Portland Enters the "Productive Zone" with Paulson

Just before City Council voted 3-2 today to let Merritt Paulson begin some construction work at PGE Park, city commissioners considered a separate ordinance related to the publicly owned stadium: the thrice-delayed zoning code change to allow limited office space at PGE Park. (They'll vote next week on that proposal.)

Both agreements gave Commissioners Nick Fish and Amanda Fritz, who voted against the construction resolution, opportunities to ask questions about the city's tentative deal with Paulson, which was supposed to have been firmed up in October.

Here are a couple of the questions that came up during Wednesday morning's council session, along with the answers from Mayor Sam Adams:

Why did the council hear a proposal to change the city's "open space" zoning code affecting PGE Park before ensuring there's a new "good neighborhood agreement" in place between Paulson's company and the Goose Hollow Foothills League Neighborhood Association?

Because the city is close to getting a good neighbor agreement.

The city's oral agreement with Paulson calls for building spaces for a medical clinic and a team store at PGE Park. If those businesses were to close, would the city have control over who took their places?

Yes.

Will there be a requirement that the medical clinic accept patients with Medicare, Medicaid and the Oregon Health Plan?

Yes.

Mayor Sam Adams characterized the current state of negotiations with Paulson as being in the "productive zone." "We are in the zone to reach an agreement," he said later. "It's time to get an agreement or move on."