HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-05-19 Public Comment - B. and B. Sinnema - HRDC Warming Center SiteFrom:Beth Sinnema
To:Sarah Rosenberg; Agenda
Subject:Comment on SUP for 3025 Westridge Drive
Date:Tuesday, November 05, 2019 9:27:40 PM
Attachments:Comment re Special Use Permit Application 11-05-19.pdf
Please see attached
Comment re Special Use Permit Application No. 19438
Transitional Housing at 3025 Westridge Drive
I have reviewed all the materials from the application by HRDC.
As background, we bought our house at 3018 Westridge Drive in 1983. We live across the street
and one house down. When we first lived here, 3025 Westridge was a private residence. The
gentleman who owned the house put in all the bedrooms downstairs as illegal apartments.
Consequently we had vehicles parked all over the street all of the time. There was no garage at
that time. The apartment dwellers would come to our door all hours of the day and night requesting
to use our phone. We complained to the city about the parking issues. Nothing was ever done
about it. Then a shelter care wanted to open there. We went to the meetings the city held to voice
our concerns about traffic and parking, in particular. The city officials said that our complaints
“must have fallen through the cracks”. The shelter care was required to put in off-street parking.
(They were also ordered to build a fence, I believe but that never happened.) They built a garage.
It was filled it with stuff for a garage sale which as far as I know, was never held. At one time
they put a donated drum set in the garage which the kids were then allowed to pound away on. I
don’t believe that they ever parked a car in the garage, only on the driveway and the staff always
parked on the street, often blocking mailboxes. You can see why we have concerns about “plans”
because they often are not enforced.
My husband and I have the following concerns:
1. From the Introduction: “The Warming Center may utilize additional locations as
necessary in an effort to accommodate everyone who seeks shelter.” While there are many
references in the documentation from HRDC that the Westridge Warming Center “serves
women and families experiencing homelessness”, there is nothing in the application
materials which state that it will always be used for women and families only. If next year,
there is more of a demand for housing for men, will the residence be used for that purpose?
In a document with the paragraph heading “Executive Summary”, it states, “. . . A detailed
management plan is required to be submitted with the SUP request. The management plan
is the set of rules the organization must follow in order to continue using the property in
the proposed manner. A deviation from the submitted management outside the
management plan, a new SUP must be submitted or the use must conform to the City’s list
of permitted R-1 uses including household requirements.” Does this mean that if a decision
was made to use this residence for housing for men, there would be a new SUP request?
Or would that not be considered a deviation from the submitted management plan, even
though the materials all state that this is for women and families?
2. Nightly Operational Procedures: “There must be at least one staff member(s) and/or
volunteer(s) present at all times during Warming Center operational hours. The center
can only open when two staff/volunteers are present.” Under the Nightly Schedule at 10:00
p.m. it states that “volunteers depart”. Does this mean that if one staff and one volunteer
open the warming center, there will only be one staff person left after 10:00 p.m.? What
exactly will the staff/volunteer to guest ratio be? I don’t believe that it is mentioned in the
materials.
Comments on 3025 Westridge Drive
Ben & Beth Sinnema
3. Vehicles: From our past experiences with this property, this is one of our main concerns.
There are numerous references in the materials which state that there will only be vehicles
from staff and volunteers (two in the garage, one on the driveway, and one on the street).
The guests’ vehicles, if any, will be left at HRDC overnight. There are several
inconsistencies in your materials:
a. Under Intake Guidelines, it states “Guests may not drive directly to the Westridge
Warming Center without prior permission.” Does this mean that permission could
be given? Under the rules, there shouldn’t be permission given.
b. Also, under Trespassing and Vehicles on Property, it states, “Guest vehicles are
not allowed at Westridge Warming Center, and must be parked at the HRDC Main
Offices unless an employment exemption is provided.” This leads us to believe
that guest parking could also be allowed although under the manual, there won’t be
guest vehicles parked at the Westridge Warming Center.
c. Under Service Animal Accommodations, it is stated, “If the animal is not behaving
. . ., the guest will be asked to place the animal inside his or her vehicle. If a vehicle
does not exist, the guest and his or her animal will be asked to leave. The guest
may return to stay in the Warming Center without the service or companion
animal.” But if there is no vehicle to put the animal in, which under the rules, there
shouldn’t be, then what does the guest do, set their animal free to roam? Will we
have to listen to a dog howling during the night?
