----- Original Message -----

From: Rich <richminder@sunflower.com>

To: Undisclosed-Recipient:; <Undisclosed-Recipient:;>

Cc: Dave Corliss

Sent: Mon Feb 25 13:59:05 2008

Subject: Zoning Text Change

Dear City Commissioners:

This message regards an agenda item before you tomorrow evening 2-26-08 regarding a request by the LCS for a text change to allow Homeless Shelters in industrial locations.  I believe that the LCS is seeking this text change in order to avoid rezoning process for a property located directly east of where I live. 

Needless to say, a homeless shelter is an incompatable land use with the homes in the area.  This request by LCS is an attempt to circumvent the historical purpose of zoning regulations - to prevent the development of incompatible land uses, to protect property values, to provide predictability in the real estate development market and, importantly to provide citizens a means by which to participate in the planning process. 

I am truly sorry that homeless shelters for severely and persistently mentally ill and chronically indigent persons is not generally considered a land use that is compatible with residential land use patterns.  I also regret that our society has failed to muster the political will to address the underlying problems that lead to the need for homeless shelters of the type operated by LCS. 

While I applaud the "vision" work done recently by the Mayor's Task Force on Homelessness or whatever its called, a "vision" is not a plan.  In the absence of a real plan to address the underlying causes that lead to the need for the LCS, I do not think it is responsible for the City Commission to allow the LCS to avoid the hard but necessary work of properly addressing the legitimate concerns of citizens and neighborhoods - especially the most vulnerable neighborhoods - regarding the dumping of a concentration of extremely high need persons into their midst.  

I anticipate the the LCS would argue that "we have to go somewhere".  I would respond by saying that there are lots of land uses that "need to go somewhere".  This is not an excuse to take advantage of a vulnerable residential neighborhood by circumventing the right of citizens to address development concerns.

Rich Minder