Tag: 457 NE 74th

Construction

NE 74th Townhome Land Division

As four new townhomes are nearing completion at 457 NE 74th Avenue, the property’s developer applied for a Middle Housing Land Division (MHLD) to create distinct lots for each home. This form of property segmentation allows for common-wall construction that avoids Home Owner Association (HOA) fees and creates clearly defined boundaries between neighbors.

Crews began constructing these new homes in October and quickly completed principal framing, sealing up the exterior so work could proceed inside the units. This level of completion enabled the developer to pursue an MHLD lot division, which requires the builder to have units constructed to a state where an as-built survey of buildings and underground services can occur before the City approves the final plat. Although developers can only start the MHLD process after submitting permits, the process is guaranteed to be fast, according to Oregon state law. The City must either approve or deny the application within 63 days.

Site map included in the Land Use Notice of Proposal

An MHLD is reserved for specified housing types and does not apply to vacant lots or non-residential development. Lots segmented in this way must have existing buildings or structures under construction to qualify. The buildings can be attached or detached duplexes, triplex, fourplex, and Cottage Cluster developments. Unlike traditional lot divisions, MHLD does not require street access or a private road for all units. In the previous City code, all lots needed street access through complicated lot lines or easements. As with this project on NE 74th, MHLD-created properties can reside behind other lots without street access. Only the front home at 457 NE 74th Avenue directly connects to the sidewalk and utilities. The other three units have a walkway and utility easements.

Each MHLD-created lot has to contain one residence. However, those lots do not need to be the same size. The back property at 451 NE 74th Avenue is larger than all the others, with significantly larger yard space. It also contains a shared drywell for onsite rainwater management. The middle two units have equal land area, access, and yard space.

MHLD is an integral part of Portland’s recent Residential Infill code updates that allow people to create more housing on existing properties. Creating independent lots in this creative way eliminates added monthly costs that some homeowners pay to an HOA for shared property maintenance. It can also simplify the mortgage process and neighbor relations by not having an extra level of governance over one’s land. Many newer infill developments across Portland are already using MHLD, which may indicate that changes brought about by the Residential Infill Project are succeeding in the City’s efforts to create more housing. Look for these four townhouses to become available for purchase in 2024.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

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Construction, Demolition, New Residence

NE 74th Townhomes Underway

Cement masons recently completed foundation work on four townhomes under construction along NE 74th Avenue near NE Glisan Street. In January, demolition crews deconstructed the 100-year-old single-family residence at 423 NE 74th Avenue, making way for these new homes. The street-facing unit spans the building’s frontage with a full-width porch, making the development look like a large house.

This townhome development is located just south of the Mt Tabor Villas apartment building that opened in 2020 and across the street from the Glisan Landing affordable housing project under construction. Multifamily housing is already well-defined on this street, and this builder could have displayed the density without seeming out of place. However, the design of this two-story building should blend in with the single-family homes on the block. The front of the structure features a symmetric design with a walkway leading to the centered front door. The three other homes are accessed from a side-yard walkway and will remain mostly hidden from passersby.

Portland Maps image with MV News illustrations

The three back units all feature identical floor plans with an open first-floor layout. The kitchen at the back of the main level features a wrap-around counter, creating some separation between the Dining/Living Room areas. A powder room is tucked under the staircase leading up to the second floor. Designers placed two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a laundry closet on the top level. One of the bathrooms is hallway accessible, and the other is reserved as an ensuite.

Deconstruction of 100-year-old single-family residence at 423 NE 74th Avenue

The front unit shares mostly the same arrangement. However, its first floor has a larger half-bath and a more defined Living Room area. In addition to having a four-by-thirty-foot front porch, it offers residents 100 more square feet of living space.

Expect construction at this site to continue through the year’s end, with completion likely in early 2024. Onsite parking is not planned for this development, making these homes best suited for families using transit or other driving alternatives. Street parking on this block is limited based on its current configuration.

New Townhome addresses

  • 451 NE 74th Avenue
  • 453 NE 74th Avenue
  • 455 NE 74th Avenue
  • 457 NE 74th Avenue

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscribers or sponsors. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Construction, Demolition, New Residence

4 New Townhomes on NE 74th

The new owners of a single-family residence at 423 NE 74th Avenue will soon remove the 100-year-old building. In its place, the developers will create four new townhomes in an area of NE Montavilla seeing substantial development. This 5,000 square foot lot sits next door to a recently completed apartment building and across NE 74th Avenue from the proposed affordable housing complex breaking ground next year.

Riverside Carpentry bought the 900-square-foot home in April of 2022. A month later, they applied to demolish the house and detached garage. In mid-September, the developer submitted building permit applications for a project consisting of four two-story townhomes. Each residence will reside on its own lot. Plans do not call for onsite parking for this project.

Image from Portland Maps

This infill development joins other recent high-density housing centered around NE Glisan street west of NE 82nd Avenue. Similar projects are underway at 432 NE 73rd Avenue and 319 NE 75th Avenue. Although the Mt Tabor Villas building on NE 74th Avenue predates Metro’s purchase of the former Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) location, other recent developments seem centered around the future low-income housing complex. Even before the construction began at the TBN site, the message from officials was clear. Density housing is the future for this area.

Within a few years, many more people will reside off NE Glisan Street. The added residents should boost nearby businesses, and the late-night activity could deter some malicious activities in the area. Eventually, other properties on the surrounding blocks will have economic pressure to convert to residential or mixed-use, bringing in even more people and businesses to the area. NE Glisan will take years to mature, but current building trends indicate that change is already underway.

423 NE 74th Avenue after it sold in April 2022

New Townhome addresses

  • 451 NE 74th Avenue
  • 453 NE 74th Avenue
  • 455 NE 74th Avenue
  • 457 NE 74th Avenue

By

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Montavilla News has a Patreon account. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to please consider becoming a paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.