Churches United Shelter Letter3
Fact: All neighborhoods should share/absorb the responsibility for ?“hosting?” facilities
Fact: Site selection process should insure equitable distribution of facilities
Fact: This is an issue of concentration of services in least desirable areas of central city
Question: Zoning issues - is shelter meant for residential or mixed-use neighborhoods?
Question: What is the highest and best use of vacant and or undeveloped and underdeveloped city property
Question: Who resides in shelters ?– what is screening process ?– how are residents monitored ?– what services are provided to support them and address their issues
Conclusion: Site selection process should protect neighborhoods from erosion and also mitigate controversy among neighbors (my problem ?– your problems ?– our problems - with concentrations there will be a placing of blame for issues-problems that arise)
We are empathetic and certainly support the efforts of Churches United Shelter to expand its services and to reconstruct a new facility; however, we question the fact as to why were they not allowed to do so in the area they are currently located?
Additional concerns include:
The over-concentration of residential programs that provide services to the homeless, poor, and working poor has the potential to create problems that impact on the respective mission, activities and image of all of the agencies involved
The 17-acre Oakridge site serves as home to over 1,000 residents and is the largest residential block in downtown Des Moines. The number of children residing at Homes of Oakridge is over 600. Homes of Oakridge also has an early childhood program in its facility, Edmonds School is in close proximity and Willkie House also serves a large number of youth, not to mention the number of youth residing in the Cheatom Park and surrounding neighborhoods.
That delicate balance that has currently been achieved could be easily disrupted when you further complicate the matter with individuals who
Need to find a place to ?“land?” during the day when hey are not allowed to be in the shelter ?– the close proximity to Oakridge would make this a likely place for that to take place
Creation of a ghetto in the core city
School times ?– early morning ?– late day
Increased public safety problems in an area where response times are extremely low and our neighborhood representative only works Monday ?– Friday from 8:00 ?– 4:00 p.m. It takes the police a long period of time to respond when called. We anticipate a significant increase in the all areas of public safety for our residents.
Drug traffic
ETC
We proposed to meet with you to continue to outline our concerns and hopefully ask you and the planning committee to thoroughly explain why Churches United Shelter was not able to rebuild in its?’ current location. Who made that decision and why was that decision made? In addition, we also would like to expand options for a location for this shelter that would not add additional burden on an already distressed community.
Your prompt attention to this matter is greatly appreciated. We hope we can meet on Wednesday, August 16, 2006 at 7:00 p.m. at United Way Conference Center.
Sincerely,
Don Curry,
Vice President
Cheatom Park Neighborhood Association
By Don Corry, Assoc Vice President
Fact: All neighborhoods should share/absorb the responsibility for ?“hosting?” facilities
Fact: Site selection process should insure equitable distribution of facilities
Fact: This is an issue of concentration of services in least desirable areas of central city
Question: Zoning issues - is shelter meant for residential or mixed-use neighborhoods?
Question: What is the highest and best use of vacant and or undeveloped and underdeveloped city property
Question: Who resides in shelters ?– what is screening process ?– how are residents monitored ?– what services are provided to support them and address their issues
Conclusion: Site selection process should protect neighborhoods from erosion and also mitigate controversy among neighbors (my problem ?– your problems ?– our problems - with concentrations there will be a placing of blame for issues-problems that arise)
We are empathetic and certainly support the efforts of Churches United Shelter to expand its services and to reconstruct a new facility; however, we question the fact as to why were they not allowed to do so in the area they are currently located?
Additional concerns include:
The over-concentration of residential programs that provide services to the homeless, poor, and working poor has the potential to create problems that impact on the respective mission, activities and image of all of the agencies involved
The 17-acre Oakridge site serves as home to over 1,000 residents and is the largest residential block in downtown Des Moines. The number of children residing at Homes of Oakridge is over 600. Homes of Oakridge also has an early childhood program in its facility, Edmonds School is in close proximity and Willkie House also serves a large number of youth, not to mention the number of youth residing in the Cheatom Park and surrounding neighborhoods.
That delicate balance that has currently been achieved could be easily disrupted when you further complicate the matter with individuals who
Need to find a place to ?“land?” during the day when hey are not allowed to be in the shelter ?– the close proximity to Oakridge would make this a likely place for that to take place
Creation of a ghetto in the core city
School times ?– early morning ?– late day
Increased public safety problems in an area where response times are extremely low and our neighborhood representative only works Monday ?– Friday from 8:00 ?– 4:00 p.m. It takes the police a long period of time to respond when called. We anticipate a significant increase in the all areas of public safety for our residents.
Drug traffic
ETC
We proposed to meet with you to continue to outline our concerns and hopefully ask you and the planning committee to thoroughly explain why Churches United Shelter was not able to rebuild in its?’ current location. Who made that decision and why was that decision made? In addition, we also would like to expand options for a location for this shelter that would not add additional burden on an already distressed community.
Your prompt attention to this matter is greatly appreciated. We hope we can meet on Wednesday, August 16, 2006 at 7:00 p.m. at United Way Conference Center.
Sincerely,
Don Curry,
Vice President
Cheatom Park Neighborhood Association
By Don Corry, Assoc Vice President
