Nick Frank wrote: > Rick Mons said: > "This is the first I've read that the suburbs have social problems that are > somehow transferred to the cities" > > I think this refers to the fact that most suburban governments/constituents > won't allow social services and affordable housing to be located in their > cities through the use of zoning and other tools.
Nick, I'm afraid you're flat out wrong about this. For example, within a two mile radius of Shoreview's "city center" are at least three (or more) residences for developmentally delayed, two senior housing complexes, a nursing home for Alzheimer patients, a shelter for battered women, an alternative school, the Union Gospel Mission facility, etc. All of these are permitted under our zoning laws. > The fact is that there are only a handful of publicly funded drug > treatment > centers in the metro region, or half-way houses (like the one for > registered > sex offenders a few blocks from my home) and they are almost all in the > central cities. Consequently that is where the people who use the > services > will be. Realistically its not like people who need social services > somehow have a strong historical preference for urban areas. They have > essentially been zoned out of living in most suburbs. So in that sense, > the suburbs have transferred the problems. I think you'll find that the reason there is a concentration of programs such as you describe is that there aren't too many existing structures that can house those facilities. Most of those facilities are residential and thus used large homes etc that could be transformed into use ... you won't find too many such homes in the suburbs. We haven't had a residential treatment facility proposed for our community but there are no zoning ordinances which either prohibit them either explicitly or by construct. Institutional use (which is how this would be considered) tends to be permitted in residential zoning areas. (Smaller group homes don't necessarily need review and approval due to size.) That's not to say that there hasn't been community resistance to social service and treatment programs locating in the suburbs when they've been proposed. But typically those programs will be permitted under Conditional Use Permits when the applicant meets the general conditions established in ordinance. That's the identical process that both Minneapolis and St Paul follow. Shoreview has such an application in front of our Planning Commission for an adolescent day treatment program. I can't speak to whether it will be approved or not before the hearing, but I'd be happy to let you know the outcome after the approval process is completed. Rick Mons Tanglewood neighborhood of Shoreview (and Chair of Shoreview's Planning Commission) 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
