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HomeMy WebLinkAboutUNITED WAY HOUSING SERVICES DAY CENTER - PDP - 30-06 - MINUTES/NOTES - CORRESPONDENCE-NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING (4)1� oo Uu is I '� �i ?aao 4vctN M,_ cz gN()E w.vl� �� G 2 C4 28a-7SA2 424 ZL1 i A . EROSION. G' 411�� Owl I�11011111111 11140130 7 low, _ •_ , G7/U./4, �/ III iI ��=,� , i / �1 jpi r smi gii wwowt `�. A -, FAYMEMAPPAI mililloilli IPN/_ � ,Y I • • Sounds like undefined programs, undefined support, don't know what they are doing now. • Concerned about waste management and litter from the homeless wandering the streets. • Pastor from Saint Johns Lutheran Church stated that there is no perfect place for this. Being close to the Salvation Army there was no positive or negative impact on that neighborhood. This isn't a south or north problem, it's a Fort Collins problem and there needs to be a collaborative effort in working to assist the homeless get off the streets. • How do we get a guarantee on increased patrols? • How does the City Council process work? • Elected City Councilman stated he was glad people came to express their feelings on the project and the coalition was really here to listen to the concerns. Under City plan land uses this is an authorized use in the industrialized zone. Neighbors were invited to voice their concerns in front of City Council on the first and third Tuesdays of the month with the exception of August 2°d when there wouldn't be a meeting held. Based on the zoning ordinance and seeing previous appeals, an appeal is not likely to pass. • Steve Olt, City Planner, stated that the purpose of this meeting is for the applicant to hear the neighbors concerns before submitting a proposal and to inform the public of the project prior to the public hearing. Appeals for zoning must relate to zoning violations, not that the neighbors don't want the Center there. • Neil McCaffrey, North Fort Collins Business Association, stated that his group proposed to the coalition instead of building a facility that resources be put in to a job program for local businesses to hire the homeless. • Questions and comments resumed, • What happens to them at night? • Some neighbors expressed they didn't understand the purpose of the meeting if there weren't any answers to their questions. • A pastor from a church in south Fort Collins stated that street people is a City issue and that the solution is not dumping people in north Fort Collins, but the Housing Services Center is a place people can use to get back on their feet. The north and south of the City should work together. • Who will run the facility? Will it be run by volunteers? • Resident stated her fears of losing the small community feeling. • At 7:55 PM Megara Kastner, facilitator, reminded the group that the meeting was about to end and in closing summarized the purpose of the meeting and some of the main points expressed by the Housing Services Day Center presentation. The proposal has not yet been submitted to the City. The City will review the plans once it is submitted and a public hearing will be held with the Planning and Zoning Department and neighbors will be notified by mail. City Council meetings and times can be found at www.fc og v.com and more information can be obtained by contacting United Way of Larimer County at 970/484-7028. VII. The meeting was adjourned at 8 PM. the school district. Ed described the services the Center will offer including counseling, job and housing assistance, access to a phone and address for potential employers to contact individuals, daytime respite, and safe areas for families with children. The facility will be a place homeless and near homeless local residents can be respected and get connected to the services they need to overcome homelessness and become or remain contributing members of the community. It is not a shelter, hang out, or soup kitchen, but a social services building that required clients to work on a plan for self- sufficiency with a case manager or not access the facility. VI. The facilitator, Megara Kastner, opened up the floor to audience members for comments asking they keep them as short as possible to allow all to speak, and that no stories or previously expressed concerns be voiced. The following vies were expressed by audience members: • We're not looking for ways to make this successful. We don't want this built. • It's the principle. A group like this can't buy a piece of land and build whatever they want. The community and businesses don't want this. • The answers to the questions (from the previous meeting in January that were mailed to those requesting information) didn't answer our questions the way they were asked. • Security. Where will people sleep? • If some (homeless clients) have transportation, why not have this on the South side of town closer to Loveland? • What is the facility? Ed Bigler responded that this is not low-income housing or an overnight shelter. It's a daytime facility to access social services. • Why did the Salvation Army bail out? Ed Bigler responds that the decision was made from the Salvation Army's regional headquarters (in California) that they would maintain their own facility. The Captain of the Salvation Army stated they were committed in contributing to this project and collaborating to share resources. The Salvation Army will continue to offer basic needs of food and shelter, mostly to those chronically homeless or "street people." The Day Center will serve families and children while the more chronically homeless will likely be transported by the Salvation Army to the south facility. • I'm concerned about the security and my children. Can you guarantee my children will be safe? I'm afraid this will be a hang out spot. • You mentioned substance abuse and mental health counseling. What happens when the place closes? • How many homeless are in Larimer County? • For the City employees. Who is trying from the City to make this project successful? • Studies should be done on the economic impact. The group should be commended for the building design. Still afraid it will depreciate property values. • If problems arise insecurity will the group shutdown the project? • Concerned for my family. Housing Services Day Center Neighborhood Meeting Grace Fellowship 1201 North College Avenue Fort Collins, CO 80524 6:30 PM — 8 PM JKLLA ZD, 2DOeD I. The neighborhood meeting began at 6:30 PM with the facilitator, Megara Kastner, describing the format for the meeting and introducing the presenter from the Housing Services Day Center Board of Directors, Pastor Ed Bigler. II. Ed Bigler described the purpose of the second neighborhood meeting. The first being held in January 2005 at Tavelli Elementary. The purpose of the second meeting was to communicate with the neighbors the changes that have occurred in the project over the past six months and to inform the local neighbors of the intent to submit the proposal to the City of Fort Collins for approval, and also to give residents the opportunity to voice any new concerns related to the changes I the project. Ed introduced the City Planner, Steve Olt from the City of Fort Collins. III. Steve Olt described the process the City goes through in reviewing new proposals for building. Steve Olt explained the land use codes and that a day center is a permitted use for this area based on the zoning codes. Steve Olt stated he could not comment specifically on the project since a proposal has not even been submitted yet, but that once it was submitted it would go through an extensive review process by City of Fort Collins staff. The costs for the review will be covered by fees charged to the applicant. The public has the opportunity to file an appeal within fourteen days of a public hearing. The notice for the public hearing will be mailed to the same residents who got notification of tonight's neighborhood meeting. The list is updated every six months. The Housing Services Day Center Board has gone beyond the mandated affected area for notifying residents of this and the public hearing. Appeals can not be based on land use since this project is already defined as an acceptable use. The Fort Collins legal department will determine if appeals are accurate and based on technical design of the building or operation. Concerned residents can also voice their opinions at City Council's first and third Tuesday of the month from 6 PM — 6:30 PM at City Council meetings. IV. Steve Steinbecker, Architecture West, and engineer for the Day Center project described changes that have occurred in the building plans since the last neighborhood meeting. The proposed building will only be 10,000 square feet rather than 18,000. It will also be only one story. The coalition still plans on using the Green Build techniques to make the building energy efficient and environmentally friendly. Two lots were purchased on Blue Spruce and Conifer. The building will only be built on one of the lots and the Salvation Army will no longer be a part so there will not be any church services or functions taking place in the facility. V. Ed Bigler presented a Power Point presentation on the Center including who will be served and the number of homeless individuals in Fort Collins and in