On July 1st, The East Portland Tool Library opened to Portland communities living east of 82nd Avenue and north of SE Division Street. This tool-lending non-profit offers its members access to an expanding range of repair, maintenance, and crafting equipment. Located within the Cherry Park United Methodist Church parking lot at 1736 SE 106th Avenue, Montavilla residents can easily access the library via SE Market Street. The volunteer-run group opens the doors of its two large shipping containers from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays for week-long rentals.
The East Portland Tool Library provides affordable access to tools and lends to area residents of all income levels. Membership is donation-based, with people contributing as little as $10 and others paying more. Membership comes after a one-time registration where volunteers verify your home address, ensuring you are in their area. The East Portland Tool Library only serves the eastern half of Montavilla, but it is more convenient for many residents than other tool-lending resources. The Green Lents Community Tool Library serves many neighborhoods south of NE Halsey Street, including Montavilla. However, they are further away at 9215 SE Ramona Street near Interstate 205 and SE Foster Road. A segment of neighborhood residents living in NE Portland west of NE 82nd can also use the Northeast Portland Tool Library at 5431 NE 20th Avenue.
Work on the new East Portland Tool Library began five years ago in 2018, with East Portland Neighbors (EPN) serving as the fiscal sponsor. Difficulties locating a host location and the pandemic closures derailed the project for several years. However, the group recently received a grant from Oregon Metro that revitalized the project.
The East Portland Tool Library’s board president, Nancy Arntson, explained how surprisingly difficult it was to find a host location. Last year, they nearly dropped off their two converted shipping container buildings to a different church parking lot, more centrally located in East Portland. During permitting, city staff noted that the structures would remove three parking spaces and potentially reduce the stall number below minimum requirements. Arntson recalls the city asking for a $5,000 parking reassessment fee that would unacceptably eat into the organization’s budget. “So we came here… and in my opinion, it turned out to be better. This is a better fit for us, even though it doesn’t put us in the center of the service area. But it’s a good fit for us because of the reception we’re getting here,” said Arntson.
The tool library resides in two green shipping containers outfitted with rollup doors that face one another. The steel boxes sit one inch apart to function as one building when the doors are open but exist as separate units to remain under the square footage limits that would have them treated like a structure. Side doors let people enter from one side and leave from another, as the shelves full of tools eat up much of the floor space, leaving room for just a single aisle. An extension cord from the church provides minimal power for lights and a few outlets during the three hours of operation. They want to install dedicated electricity service for heating this winter, but there is currently no budget for that significant cost.
This program is a volunteer-run organization, and they always look for more people to take shifts. When they get more people in the rotation, the board will consider adding additional hours of operation. The group is also interested in receiving more tool donations. All the tools available to loan came from community donations, with the exception of a new power washer, air compressors, and a wheelbarrow. A complete list of tools and their availability is online. Once you are a member, there is no cost to borrowing, and you can check out the same item each week if it is an extended project, as long as others are not waiting on its return. The library will charge a late fee of $1 for small items and $5 for bigger equipment if people fail to bring the item back the following week.
The East Portland Tool Library currently has 29 members, and growing membership is one of the ways they collect funds for new tools. Signing up now provides a lasting membership that can save people money compared to renting tools from a business. The organization believes YouTube can provide people with a wealth of home repair knowledge, but equitable access to tools builds sustainable and thriving communities.
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