4. Smoking and smoke breaks: Understanding that there are “smoke breaks” three times
during the evening and in the morning, we have these concerns:
a. Where exactly are they going to be smoking? The view from my desk is mostly of
the garage area of 3025 Westridge Drive. Will I look up from my computer to see
multiple glowing cigarettes every evening? Will containers be provided for
cigarette butts?
b. Under the section entitled Trespassing and Vehicles on Property, it states “No
loitering or trespassing is allowed outside of the Warming center in order to protect
guest confidentiality and safety.” How is confidentiality going to be maintained
when the smokers need to stand outside to smoke? Anyone driving by or walking
by or, as in my case, looking out their window will be able to see the smokers.
c. Why do the smokers need to be monitored/supervised in the evening but the 6 a.m.
smoke break does not require supervision?
5. Emergency Protocols: The Operations Handbook states that “When the building alarm
sounds or an evacuation order is given, do the following: . . . Staff should ensure that all
persons remain calm, exit the building, and take jackets or other clothing needed for
protection from the weather.” In reviewing the Operations Handbook under Nighttime
Storage, Bedding, & Bunk Room Procedure, I note that the guests have all placed their
jackets in their assigned bin which only the designated volunteer or staff members will
have access to (behind the desk). The staff will also be assisting evacuation with any guests
who have a disability. How will the guests be able to get their “jackets or other clothing”
when they are not allowed access to the bin area. We just think there needs to be more
thought put into the guests, especially children, being able to access warm clothing in the
Comments on 3025 Westridge Drive
Ben & Beth Sinnema
case of an emergency. Especially since, if they are to evacuate, they are to go stand on the
sidewalk on our side of the street.
6. Registered Sex Offenders: From the document containing the Executive Summary, it states
that Level 3 sex offenders will strictly be prohibited from staying at the Women and Family
location. Regardless of Montana law regarding prohibitions for living, etc., what exactly
is the percentage of transient Level 3 sex offenders who actually register much less report
monthly or provide information on where they have stayed or will stay? Since your forms
provided in the Appendix do not ask about being a sex offender, how will you know? There
must be more stringent screening that could be done considering that there may be children
present in the Warming Center. Many of our neighbors are concerned for the safety of
their children. Because the Center’s hours of operation begin after 7 p.m. and end at 7
a.m., we don’t think it will impact the children of the neighborhood as much as the parents
of the children fear. But the children and the women at the Warming Center deserve just
as much protection as the residents do.
7. Guests who are asked to leave the Warming Center: When a guest is asked to leave the
Warming Center, where exactly do you expect she will go? There is no bus service at this
end of the neighborhood or in the middle of the night. Are we expected to put up with
people roaming the neighborhood at all hours of the night? This neighborhood is pitch
dark, no street lights. We personally leave our front lights on all night every night of the
year for safety’s sake, because it is so dark. In winter, the sidewalks are treacherous, the
streets even more so. Will the police be asked to make extra patrols of the neighborhood
when someone is asked to leave (and leaves without an argument)? If the person is agitated
enough to be asked to leave, what kind of havoc can she create in the neighborhood in the
dark? We think there should be more thought put into that end of the “asked to leave”
equation.
In general, my husband and I don’t object to the use of the residence at 3025 Westridge Drive
being used as a warming center for homeless women and their families.
We object to being told (lied to) that this is “temporary” when we all know that as long as it is
needed, it will be used.
We do object to any attempt to change the center from women and families to men only.
We also believe that certain aspects of the management plan need more thought / work, as
referenced above before being the application is approved. We just feel there are aspects of the
Handbook which haven’t been totally thought through, such as the evacuation and the warm
clothing.
Thank you for your consideration of our comments.
Please contact either Ben or Beth Sinnema if you have any questions.
Ben Sinnema 406-570-9629
Beth Sinnema 4026-570-1174
beth.sinnema@gmail.com