation on techniques to make your double hung windows functional. The event will be held during the Second Saturday Artwork, at the LCPS office, 389 12th Street, Astoria. FMI: http://www.lcpsociety.org/ or 971-704-2016 Saturday, May 13, 3-5 PM Guest Speaker Peggy Moretti from Restore Oregon will be discussing Historic Conservation Easements at our Annual Membership Meeting.
What is a Preservation Easement? A preservation easement is a legally binding agreement to protect a historic property from activities that may harm the property’s integrity, including neglect, demolition, and insensitive alterations. A preservation easement allows the owner of a historic property to retain title and use of the property and, at the same time, ensure its long-term preservation. Join us on Saturday to learn more. https://restoreoregon.org/conservation-easements/ The Lower Columbia Preservation Society will host a presentation by Jay Rosen on "Restoring your Chairs: Cane and Seat Weaving" Saturday, April 8 at 6:00 PM. Jay Rosen is an Astoria resident who lives in an 1889 Queen Anne style Victorian home within the Shively-McClure historic district. Previously a custom industrial machine builder, Jay is the owner of North Coast FIX, a local company dedicated to restoring and repairing fine homes and fine furnishings. Jay will be discussing chair caning and furniture restoration. The LCPS office will be open starting at 5:00 PM during the Second Saturday ArtWalk. Jay’s presentation is free to members and the general public. For more information about this event or to get involved, please contact Rachel Jensen, President of the Lower Columbia Preservation Society at lowercolumbiapreservation@gmail.com. Starting this week, the LCPS office (389 12th Street) will begin having regular office hours every Thursday from 9-12. Our goal is to expand the days and hours we are open--so any members with interest in volunteering, please reach out. We want to be a convenient resource for owners of historic properties and others interested in preservation!
And, If you are out and about for Astoria's Art Walk, stop by from 5-8 pm. Now is a great time to join, renew your membership or volunteer. What are Oregon’s special places and how do we best identify, protect, and interpret them? That’s the question that we hope that you can help us answer.
As part of its mission, the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) in partnership with the community creates a statewide historic preservation plan every five years to identify what is special about Oregon and how best to preserve it for future generations. The plan addresses identifying and preserving historic places, educating the public about the State's history, and building support for the organizations that curate our cultural legacy. This spring the Oregon SHPO is asking Oregonians what makes Oregon's heritage special to them in a series of 90 minute public meetings across the state. Participants will identify what issues matter most and how to best preserve our history. The meeting in your region will be held on: April 5, 2017, 4:00-5:30p.m. Astoria city Hall, Council Chambers 1095 Duane St., Astoria Those interested in or associated with Oregon historic preservation efforts, museums, governments, cemeteries, archaeology, archives, historic trails, and other Oregon heritage related interests are encouraged to attend. Please forward this message on to anyone who may be interested, and include it in newsletters, Facebook posts, email lists, etc. We need your help to spread the word! Can't make a meeting? Comment online! This short survey asks for public feedback. Go to : https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ORHeritagePartnerSurvey. Oregon Heritage, a Division of Oregon State Parks, includes the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). The Oregon SHPO locally administers National Park Service (NPS) programs created by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, including the identification and designation of historic properties and archaeological sites; tax and grant programs; and the Certified Local Government Program (CLG), a partnership program between local jurisdictions and the state and federal government. The SHPO also coordinates closely with Oregon Heritage programs, including the Heritage Commission and Main Street, Cemetery Commission, Oregon Historic Trails Advisory Commission, and various grant and technical assistance programs. The SHPO office is funded in part through a grant from NPS. A copy of the 2011-2016 plan can be found here: http://www.oregon.gov/OPRD/HCD/SHPO/docs/historic_preservation_plan_11-16.pdf . To learn more about the Oregon SHPO and Oregon Heritage programs, visit www.oregonheritage.org. Please contact Ian Johnson at (503) 986-0678 or ian.johnson@oregon.gov with any additional questions or comments. The City of Astoria has received a grant from the State Historic Preservation Office to assist property owners with historic renovations. The Astoria Historic Landmarks Commission’s renovation grant program will make these funds available to homeowners desiring to make exterior rehabilitation or renovation improvements.
