The owners of 1003 NE 71st Avenue plan to triple the housing density at this 1951-era property while retaining the original home. They recently applied for a Middle Housing Land Division, creating three parcels. Demolition crews have already removed a free-standing garage to make way for the two new single-family residences.
The site’s new layout will use a cottage cluster arrangement, with Parcel 3 occupying the back third of the original lot. Developers centered Parcel 2 on the northern property line, extending 26 feet across the lot’s 45-foot width. Pedestrian access and utilities will route to each new two-story home through a doglegged private easement pathway that passes the existing house on Parcel 1 to the north and then cuts across the lot’s width to pass Parcel 2 on its south side. All properties will share a drywell for rainwater management.
Cottage clusters became permissible in July 2022 as part of the Residential Infill Project 2 (RIP2) after Portland’s City Council adopted the zoning code changes. Homes do not need direct street access or a private road leading to the lots. All pedestrian access comes from easements, and residents share open space between the properties. This configuration creates an environment where more residences can populate a neighborhood without requiring the demolition of existing homes. Additionally, the new smaller houses are individual real estate, allowing people access to a more affordable entry point to home ownership.
Project managers submitted building permits months before the land division application so construction could proceed before officials separate the parcels. However, RIP2 expedited the land division process to increase homeownership options for middle housing. Look for construction to begin as soon as the city approves the building permits.
