Reading between the lines, or just plain reading them as written, it wasn’t hard to see Commissioner Amanda Fritz’s plain frustration at Mayor Charlie Hales’ request she pull back tomorrow’s planned vote on a city letter okaying Right 2 Dream Too’s move to a city lot in the Pearl.
“Although no viable sites have been suggested by the opponents since the hearing,” she wrote, a bit acidly “the Mayor has asked for further delay.”
But in an interview this afternoon, Fritz was far more blunt about her feelings—getting into specifics about the state of negotiations between R2DToo leaders and a group of Pearl interests led by Homer Williams and Dike Dame.
“They haven’t put anything reasonable on the table in two weeks,” she told me. “That’s frustrating.”
Fritz helpfully went into some detail when pressed for specifics about what an “unreasonable” location offer might look like.
She said some of the offered sites were buildings in industrial areas—where, she says, the city’s zoning code doesn’t allow shelters. She also mentioned an outdoor spot far from downtown and its cluster of social services providers—another deal-breaker for Right 2 Dream Too—and a building that’s already been rented.
“We’re not going to do anything that isn’t in compliance with the zoning code,” Fritz says—a notable stance, given that opponents of her preferred site, the lot beneath the Broadway Bridge’s Lovejoy ramp, have accused Fritz and the Bureau of Development Services of taking shortcuts in interpreting the zoning code they say doesn’t allow for camping.
That sounds like less than ringing endorsement of the Hales’ plan to let people talk things out. The Oregonian today has reported Hales saying it’s “50-50” on whether the city will still push ahead with the Lovejoy site, but declining to give any specifics on the state of negotiations.
His spokeswoman, however, was far more bullish when we spoke this afternoon.
“All the sides are working very well together,” KC Cowan told me. “We were astounded at how much they’d accomplished in less than a week. It was amazing.”
Cowan also revealed a detail even Fritz had to admit was at least “encouraging.”
Here’s an idea: how about the Right2DreamToo folks moving to Dignity Village, which was established just for that purpose and is right on a Max line, instead of pretending that no other viable site outside the Pearl exists?
Dignity Village is a deal breaker, as it’s away from all the social services and people to bum change off of, but Portland State University is located downtown, “The City is Your Campus!” PSU has lots of empty buildings at night, fully heated at 74 degrees, 24/7! That’s not even considering all the covered parking space where tents could be erected at night, taken down during the day and stored on site. There’s plenty of restrooms, and showers, too! Furthermore, PSU indoctrinates students to be socially conscious, so naturally the homeless are always welcome at PSU!
Actually, I heard that Occupy Portland State University, led by assistant professor Tom Hastings, is planning a big Marijuana smoke out / sit-in on campus this weekend. Maybe the Occupy Portland homeless could move up there to lend support in solidarity to the Conflict Resolution department protest?
Yes, well where would the homeless get the money to buy Marijuana? Is Tom Hastings going to supply weed to everyone for free, or will he be requiring students to smoke grass and be charging them for it like he does with his books?
O’bama Care ought to pay for medical Marijuana. As long as government is shut down, there’s not enough staff to deny such claims, at any rate. Weed’s practically legal already, so Hastings as usual, isn’t really taking too big a risk with his protest. Besides, Francesconi can just make it Oregon State System of Higher Education Policy and then it’s legal anywhere you see a PSU flag posted. Marijuana could be available up at the OHSU pharmacy.
The OHSU Pharmacy is where to purchase tickets for the Tram. You could get loaded and ride up and down on the Tram, all day.
Ooo0O0ooowww what fun!
Beats the hell out MAX. If the homeless have money to ride the train downtown from Dignity Village, then they ought to be able to afford to ride the damn, Tram.
Nothin’ much going on around here.
Just watchin’ the crazy folk have arguments with the voices in their heads….
Unelected Mayor Homer Williams has nixed the move, and developers run this town. Homer says “jump” and the city council asks “how high?’
Nick Fish- hurry up and polish Homer’s shoes- he’s got a meeting in ten minutes. Look busy with that broom
Salzman- Homer likes his poolside patio leaf- free.
Yeah, Rev. I’m sure Homer has absolutely no valid points whatsoever, or any binding contracts or investments that he might want to protect. He should just roll over and accept it, right?
Fritz is ridiculous. She’s whining that it’s taking someone else too long to fix the mess she created. Here’s the deal. Her zoning letter makes it legal for R2D2 to stay right where they are at. Guess what? The PDC wants to buy the site they are at. So, when the City (PDC) wants to protect property interests, they’re happy to move the problem somewhere else. But when people somewhere else object, they’re just crass capitalists who don’t care about the homeless.
The hypocrisy coming from Fritz is stunning.
This is an insane way to handle our homeless problem. The next camp will spring up within a year or two, and with this “zoning letter,” it will be totally legal.
Fucking bleeding-heart morons can’t look one inch beyond tomorrow. Never heard the term “unintended consequence.”
Fritz isnt’ the housing commissioner anyway. What is she doing?
So then the homeless actually do have money to ride the MAX from Dignity Village? Are they then not indigently reduced to having to stow away on board the train to ride to get downtown? Or is that the disingenuous point; to strand them out there in no man’s land, on the pretext that, “Oh, it’s conveniently located on the MAX line”?
Perhaps the most expedient thing would be to entice the homeless to move out to Dignity Village, by providing them with monthly bus passes?