The main code issue raised was that a children's mission operating at this location for nearly 100 years was alive and well, and the city code clearly prohibited a mission site from hosting an overnight shelter. Mixing these two groups was also a very bad idea.
Dan Prozinski Cedar Riverside Allysen responds: Thanks for posting the codes, Dan. However I guess I wonder if you mean homeless people should not be around children? If that is the case then children should be kept out of Target, the convention center, Southdale, Subway, the Target Center, the Metrodome, (the list goes on) because I know of homeless people who work at those establishments. I also will inform the Minneapolis Issues Forum that the city zoning board, on record, unanimously disagreed with Dan's interpretation. Furthermore, the lawsuit that was filed against St. Stephen's, the city, (there were others listed) was dismissed. This also is a really great example of the problems that shelter providers face when trying to locate a site. One thing to add, the shelter we are referring to was for 25 SOBER WORKING adults. We also would have filled the empty beds that we may have with people who had tried (by a lottery at a different location) to secure shelter elsewhere. (I did leave the codes attached to this message for the review of anyone who missed the first time) Thanks, Allysen Hoberg St. Stephen's Shelter, Whittier Audobon Park ................................................................................... CODE�OF�ORDINANCES 537.110.��Allowed�accessory�uses�and�structures. The�following�accessory�uses� and�structures�shall�be�allowed,�subject�to�the�following�development�standards: Overnight shelter. Overnight shelters shall be allowed accessory to a religious institution place of assembly. ................................................................................... 520.160.� Definitions.� Unless otherwise expressly stated, or unless the context clearly indicates a different meaning, the words and phrases in the following list of definitions shall, for the purposes of this zoning ordinance, have the meanings indicated. All words and phrases not defined shall have their common meaning. Accessory use: A use of land or of a building or portion thereof incidental and subordinate to a principal use. Mission. A facility that provides services such as a food shelf, free meals or snack, day shelter or free clothing or household goods. Treatment for chemical dependency and overnight shelter are prohibited. Overnight shelter. An accessory use to a religious institution place of assembly providing temporary housing for a period of time not to exceed sixteen (16) hours within a twenty-four (24) hour period to persons without permanent housing. Place of assembly, religious institution. A church, synagogue, temple, mosque or other facility that is used for prayer by persons of similar beliefs, or a special purpose building that is architecturally designed or particularly adapted for the primary use of conducting on a regular basis religious services and associated accessory uses by a religious congregation. ................................................................................... Allysen Hoberg "When the business association on the West Bank was working to prevent a shelter from being opened at the Love Power Church, they contested the fact that Love Power was really a church and therefore a shelter should not be allowed to open there. I think when the code was originally written (and I will find the specific code I keep referring to)it was to prevent people from opening shelters without some sort of organization that was rooted in the community." REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
