HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-29-19 Public Comment - J. Pannell - HRDC Warming Center SiteFrom:Janet Pannell
To:Agenda; Sarah Rosenberg
Subject:3025 Westridge Drive
Date:Tuesday, October 29, 2019 11:39:44 AM
October 29, 2019
Dear Mayor Andrus, City Commissioners and Mr. Matsen,
I respectfully request you deny the special use permit for 3025 Westridge Drive. Please be assured
that this is not a case of “not in my backyard” although the property is close to my home. A warming
shelter is clearly a necessary function in a Bozeman. The location of this proposed shelter is the
problem.
Three issues make this a poor choice:
1) Safety of Children: Bringing in people with statistically higher rates of criminal behavior
and mental illness puts young students in danger. 3025 Westridge Drive is on an
intersection heavily trafficked by children aged 5-14 walking to school. Although the shelter
will operate at hours outside of school, the homeless population will still be in the area as
they come and go. Parent’s natural response will be to drive their children to school. This
creates secondary problems of increased traffic, increased pollution, and decreased outdoor
exercise for the children.
2) Proximity to Services and Transportation: 3025 Westridge Drive is quite far from public
transportation. Requiring people to walk over a mile in the bitter cold is not a good solution.
It is also a long distance from other services that the homeless population relies on for
survival. I understand that HRDC can provide some transportation, but that doesn’t prevent
people from needing to walk if they “miss the bus.”
3) Safety of Neighboring Homes: Neighboring homes are currently not equipped with the
type of security necessary to handle a population with increased criminal rates, nor
should they need to be. When homeowners purchased their properties, they were investing
in a single-family housing neighborhood with one children’s group home. This is a far cry
from a warming shelter for 36 people.
Although the recent cold snap serves to make the need urgent, please consider the long-term
implications before allowing this special use permit. There are much, much better locations in town
for the needed warming shelter. This is not a wise choice.
Thank you for your thoughtful consideration and attention in reading my letter.
Sincerely,
Janet Pannell
3041 Ritter Drive
Bozeman, MT