Some high- and lowlights from the 3425 SE Hawthorne demolition, Oct 15th and 16th, 2015

 

Top left:  Day 1 of demolition.  At this point,  a protester was on the roof, having climbed the Monkey Puzzle Tree, and the crew went around back and pulled the back porch off just to make a point (and possibly so the crew would actually get paid for something).

Top right:  Day 1 of demolition, across the street.  The woman in white and blue stripes with blonde hair was extremely entertained, asking others near her if Oregon often has protests over home demolitions.  She said she was from out of state and then expressed happiness that she could have “lunch and a show”.  I told her that was a terrible thing to say.  She did not enjoy hearing that.

Bottom right:  Day 2 of demolition, taking the front of the house.  By this point the back wall house is gone, they’ve been smashing windows. I saw no evidence of salvage.  As far as I know, all this debris went to a landfill.  They filled the red truck with debris by 2:45 PM.

Seattle-Ballard reporting in: The Density Debate

I was searching for actual data on the real impact of high density and infill development, because while income inequality and demolition angers me to no end, this is really still a blog about density…right?

So it is with much enthusiasm that I read this.  I didn’t know Seattle had a displacement *coalition*.  I must see if Portland does.  We sure need one.

The Density Debate

This just in: Short film on density –

Very pleased to see this today.

http://vimeopro.com/strawbalefilms/straw-bale-films/video/126277917

I’m still watching it.  More later.

RIP House: 2808 SE Belmont

I drew this February 10th and I’m not sure why it’s not in archived posts.  The lot has been split in two , apparently.  At least the new units aren’t big cubes, but the echo of old styles, just built quickly and with lesser materials. The old house was “nice”; I wonder if any of it was salvaged.

According to the notes scrawled on the page, this may have initially been the house of one E. W. Ring.  According to portlandmaps.com , it was built in 1908, making it 104 at the time it was razed.  I have no idea why it was sold.  It was a huge house.  I doubt that splitting the lot and making two smaller houses actually surpasses the number of people who could live there, and my understanding of tree replacement would mean a LOT of trees must be planted to offset the loss of those old trees.

I am bad at trees, so here’s the old Street View:  Click here

Dateline 2010, before the Abernethy no-parking complex: Demolition of the building with the orange roof

I love how they ask what the future may hold for this lot and say that it has great parking.  Haha, joke’s on you!

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2010/12/southeast_portland_times_are_c_1.html