City Council backed the site plan for a proposed $800,000 women's shelter on a long-vacant lot on Breen Avenue.....The move was not without controversy as some neighbors continue to object to the proposal on grounds of safety and neighborhood encroachment.
In the end it came down to a property rights issue, and since the land is zoned for what is proposed, all Council had to consider was the site plan.
I think when done the project will blend into the neighborhood, and I am sure the Women's Center management will do all they can to make sure that's the case.
Neighbors had been upset in recent years over the county placing certain persons in a nearby hotel and feared the same would happen at the shelter.
Council also debated a plan to eliminate the position of water superintendent and fold the department under the city engineer. Councilman Smith and I opposed the plan.
Lawmakers also took time to honor retiring City Clerk Donna Dutton and held an executive session.
Site Plan Unanimously Approved for Victims Shelter on Breen Avenue
6 comments:
Why is this a property rights issue anymore than any other use of private land when someone tries to get a permit? It shouldn't matter if we are talking about a new walmart or a car stereo or a doggie Doo or the High Life or building a Sunoco or Kinney drugs or or bank out on Washington street.
This project just happens to be popular among the do-gooder crowd so it gets an easy pass.
If I was against the project I would file an article 78 and force some archaeological digging and a long form environmental quality review. I would contest the interpretation of the use too.
I bet this thing is being built with other peoples money and we would all be better off if they found a couple cheaper houses to rehabilitate.
with progressive thinking like the above, it's no wonder things don't improve around here. It was a clear NIMBY case.
Of course it was a clear case of NIMBY. But the point above was that every zoning law and site plan approval is a NIMBY case too.
Why pick this one to give an easy pass to? Why vilify these objectors anymore than we do people who object to other projects? It makes no sense to stop commercial development anywhere on Washington street. But the city does it in the name of zoning. They resist changing it over NIMBY neighbors. What is fair for one NIMBY should be fair for the rest of them.
Careful 2:36. Anonymous 1:25 will file an article 69 and have your right to free speech eliminated.
Guess the residents along Breen now know why their street was finally repaired...
I think the difference between Breen Ave and the Sunoco is that Breen is already zoned for this type of residence. The Sunoco deal requires a change to the zoning and that is causing the problem there.
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