Public commenter urges fast resolution of Powell Park lease so Cleveland High can get turf on schedule

Megan Steffick, representing the Turf Pal Park Advocacy Group, told the Portland SD 1J Facilities Improvement & Oversight Committee that a land-use lease between the district and Portland Parks and Recreation has been in legal redline review for 13 months and warned that further delay could push the planned turf opening for Cleveland High School from spring 2028 to 2029. "Please keep the project moving forward," Steffick said during public comment, urging board members and staff to resolve outstanding lease issues.

The comment came after district staff confirmed the parties are in active negotiation. Liz Large, a member of the district legal team, told the committee that most of the remaining items are technical legal issues and that Parks has routed the agreement to the city attorney’s office for resolution. "It's lawyer-to-lawyer to resolve the last remaining issues," Large said, adding that a handful of substantive deal terms remain but that staff are "cautiously optimistic" the parties are close.

District staff said they are coordinating closely with Portland Parks and Recreation and that Parks’ incoming director, who starts in mid-July, has indicated the project is a priority. Sarah Norman, executive director at Rise/Presidio (a consulting partner on district facilities work), told the committee the district has designers and attorneys ready to begin pre-application land-use work once the lease is signed and that staff will "make every effort" to expedite permitting and construction, but declined to guarantee turf availability for the next season.

Steffick framed her appeal as an equity issue for Cleveland High School student-athletes, citing recent playoff achievements and noting that current facilities (including Woodstock Park and the existing Powell Park configuration) do not meet OSAA crowd-control and security requirements that would allow Cleveland to host playoff games. She asked the district to remove "any sticking points in the lease" so the land-use review process can start on schedule.

Board members thanked Steffick for advocacy and expressed appreciation for community engagement; one board member said they hoped the group’s repeated comments had helped move negotiations forward. Staff emphasized they would return to the committee with updates once scope-to-budget and lease milestones are complete.

Next steps: staff said they will continue lawyer-to-lawyer negotiations with Parks, pursue the city attorney’s review, and begin pre-application for land use once the lease is executed. No formal motion or vote was taken at this meeting.