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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-12-2013 pc whitcherRECEIVE D Goodwin, Heather JAN 14 201 3 CLER KGrimes, Maeve SLO CITY t : Monday, January 14, 2013 10 :13 A M To : Goodwin, Heathe r Subject : FW: Opposition to Homeless Services Center COUNCIL MEETING : i//2_/13 Attachments : Letter re Homeless Service Center (1 .11 .13).docxlTEM NO .: Please forward and post this email and attached letter to Public Correspondence for the 1/12/13 workshop . Thank yo u Maeve kenneey Galme s City Cler k city Of son LUIS OMSp O 990 Palm Stree t San Luis Obispo, CA 9340 1 phone ,(805) 781-710 2 email .mgrimes@slocity .org From :Carter, Andrew Sent :Friday, January 11, 2013 6 :21 P M Maeve •Grimes, ject :FW : Opposition to Homeless Services Cente r Public File . Andrew Carte r Council Member City of San Luis Obisp o From :Joanna Whitcher [jwhitcher@yahoo .com ] Sent:Friday, January 11, 2013 2 :47 P M To :Marx, Jan ; Smith, Kathy ; Carter, Andrew ; Carpenter, Dan ; Ashbaugh, John ;finecham@co .slo .ca .us ; bgibson©co .slo .ca .us ;ahill@co .slo .ca .us ;pteixeira(aco .slo .ca .us ;darnold@co .slo .ca .u s Subject :Opposition to Homeless Services Cente r Dear Mayor Marx, Council Members Ashbaugh, Carter, Smith and Carpenter, and Supervisors Mecham , Gibson, Hill, Teixeira and Arnold : I have attached for your review and consideration a letter with my comments and concerns regarding th e problem of homelessness in San Luis Obispo and the proposed Homeless Services Center . Thank you for attention to this matter . Regards , Joanna M . Whitcher itcher'ii?vahoo .com t • • Joanna M . Whitche r 1108 Inverness Plac e San Luis Obispo, CA 9340 1 iwhitcher@vahoo .co m January 11, 201 3 Via E-mail onl y San Luis Obispo City Counci l 990 Palm Street San Luis Obispo, CA 9340 1 San Luis Obispo Board of Supervisor s Room D-430, County Government Cente r San Luis Obispo, CA 9340 8 Re :Opposition to SLO Homeless Service Cente r Dear Mayor Marx, Councilmen Ashbaugh, Carpenter and Carter, Councilwoman Smith, an d Supervisors Teixeira, Gibson, Mecham, Hill and Arnold : I have considered recent public comments and other information concerning homelessness in San Lui s Obispo and the Homeless Services Center project . In writing this letter, I wish to share just a few of m y thoughts and queries on this issue . I also want to be clear that I am opposed, without reservation, t o the proposed South Higuera Homeless Services Center (HSC). To begin, I have been bothered for some time now by the homeless situation I see in San Luis Obisp o and what I perceive to be a fairly high level of tolerance for many homeless persons who act an d conduct themselves with little regard or respect for this beautiful city and persons who own propertie s and/or operate businesses . The City has and continues to engage in a strict crackdown on the revolvin g student population ; the time is ripe to do the same with regard to the homeless . That said, I fee l strongly that the Homeless Services Center (HSC), as proposed, will escalate, not alleviate, the homeles s problem . It is a massive, high density project, designed for a not so massive plot of land, which I believe will become a substantial community burden with very real and long term negative repercussions .I further believe the center will be an invitation for homeless persons throughout our entire county, an d perhaps beyond, to descend upon our town and utilize resources that I would, frankly, rather see pu t toward something such as education or programs that will benefit and develop our children, who ar e the real legacy of this community . Apart from the foregoing generalities, I have the following additional comments : • 1.As stated above, and in my opinion, enough is not done currently with regard to homeles s loitering and nuisance in the downtown core . I frequently do not even care to wal k downtown and patronize businesses, particularly if I am with my children, because of th e homeless persons and their animals occupying and panhandling the downtown sidewalk s and Mission Plaza area . I am informed from direct communications that I have had with th e police department that resources and law enforcement options are limited with regard t o handling various problems regularly caused by the homeless population in the downtow n area . I, therefore, am challenged to understand how any greater attention and/or resource s can or will be afforded the South Higuera Business Park where the 200 bed regional cente r for homeless persons is proposed . The advocates of the HSC are misguided if they think th e HSC will have minimal impact in the South Higuera Business Park neighborhood . The are a already suffers harm from the homeless population because of its proximity to the existin g Prado Day Center . Once the HSC is built, calls to the police to handle the multitude o f nuisance and possibly criminal issues caused by homeless persons in and about the busines s park is akin to trying to "unring the bell". The harm will have been done . Costs an d resources will be expended again and again on a problem that will not go away as person s continue to show up and seek services from the HSC . 2.It is my further opinion that the HSC will kill a vibrant business park that is presently occupied by city taxpayers, employers and overall productive citizens of our community .I •am informed and believe that current and prospective tenants are at this time withdrawin g from the area because of the proposed HSC . I can guarantee that if I am a tenant I woul d not consider space in the South Higuera business park given the proximity of the HSC, an d that is true even if rents are substantially lower than market, which they will have to be i n order to attract any tenant . The risk and cost of doing business in such an area is simply to o great, and probably any insurance underwriter would say the same . As for the owners of premises within the neighborhood, of which I am one, the assumption of risk and economi c detriment we will suffer as a consequence of our proximity to the HSC seems to be an issu e readily dismissed by various advocates of the HSC . I do not understand this attitude, and I find it offensive that business and property owners in the area are being vilified for raisin g legitimate community issues of business and economic concern that reach well beyond th e parameters of the business park . 3.The proposed HSC is not a prison . Where will all of the 200 sheltered persons spend thei r days? Clearly the occupants will not remain within the confines of the shelter . What is th e plan to keep occupants of the HSC from drifting and hanging around the business par k neighborhood, trespassing, panhandling, damaging landscape and property, rummagin g through waste containers, occupying street parking, allowing animals to run loose and/o r cause damage, etc .? In addition, what is the plan for handling or redirecting homeles s persons who may seek help from the shelter, but are for whatever reason turned away ? Page 2• 4.It is my understanding that the proposed HSC will apparently provide kennels for shelterin g animals . If this is in fact the case, my expectation is that I will encounter homeless person s with their animals in and about my office neighborhood . What are the resources that wil l be spent for veterinary services and/or animal control? If the HSC is going to take on th e responsibility of housing animals, then, without question, it must be prepared to take on th e responsibility of ensuring that those animals do not present a health and safety risk to othe r persons and/or animals in and around the neighborhood . 5.Finally, the property where the HSC is to be built is currently utilized as a parking lot by th e neighboring County Department of Social Services, and scores of cars are parked on th e property on a daily basis . In light of this, I would like to know how the property can truly b e County "surplus" and, thus, available for the HSC when it so obviously serves a necessar y purpose as a County parking lot? What is the plan for all of these vehicles if the HSC is built ? It is not my intention in writing this letter to be insensitive on the topic of homelessness . I think there i s consensus that homelessness is a troubling and complicated issue deserving of some solutions . On th e other hand, I believe that the solutions must be farsighted and conclusive before the hammer hits th e nail and an unsustainable facility is raised . Clearly, there is a lot that still must be worked out wit h regard to the proposed HSC . I am hopeful that the City and County share this sentiment . I thank you for your consideration of my thoughts on this issue . Very truly yours , !Iowa ?K. 704aetivc Joanna M . Whitche r • Page 3