It all THEIR fault!

This email blast is being circulated throughout the city.

It's all the City Council's fault.  In fact, it's just certain members of the City Council who are at fault - the majority who understand the balance between public need and personal property rights.  And some people just don't get it.  If the city isn't going to buy the land for another park at market value, then it should not hold up the sale of the property by keeping s historic designation on it.  All this does is hamstring the owners who may not be able to afford to keep it up (just for the public's benefit?) or sell it (who would want to buy an old house with string attached and for what price?).   But by using the regulatory power of the state, the Coalition would have the city "take" the property without "just compensation."  What were the two dissenting councilors proposing?   

But no one who testified about trying to save the Carmen House offered the simplest and most obvious solution: purchasing the property themselves.  Government (City Council and the Courts) isn't the only solution to this problem.  According to their attorney, the current property owners have offered to sell the land to a preservationist group at a reasonable price.  Rather than collect money for lawyers, the Lake Oswego Preservation Society should use the money to buy the Carmen House.  If it's not too late, I really hope that such a plan forms and I will contribute to the cause, because this is truly a fine asset that would be sad to lose.

The Coalition believes that you should be aware of the actions being taken by the current City Council which impact critical issues affecting Lake Oswego and the values that make our city unique. Please read and follow the links to this information from our friends at the Lake Oswego Preservation Society. From Our Friends at the Lake Oswego Preservation Society City Council Votes to Allow Demolition of Carman House After months of hearings, the Historic Resources Advisory Board voted to save the Carman House by retaining its landmark status. City Councilors unfortunately overturned this decision by a 4 to 3 vote. Councilors Gustafson, O’Neill, and Jordan voted to save the Carman House, but Mayor Studebaker along with Councilors Bowerman, Hughes, and Gudman voted to remove the protection of the home’s Landmark status. Unless this decision is overturned on appeal, it will most likely mean that the oldest house in Lake Oswego, and one of the oldest in the Willamette Valley, will be demolished to make way for a new housing development. Please read the below article titled Save the Carman House from Mary Lou Colver, President of the LO Preservation Society. Save the Carman House The Carman House at 3811 Carman Drive was built circa 1855 before Abraham Lincoln, an acquaintance of Waters Carman, became the 16th president of the United States. It’s the oldest remaining house and the only Donation Land Claim era structure left in Lake Oswego and to destroy this risks destroying the sense of who we are and where we came from. Waters Carman was a witness who signed A. A. Durham’s Donation Land Claim. This was the legal document that essentially founded Oswego. The house in which Carman, and his wife Lucretia, lived is the last physical link to our pioneer roots. Severing this connection would be a tremendous blow to the history of our community. The City Council majority voted to remove the landmark status from the oldest remaining house in Lake Oswego, the Carman House. If this vote is not overturned, the 1855 house will be demolished for a new housing development. Photo courtesy of the Lake Oswego Public Library. For the last two years, the Lake Oswego Preservation Society has spearheaded the effort to save the Carman House. In July 2013, we increased our efforts to spotlight the importance of this house to our community. Over the last six months, we hired a land use attorney, testified at hearings, gave press interviews, advertised posts on Facebook, reached out to other organizations, and attempted unsuccessfully to meet with the owners to discuss alternatives to demolition. After months of hearings, the Historic Resources Advisory Board voted to save the Carman House by retaining its landmark status. City Councilors unfortunately overturned this decision by a 4 to 3 vote. Councilors Gustafson, O’Neill, and Jordan voted to save the Carman House, but Mayor Studebaker along with Councilors Bowerman, Hughes, and Gudman voted to remove the protection of the home’s Landmark status. Unless this decision is overturned on appeal, it will most likely mean that the oldest house in Lake Oswego, and one of the oldest in the Willamette Valley, will be demolished to make way for a new housing development. The Lake Oswego Preservation Society’s legal fees have now reached $10,000 and, although we have found a pro bono attorney to file an appeal of City Council’s decision with Oregon’s Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA), there are still outstanding invoices and out-of-pocket costs. Also, a $5,000 cash bond needs to be posted if LUBA grants the stay of demolition which has also been filed. We are extremely grateful to those who have supported the non-profit Lake Oswego Preservation Society’s efforts by making a tax-deductible donation to our Carman House legal defense fund. We welcome additional contributions, large or small, to help save this irreplaceable link to our pioneer history. We are an all-volunteer organization so 100% of your donation will be dedicated to this cause. Please visit: www.lakeoswegohistoryonline.com/lo/Donate.html