Laurelhurst is Latest Portland Neighborhood Seeking Historic Designation to Block Development

Laurelhurst has voted overwhelmingly for neighborhood association leaders who are in favor of designating the 425-acre neighborhood as a historic district. Laurelhurst, located in Northeast Portland, is following in the footsteps of Peacock Lane and Eastmoreland, two other upscale neighborhoods that have recently submitted historic designation requests. Residents of Laurelhurst like Mike Parrott hope the designation will "add one more barrier against my street becoming filled with duplexes and my corner lots becoming triplexes." The median home price in Laurelhurst is $750,000, but advocates claim a historic designation is the only way to keep the neighborhood "affordable" for residents. Groups like 1000 Friends of Oregon and the Homebuilders Association are in favor of the Residential Infill Project in Portland as well as HB 2007. They argue that historical designations put the burden of providing housing entirely on less wealthy neighborhoods, which don't hold as much political sway. Read more.