Historic Landmarks Commission

View Historic Landmarks Commission Agendas

Purpose of the Landmarks Commission

The Historic Landmarks Commission provides leadership and expertise on maintaining and enhancing Portland's historic and architectural heritage. The Commission identifies and protects buildings and other properties that have historic or cultural significance or special architectural merit. The Commission provides advice and decision-making on historic preservation matters, and coordinates historic preservation programs in the City. The Commission is also actively involved in the development of design guidelines for historic design districts.

Makeup of the Landmarks Commission

The Commission is made up of citizen volunteers, including:

• a member of the Planning Commission;

• a historian with knowledge of local history;

• an architectural historian;

• an architect;

• two members from the following: landscape architecture, real estate, construction, community development, urban planning, archeology, law, finance, cultural geography, cultural anthropology, or related disciplines;

• and two members at-large.

All members must have demonstrated interest, competence, or knowledge of historic preservation. No more than two members of the Commission may be in the business of buying, selling, leasing, or developing real estate for profit, or be officers of such a business. The Planning Commission member is chosen by the Planning Commission chair. The other members are appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council.

The Commission is staffed by the Bureau of Development Services, which processes quasi-judicial land use reviews, such as historic design reviews. The Bureau of Planning also assists the Commission in its policy and advisory roles, for instance by processing National Register nomination reviews and working with the Commission on legislative planning projects and other historic resource-related projects and policy matters.

Activities of the Landmarks Commission

The work of the Landmarks Commission includes:

• formal regulatory review of Major Historic Design Review applications;

• formal regulatory review of Minor Historic Design Review applications that are appealed;

• establishing or removing Historic Landmark and Conservation Landmark designations for specific buildings or sites in quasi-judicial reviews;

• providing response to historic Design Advice Requests;

• identifying and protecting buildings and other properties that have historic or cultural significance or special architectural merit;

• participation in the development of historic resource regulations, including the development and approval of historic design guidelines for forwarding to City Council;

• participation in the establishment amendment, or removal of new historic and conservation districts;

• providing advice to agencies, other commissions, and City Council at their request regarding such items as capital improvement projects right of way standards, and other historic preservation related matters in the public’s interest; and

• Initiating and coordinating historic preservation and public outreach programs in the City, including reviewing recommendations for National Register status and making recommendations to other governmental agencies regarding historic preservation programs and issues.

Commission Agenda

The Commission agenda is established by staff in coordination with Commission leadership. Typically, regulatory items are scheduled at the beginning of meetings, with legislative or advice matters to follow. Formal reviews are scheduled, generally, in the order in which their applications have been received and determined to be complete. However, exceptions may occur to balance the load within specific agendas. To inquire further about the scheduling of items, please contact Bureau of Development Services Hearing Clerk at 503-823-0625.

When and Where the Landmarks Commission Meets

The Landmarks Commission is regularly scheduled to meet the second and fourth Mondays of each month, beginning at 1:30 p.m., in Room 2500 A of the Development Services building at 1900 SW 4th Avenue. However, changes in time, additional meetings, and occasional meeting cancellations, do occur. Contact Bureau of Development Services Hearing Clerk at 503-823-0625 for scheduling information.