Munjoy Hill Historic District

important Update:

The Portland City Council approved the new Historic District on April 12th!

Upon reconsideration, the Portland City Council approved the proposed Munjoy Hill Historic District, voting 5-4 (Snyder, Ray, Thibodeau, Zarro, and Dion voted in the affirmative). Thank you to everyone who wrote and spoke in favor of the district, and thank you to everyone who participated in this three-year process. We hope that you will join one of our walking tours of the new historic district when tours begin again!

Read Greater Portland Landmarks’ public comments for the February 1st meeting.

The Munjoy Hill Historic District will:

  • conserve a unique, authentic, and walkable neighborhood.

  • stabilize rising housing costs for working residents and long-time Munjoy Hill families.

  • promote sustainability through a reduction in the manufacture and transportation of new building materials - and reduce building construction materials in our waste stream.

  • offer residents a voice in how new development will enhance their neighborhood.

  • preserve the homes that tell the story of the working-class and immigrant families that helped to fuel Portland’s maritime and industrial economy in the second half of the 19th century and the early 20th century.

The Issue

In December of 2017 the Portland City Council voted to approve a six-month moratorium on demolitions in the R-6 district on Munjoy Hill.  The impetus for adoption was concern from some Munjoy Hill residents that the current residential development interest was resulting in an undue number of demolitions to existing structures and infill development that was sometimes out of scale and character with existing neighborhood fabric. In June 2018 the City Council approved an overlay district that includes changes to the dimensional standards, design review by the Historic Preservation Board for projects choosing to meet the alternative design standards, and demolition review standards for existing residences. The Council also urged the city to look at potential historic district protections for some areas on Munjoy Hill.

Nov 20 2019 map.jpg

Consultants and city staff compiled documentation on more than 400 buildings that could be included in a local historic district. In late April 2019, the city presented a preliminary proposal on potential boundaries. Since then, the Historic Preservation Board has held several workshops, site visits, and public informational meetings to answer questions about a potential historic district designation.

On November 20th the Historic Preservation Board held a public hearing on the proposed Munjoy Hill Historic District. They recommended a district be designated, how big the district should be, and what buildings within the boundaries would be contributing to the district. They also recommended the designation of several individual buildings that fall outside the boundaries as local landmarks.

The Process So Far

On 11/20/2019 the Historic Preservation Board voted unanimously to recommend to the Planning Board that a Munjoy Hill Historic District be designated and to recommend tot he City Council that the district and six individual landmarks be considered for designation. Delayed by the pandemic, on 8/11/2020 the Planning Board voted 4-3 in favor of recommending the Munjoy Hill Local Historic District to the Portland City Council. Thank you to the many people who wrote in favor of the district! The city received comments from nearly 325 people since the district was nominated in July 2019. Over 80% of the comments have been in support of the district.

  • City Councilors directed city staff to pursue a historic district on Munjoy Hill in June 2018 when they approved a new conservation overlay district within the R-6 zone on the hill.

  • A historic district will help manage changes to buildings within the neighborhood as they are rehabilitated to meet 21st century needs.

  • City Tax Assessor, Chris Huff, has confirmed that historic designation is not a factor included in property valuation, and that a historic district has no impact on property taxes.

District.jpg

Landmarks’ mission to preserve Greater Portland’s remarkable legacy of buildings, landscapes, and parks is achieved in part by identifying valuable historic resources that tell the story of our community. The historic dwellings that line the Eastern Prom are integral to the setting of the Eastern Promenade, which is a Historic Landscape District. In addition to these properties our own research has determined that two-thirds, or 500 of the approximately 750 buildings in the R-6 zone on Munjoy Hill retain their historic architectural integrity. These historic resources help define the streetscapes that make this neighborhood of Portland a desirable place to live, work, and recreate.

Historic District Designations Landmarks supports designation of a Munjoy Hill Local Historic District with boundaries focused on the Eastern Promenade and North Street. These resources tell the story of the Munjoy Hill neighborhood’s development over a broad period of time and retain significant levels of architectural integrity. Munjoy Hill's historic buildings are significant features of the neighborhood's streetscapes and help make the area a desirable and attractive place to live, work and play. We believe it is necessary to preserve the character defining buildings that reflect the neighborhood's development over a broad period of time and the role these buildings' residents played in the social and cultural history of the neighborhood, before more of the Hill's historic identity is lost.

Historic preservation is a key part of the City’s 2017 Comprehensive Plan, as is affordable housing and sustainable development. In many cases these historic buildings include existing affordable housing units. Retaining these units rather than replacing them with costly new condominiums is an important means to meeting affordable housing needs on Munjoy Hill. Also, the preservation or reuse of these buildings and their embodied energy helps to fulfill City Comprehensive Plan goals to adopt sustainable building and land use polices.

  • Historic preservation and affordable housing are compatible: more than 400* new housing units were approved or built in Portland’s historic buildings and districts in the last 5 years, and nearly 75% of those units are affordable housing units for low-income residents and seniors. *total amount as of November 2019.

  • The preservation or reuse of historic buildings helps to fulfill City Comprehensive Plan goals to adopt sustainable building and land use polices. "The greenest building is... one that is already built." Carl Elefante, FAIA

Press

Quick Links

 A special thank you to the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization for inviting us to their quarterly  neighborhood meeting on March 22nd  to talk about the history of the neighborhood and answer questions about what historic districts are in Portland. Miss the Presentation? You can see the slideshow here. 

What You can do

  • Join our mailing list to stay informed about our advocacy efforts, educational programs, and upcoming events.

  • Support Landmarks' advocacy efforts by making a donation or becoming a member today