Land Use

Teardowns and McMansions—Ordinances and Zoning changes in US Cities

At the end of July 2008 I will no longer be BNA Web master. Until then I am still available to help you learn how to update and create Web pages on the BNA Web site and/or post events on the BNA/SWNI calendar. You can also learn how to do these things from the SWNI Staff.

MPNA receives notices of land use applications in or near the neighborhood that warrant a Type II or III review. Reviews are briefly discussed at monthly meetings, and occasionally MPNA might submit a comment to the Bureau of Development Services.

Page under construction.

Page under construction.

In the 1990's the City of Portland undertook a multi-year process, called the SW Community Plan, to update the zoning of SW Portland. Many neighborhoods worked on creating Neighborhood Plans which expressed the zoning and other improvements they wanted to see in their neighborhoods. Because Bridlemile split out from Bridlemile/Robert Gray neighborhood (which became Hillsdale) late in the process Bridlemile was not allowed to do a full blown Neighborhood Plan but only a Vision Statement which the BNA spent a number of meetings working on and approved.

When a group of neighbors wants to upgrade an unimproved street one way to go about it is to use Expanded Maintenance Options.

Current Bridlemile Land Use Reviews (LURs)
All proposal notices, hearing notices, and notices of final plat submittals are posted on the

BDS Land Use & Zoning Public Notices page

Notices are posted on the postmark date of the snail mail notice or the day after. Proposal notices are taken down on the deadline date for comment. Hearing notices are taken down on the date of the hearing. Occasionally, they will post a decision if they think it is of great interest.

Many trees in Bridlemile and SW have become infested with English Ivy whick will eventually kill these trees.

Rescuing a tree from Ivy is a simple two step process: girdling and creating a lifesaver. Girdling entails carefully cutting the ivy runners on the trees at ankle and shoulder height, and removing that section of runners from the tree without damaging the tree's life giving bark.

Many large, old, and beautiful trees stand proudly throughout our neighborhood. Photos by Victor von Salza.

At one time all of Bridlemile was covered by forest, when settlers came they cleared the land for farming, orchards, and dairy lands. As Portland grew, in the 1940's and 1950's the first housing developments were created in Bridlemile. Most of the trees we see today are less than 60 years old, but a few trees are older, and two have been designated heritage trees.