Landlord, mayor don’t see eye to eye on proposed Rockwood methadone clinic

New methadone clinic in Rockwood? Maybe. (katu.com)

"Allowing this type of business" says Gresham mayor, "would be a step in the wrong direction."

Source: katu.com (Jan. 7, 2010)

A Gresham landlord wants to fill a vacancy with a methadone clinic, but the mayor said Wednesday the area has enough clinics already.

The site is in Gresham’s Rockwood area at 192nd and East Burnside and has been vacant for more than a year. Owner Jack Medak said he just wants a business that will help pay the bills.

"I have to look closely at any tenant that applies," said Medak. "And if they’re legal and seem like they have a business plan, my first inclination is to go with them unless somebody convinces me otherwise."

With five clinics in or near Gresham, Mayor Shane Bemis said they can become collecting points for crime.

"We’ve had a high-call demand, call for service out of our police department to the current methadone clinic at 162nd and Burnside," Bemis said. "What we’re trying to make sure is that we don’t over-saturate an area with that sort of use."

Bemis did say that a good-neighbor agreement has cut down on problems, but it’s been a struggle. He said he doesn’t want to go through that with another clinic again.

Medak leases a building in Tigard to a methadone clinic and said he hasn’t had any problems there.

Dina Dinucci, who owns Park Place Coffee and chairs Gresham’s Rockwood Business Coalition agrees with the mayor.

"We’ve gotten a lot of social services into the area, which are very important, but an overabundance of certain kinds of services keeps us from getting more well-rounded economic climate out here," she said.

Medak doesn’t need the mayor or the City Council to approve the deal. He only needs to go through the usual city business licensing process, but Bemis and Medak plan to meet next week with hopes of working out something that’s workable for both sides.