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Supporters urge reauthorization of historic-property special assessment limited to commercial buildings
Summary
House Bill 3190 would reactivate Oregon’s historic property special assessment program with changes that limit eligibility to commercial properties and permit consecutive 10-year assessment terms under defined conditions; preservation and cultural groups testified in support.
The House Committee on Revenue heard public testimony on House Bill 3190, which would restore and refine Oregon’s special assessment program for historic properties. Bill proponents said the program helps preserve and reuse existing commercial buildings, supports downtown revitalization and can enable new housing on underutilized upper floors.
Nicole Posert, executive director of Restore Oregon, told the committee she and her organization “enthusiastically support HB 3190 to bring back special assessment for commercial properties,” saying the tool supports rehabilitation that can create housing and sustain commercial corridors. Ryan Fisher of the Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon said reestablishing the program “will strengthen the cultural ecosystem in Oregon” and help leverage other revitalization programs. Charles Weathers, a Salem developer, told lawmakers the tax treatment provided by the earlier program “give[s] investors like me the confidence to take on a risk of redevelopment,” and he said his projects would not have been feasible without the prior program.
A Department of State Historic Preservation official in audience testimony explained the program’s origins: the assessment program dates to the 1970s and originally was designed to prevent demolition of downtown commercial buildings. Witnesses and committee discussion noted the program historically included residential properties but that recent tax changes and the program’s mechanics have made it less effective for many residential owners.
HB 3190 would reauthorize the program with several changes: limit the program to commercial properties, permit reapplication for another initial 10-year term 10 years after completion of a prior term, and prevent cities or counties from prohibiting a consecutive second 10-year term by local resolution or ordinance; the bill also sets sunset dates for the program’s reauthorized provisions. Supporters told the committee the incentive would help bring older commercial buildings back into productive use and create housing opportunities on upper floors.
No committee vote was recorded during the hearing. The committee closed the public hearing after scheduled witnesses provided testimony and no committee members posed additional substantive questions.
