June 25, 2006

 

2902 Atchison Circle

Lawrence, Kansas   66047

 

 

Mayor Mike Amyx

Vice-Mayor, Sue Hack,

Commissioners: Dennis Highberger, David Schauner, Mike Rundle

City Hall

6 East Sixth Street

Lawrence, Kansas  66044

 

 

Dear Members of the City Council

 

As a citizen of Lawrence, I would like to express my extreme concern about moving the homeless shelter to the Lake View Manor Nursing home area along 31st Street.  It is illogical, and it invites problems for the administrators of the City of Lawrence.  Please consider the following;

 

·        Transportation:  How will the downtown homeless people even get across town to the new facility? If they walk, think of the safety of the neighborhoods they will have to traverse through.

 

·        Neighborhood safety:  Can you guarantee that the neighborhoods near Lake View Manor that their properties will be safe from loitering, drug use, and alcoholic homeless people?  Will the Lawrence Police Department have to provide 24/7 neighborhood protection?  Will there be mental health counselors on staff to provide 24/7 support to the growing population of mentally ill homeless people?

 

·        The bike/walking path in southern Lawrence could really be adversely affected by the homeless population.  Many south Lawrence people, especially women and children frequently use the bake path currently for exercise and family outings.  They feel safe. The image of a homeless person dominating the exercise path, scaring the little kids, and hiding in the woods is not an inviting one, but it is a strong possibility. The Lake View Manor location invites great concerns because of its isolation.

 

·        Cottonwood Inc., Safety: Lawrence has an extremely favorable relationship with Cottonwood Inc.  The special population of Cottonwood could easily become the prey of the homeless population at Lake View Manor should the homeless shelter become established at the new location.

 

·        Iowa Businesses:  Are the businesses in the Iowa and 31st area ready to deal with loitering outside of their businesses?   Have the owners of Target, J. C. Penney’s, Sonic, Subway, , and the Douglas County Bank been alerted that their businesses could easily become the daytime hangout of the homeless?  These businesses are in the habit of making money, and they probably share the concerns that homeless people degrade the desire to shop where loitering is in full bloom. When the homeless move from the library and streets of downtown to the 31st Street area, where will they spend their time?  Would it be at the business locations or in the woods?  Neither is a good option.

                

·        Change in Neighborhood focus:  Finally, when the current home owners near 31st and Kasold purchased their homes, there was a quiet nursing home in our neighborhood.  With this proposed change, there suddenly is a dramatic difference between a quiet nursing home filled with the ill and elderly and a transitory population of former convicts, current drug users, and alcoholics.  If this shelter goes through, for the neighborhoods in the area, turning Lake View Manor into a homeless shelter would be the ultimate bait and switch. 

 

 

No one really wants to say that he or she does not want to support the homeless.  But, would it not be better to improve the services that the homeless now have in the existing locations? The location of services in the city center makes sense with the LINK kitchen and localized facilities.  It appears that just providing a shelter is a stop gap measure that does not address how to improve a homeless person’s life.   How about job training?  How about drug and alcohol abuse counseling?  How about investigating the San Francisco model if you really want to help the homeless with dental health, medical care, mental health counseling, and job possibilities?

 

Moving the homeless shelter to the Lake View Manor area, while it appears to be a magnanimous, yet expensive, venture would create a layer of problems that the city could spend the next 50 years sorting out. 

 

I personally have to oppose this proposed move of the homeless to the outskirts of Lawrence.  I am a public school teacher who is proud to own my own home on a teacher’s salary.  I do my community service every day teaching high school students.

 

In this instance, I am concerned about my own safety.  And no one is addressing the safety of our neighborhood.  But, you should be.  We are all nearby neighborhood citizens, and we all vote!

 

 

 

Sincerely,

 

Rebecca L. Blocher

 

 

Cc;  David Corliss, Interim City Manager

       Ron Olin, Chief of Police

       Charles Branson, District Attorney