The City of Portland may not divest itself of title it has or may acquire in and to water front, wharf property, land under water and made land built upon same, or any lands on the water side of the high water or meander lines of navigable waters as established by the original United States surveys and conformed to by the original plats of the City of Portland, or any landing, wharf, dock, highway, bridge, avenue, street, alley, lane, park or any other public place, or like property that it may now own or hereafter may acquire, except as set forth in this Charter or as provided by statute.
The City may vacate street area if such vacation would not interfere with reasonable access to the water front or any transportation terminal. Favorable vote of at least four-fifths of all members of the Council shall be required for any ordinance of vacation. The Council may impose such conditions upon the street vacation as it deems appropriate in the public interest. This Section shall not be deemed to prevent replatting of subdivisions wherever situated, nor relocation of streets.
A street shall be held to fulfill its function as a street by being used in any way for the purpose of travel, transportation or distribution by or for the public; and where a street abuts or terminates against a waterway or connects with a railroad terminal it may be occupied by any structure or machinery facilitating or necessary to travel, transportation or distribution, or facilities for the protection of persons or property, which does not prevent access of the public to uses provided; and this clause shall include and apply to all structures necessary in the improvement of the public docks.
Wharves, docks, port and harbor facilities and other City-owned property or structures may be rented, leased or pledged, provided that the present or future right of the public to use thereof is preserved or will be promoted.
No dedication by the City of any park, playground or public place shall be terminated unless the Council finds that such dedicated area is no longer needed for the dedication purpose, or that another public use has a greater need for such property, or that another location would further the public use. When such dedication is terminated, the property may be leased, sold or exchanged.
The Council may rent or lease area below or above parks, public places, streets, viaducts, tunnels and other facilities, where the public use is preserved.
The City may sell, dispose of or exchange any buildings, structures or property, real or personal, which it owns or may acquire not needed for public use, by negotiation, bid, auction or any other method the Council finds appropriate. Favorable vote of at least four-fifths of all members of the Council shall be necessary for any ordinance authorizing such sale, disposal or exchange. The City may sell property on contract for such term as the Council finds appropriate, notwithstanding any term limit elsewhere prescribed in the Charter. In cases where property to be exchanged is held by the City upon any trust (including property held as security for bond issues) the property received in exchange shall be similarly held and any net income therefrom shall be applied to such trust.
The City may rent or lease property which will not be needed for public use during the term of the rental or lease for any term permitted by statute. [Ch. 1903, part of sec. 93; am. June 5, 1911, part of sec. 93; am. Nov. 2, 1912, part of sec. 93; am. May 3, 1913, part of sec. 66; rev. 1914, sec. 7; am. June 7, 1921; 1928 pub., sec. 7; 1942 recod., sec. 1-107; new sec. Nov. 2, 1948; rev. May 18, 1962.]