A group of business leaders is fighting Portland's plan to move a downtown homeless camp to the Central Eastside industrial district.

The group told state officials March 10 that it will appeal the Portland City Council's recent decision to move the Right 2 Dream Too homeless camp.

Despite the challenge, city official remain undeterred. Commissioner Amanda Fritz, a proponent of the move, said Monday that she is confident the state will side with Portland.

Members of the Central Eastside Industrial Council weren't immediately available for comment Monday.

The Central Eastside Industrial Council plans to challenge the move by diving into complex technicalities of Portland's zoning code for what's allowable as a "community service."

In February, land-use attorney Christe White, who is representing the business group, told the City Council that officials made a "fatal flaw" in their rationale.

White said city code "expressly prohibits" residential community services in industrial areas.

"So the simple question is this: are the tent campers using the site for residential purposes? I think they are. The use would therefore be prohibited," she warned the City Council on Feb. 18.

The City Council approved the move a week later.

City officials received notice last week that White filed a challenge with the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals. If the case moves forward on schedule, the board would issue its decision by late June.

Right 2 Dream Too opened in 2011 at Northwest Fourth Avenue and Burnside Street. City officials have been looking for a new location since 2013.

They now hope to move the homeless camp to city-owned property at Southeast Third Avenue and Harrison Street by October. Right 2 Dream Too would be authorized to use the land for 10 years.

-- Brad Schmidt

503-294-7628

@cityhallwatch