HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-04-19 Public Comment - H. and J. Hancock - HRDC Warming Center SiteFrom:Hailey and Joey
To:Sarah Rosenberg; Agenda
Subject:Public concern regarding proposed HRDC Homeless Shelter at 3025 Westridge Drive
Date:Monday, November 04, 2019 12:00:45 PM
To Whom It May Concern,
We are homeowners in the Alder Creek subdivision that neighbors Westridge Drive, and we
are concerned about the location of the proposed HRDC Homeless Shelter at 3025 WestridgeDrive. We are also parents and teachers in the community. We both worked at Sacajawea MS
when the proposed location was a group home for youth, and we agree that 3025 WestridgeDrive is an appropriate location for that purpose because of its close proximity to the schools.
It was easy for students living at the group home to stay after school for tutoring or to attendschool events, and they could safely walk home using the sidewalks. Hopefully in the future,
with renewed funding, the home could be used for that purpose again.
We are concerned about 3025 Westridge Drive being used as a shelter that will be housingadults because as we know, all adults come with even more of a story. It is concerning that at
the other HRDC shelter there were calls for disorderly conduct, assaults, warrants, trespassingcomplaints, etc. - this is likely to happen at the new proposed shelter that is less than 300 feet
from Morningstar Elementary School. As parents of a child who will attend Morningstar, wewant to know what the cities plan is if one of these incidents includes a weapon, or occurs
when students are walking to/from school. Will the schools have to go into "lock down mode"every time this happens? That disrupts students education, and is also traumatic - speaking as
people who have had to endure lockdowns in school situations. We are also concerned thatbecause this proposed location is a "low barrier entry home" there will be no background
checks. How will the city ensure the safety of the students and families?
Finally, we are concerned for the residents living at the HRDC Shelter since publictransportation is almost a mile away, on a relatively busy road that does not have sidewalks
the whole way. Montana's climate is not conducive to walking that far. What if some of theresidents of the shelter have kids themselves or are pregnant? Are we going to ask them to
walk over a mile, in freezing temperatures, with their babies or young children? This may notbe safe for them depending on the time of day or the time of year - we have already had below
0 temperatures in October! While we recognize funding is always an issue, we wouldrecommend a location such as the old Heeb's Grocery store on 544 East Main Street for the
new HRDC shelter. While we are unsure about the zoning or leasing details, it would be abetter location because of its proximity to public transportation and the public library. It seems
like the space has been vacant for at least 6 months - perhaps the community could support thecity in acquiring and/or renovating that property?
We agree with our fellow neighbors that write "this issue is not about lack of compassion. It's
about the location". Thank you for reading our concerns regarding the proposed HRDCHomeless Shelter at 3025 Westridge Drive. We hope that the city and our community can
work together to find a better, long-term solution to supporting our homeless population - thatis safe for everyone!
Sincerely,
Hailey and Joey Hancock
3290 Hillcrest Drive
Bozeman, MT 59715
(406) 570-0744