What Was Eugene's LPC Vote Worth? $409,000

I don’t think schadenfreude is appropriate over the price slash. The homeowners’ dream of selling #189 as a development site was never more than a fantasy, as evidenced by the unsellable lot next door, which has had it’s asking price cut a couple of times, despite having both an approved plan and a foundation in place. IMO the owners of #189 have actually lost NOTHING. The establishment of the historic district is likely to evenyually enhance the value of their home.

I’ll leave others to decide whether schadenfreude IS appropriate regarding the circumstances that resulted in 189’s owners finding themselves next to a development site.

One correction on the above: Only 9 of 12 remaining homeowners are explicitly in favor of the proposed HD. Opposing owners are the brick house, #189 on the north end of the strip as well as #211 (one of the Axel Hedman limestones on the south end). A third owner (of a limestone) is “abstaining.”

Wow, unfortunately, I’m going to be on the road all day today and unable to participate in this thread. I can only imagine what this discussion is going to look like late tonight! Suffice it to say that Jon’s posting of the HDC email comes closest to the facts of the situation. Here’s just a quick surface recap of the history and a few additional facts:

At the beginning of the landmarking petition process, Eugene supported landmarking all 12 houses — as did the owner of #189 (the property owner who is now trying to get his brick house excluded from the district.) However, when the developer succeeded in demolishing #185 and getting approval to replace it with an 8-storey, 20 unit finger building, before the LPC would agree to consider the proposal for landmarking, the owners of #189 sought to sell their house as development property and to try and entice other homeowners on the strip to join in that strategy. As it became apparent that all of the 12 remaining homeowners on the row (which includes WASPs, Jewish, Polish, African American, Caribbean American, African, Latino and Pacific Rim owner-families, as well as an equally diverse array of tenant residents, btw)would support landmarking, the owners of #189 tried to run an endgame around their petitioning neighbors. As such, they went to Eugene to seek his support in excluding their home from the proposed HD.

In not the best display of judgment, Eugene, listened to the sob story of the owners of #189 but failed to come back to the original petitioners to get their take on a modified HD proposal. In fact, it was not until the actual LPC hearing that the rest of the petitioning homeowners learned that the councilmember had changed his position and was now arguing that the proposed district should be altered to allow #189 to be excluded. In the weeks following the hearing, the petitioners and HDC — and many other supporters of the Ocean on the Park HDC have been advising Eugene that his sudden decision to flip was not a good one. As a result, the councilmember has now returned to his original position and has communicated this to the LPC.

I agree that the title of the thread was poorly worded. I, too, was initially stunned by what it appeared to suggest. On that note, I’m thinking that the consequences of Eugene’s bumbling on this issue has caught him by surprise more than anyone. We’re talking about a first term elected official who got voted in by an organized bloc of voters that is based on his native country affiliation. My sense of it is that this itty bitty preservation issue has captured the attention of a large part of his district constituency, the citywide preservation community, and others in a way he didn’t anticipate. Who would have thunk it? (Thanks again, Brownstoner!) IOW, in a flash, a landmarking fight over 12 little houses has turned into a mini trial by fire for a new newbie politician. If he’s learned anything from this, it will make Eugene a better politician who does adeuate research on an issue before taking a public position — especially a changed public position. It should also cause him to want to get up to speed on learning about the diversity of his district. At least one would hope so!

Nope, I’m in finance. I was, however, a history major. I did consider teaching until I realized how bad I would be at it.