Greater Portland Landmarks strongly believes that the proposed Munjoy Hill Local Historic District is the most effective way to conserve the character of the neighborhood and accommodate public participation in a transparent review process that has proven successful in the West End, Parkside, Old Port, and Congress Street historic districts for thirty years. The proposed Munjoy Hill Local Historic District has emerged from a lengthy and inclusive public process. It meets the designation criteria in the city historic preservation ordinance and is consistent with the City’s comprehensive plan, which supports historic preservation as an integral part of the city’s planning strategy.
We urge the Planning Board to accept the historic preservation board’s proposal and recommend its approval by the City Council for the following reasons:
1. The Portland City Council tasked planning staff to pursue a historic district as part of a suite of land use strategies when it approved zoning changes in June of 2018. The proposed district is meant to work in tandem with the conservation overlay district established at the end of the moratorium, much as the India Street Local Historic District and Form-Based code work together to manage growth and change at the foot of Munjoy Hill.
2. The Munjoy Hill Local Historic District will not freeze the hill in time. As we have seen in other historic districts, new construction and alterations allow neighborhoods to grow and change as needed to meet contemporary needs. Since November the Historic Preservation Board has approved alterations at 34-36 North Street and 49 St. Lawrence Street, an alteration that will add a housing unit to an existing multi-family dwelling. They have also conducted preliminary reviews for alterations and additions at 24 St. Lawrence Street and 9 Howard Street.
3. Our historic neighborhoods are important city assets that should be maintained and enhanced. Along with our food scene, the physical character of the Old Port, West End and Munjoy Hill contribute to Portland’s appeal as a desirable place to live and visit. Portland’s Plan 2030 supports the stewardship of Portland’s historic, cultural, and architectural assets as integral to the City’s planning strategy and was widely supported in public feedback received during the plan’s creation. Design review for alterations and new construction within our historic neighborhoods ensures we will maintain the character that helps support our city’s economic vitality.
4. The preservation or reuse of historic buildings helps to fulfill the City’s comprehensive plan goals to adopt sustainable building and land use policies. Nationwide research studies have found that the re-use or rehabilitation of existing buildings offer significant environmental benefits over new construction. “The greenest building is the one that is already built.” Carl Elefante, FAIA
5. The historic district will preserve properties associated with underrepresented communities in Portland. The sites and neighborhoods that represent the cultural and social history of Portland’s minority communities deserve preservation. The proposed boundaries of the Munjoy Hill Local Historic District encompass properties that represent the social and cultural history of several underrepresented communities. Portland’s immigrant story has been preserved in part through the recent designations of House Island and India Street. But few properties associated with the city’s African American history have been protected, with the exception of the Abyssinian Meeting House and the Green Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church on Munjoy Hill. Some of Munjoy Hill earliest residents were African Americans connected to Portland’s maritime history. The neighborhood was later home to residents that came to Portland from the West Indies, Azores, and Cape Verde. Their homes, mostly centered around the northern end of Lafayette and Quebec Streets, deserve to be protected.
6. The public record indicates significant support in the neighborhood for the proposed district. Over 170 property owners, residents, and supporters have spoken out or written to the city in favor of the proposed district. Please see the attached list that summarizes the level of support for the historic district.
Summary List of Public Comment
Planning Staff memo on the proposed district
City Staff analysis of historic district to city’s comprehensive plan