For 2017, projects in the Uniontown neighborhood will take priority. Should additional funds be available after initial outreach to the Uniontown area, funds will be open to other eligible historic properties. Properties designated as a Historic Landmark, contributing to a National Register Historic District, or as a National Landmark are eligible. Renovation or rehabilitation work needs be located on the primary facade of the structure or where it is highly visible to the public. Structural improvements to preserve the integrity of the structure may also qualify. Projects may receive 50% of the project cost up to a maximum of $3,000 in grant funds. Projects must be completed by July 31, 2017. If you are interested in applying for these grant funds, please contact Nancy Ferber at 503-338- 5183 or nferber@astoria.or.us. Applications will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis. Program guidelines and applications are available at www.astoria.or.us, under Community Development Department, and select Projects, or from City Hall, 1095 Duane Street, Astoria. The grant program has been financed with Federal funds from the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. The contents and opinions of any documents do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of the Interior, nor does the mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation by the Department of the Interior. Lower Columbia Preservation Society Saturday January 14, 2017 389 12th Street, Astoria, OR 5:00 to 8:00 pm Visit with LCPS board members, enjoy the new office and learn how you can participate!
On September 27th, the Astoria Planning Commission (APC) voted to continue their public hearing on the proposed amendments to the city's development code dealing with accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and tiny homes. The continuation of that hearing is scheduled for this Tuesday, October 25th at 6:30.
Those of you who have been following the process will notice when you look through the newest APC agenda packet that the specifics of the proposal have evolved. Many of the recent changes to the proposal seek to resolve public concerns about ADUs being used as short-term rentals and to address parking issues. The primary historic preservation concern I am hearing from LCPS members is that the construction of ADUs above garages and the building of detached ADUs and/or "tiny homes" in people's yards would negatively impact the historic charm and character of Astoria's residential neighborhoods. As currently proposed, detached ADUs and "tiny homes" would be considered new construction and if located on the same lot as a historic landmark, adjacent to a historic landmark, or directly across the street from a historic landmark, would require design review by the Historic Landmark Commission. Unfortunately, there are areas of significant historic resources that have yet to be identified and documented through an official historic inventory. Owners of "historic" properties that have yet to be designated as landmarks (as well as their adjacent neighbors) will be free to build these accessory dwellings without design review or guidelines (unless they are in an overlay zone that requires additional design review). City staff assert that allowing the creation of ADUs will make preservation more affordable for historic property owners. One finding within the Staff Report and Findings of Fact (located in the APC agenda packet) is that, "The ability to use land efficiently will allow property owners to use the proceeds to fiance improvements to existing historic structures. It would also allow adaptive reuse of existing houses to provide income for the building owners and in turn will facilitate restoration and maintenance of historic homes in various zones." These are complex development issues and opinions differ on how we can encourage economic growth, create additional housing options, and still preserve the historic homes and neighborhoods of Astoria. I encourage LCPS members to read through the proposal and to attend the public hearing on Tuesday. Please consider how these changes will impact existing neighborhoods. Please publicly share your concerns and verbalize your support of, or your opposition to, these amendments. To those members who do not live in Astoria, I have no doubt that similar issues have already (or soon will) impact your area. Please share your experiences with us. In preparation for the APC meeting, LCPS's Advocacy Committee will be meeting on Sunday, October 23rd at 2:00 PM (389 12th Street). All members and friends are invited to attend. We will also be gathering at the LCPS office on Tuesday at 5:30 PM for last minute discussions prior to the Astoria Planning Commission meeting at 6:30. Rachel Jensen, LCPS president This coming Tuesday, the Astoria Planning Commission is holding a meeting to discuss development code changes including height allowances on buildings, density changes, etc.
The Lower Columbia Preservation Society would like to invite members and concerned Astorians to rally at 5:30pm at our new office. Our new office is located on the corner of 14th St. and Duane, adjacent to the Hotel Elliott. The meeting will commence at 6:30 and we will arrive as a group. Join us for the Chinook Historic Homes Tour Saturday, May 14th, 1-3 pm.
The Lower Columbia Preservation Society is organizing a tour of homes in Chinook, Washington, for Saturday May 14th from 1-3 pm. Starting at 1pm, Participants can pick up their pre-registered tickets at Shipwreck Cove Antiques (located in Chinook). Homes will all be within walking distance. The homes will be open for viewing between 1 and 3 pm. At 3 pm participants are invited to convene at the home of one of our board members, where refreshments will be served. We are limiting our number of participants to 35, so please RSVP for the Chinook Historic Homes Tour. You can RSVP by calling Serena Schlosser at 541-520-6146. Please leave your name, number of tickets requested, and a contact phone number if leaving a voicemail. |
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