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Plan commission discusses
homeless shelters ordinance
By Jamie Teibel
Summer
Editor
The Tippecanoe County Area Plan Commission discussed
homeless shelters and residential areas at a recent public hearing.
The proposed amendment to the unified zoning ordinance
regarding homeless shelter placement states the establishment of any
homeless shelter is prohibited if it is within 1000 ft. of any other
homeless shelter of within 500 ft. of any public or parochial school.
The distances are measured in a straight line, disregarding intervening
structures or objects, from the closest lot line of the homeless shelter
to the closest lot line of the other homeless shelter or school.
Kathy Lind, senior planner of the APC Ordinance
Committee, said the discussion about the placement of homeless shelters
began when members of the Lincoln Neighborhood Association met with
the committee with concerns for the location of homeless shelters in
their neighborhoods. She said they thought homeless shelters would devalue
the property in the community.
Another issue that arose is the discrimination
against the homeless and mentally ill. According to the agenda, citizens
commented that the amendment is discriminatory because is does not create
a fair housing issue and is against the mentally disabled who are covered
under a "fair housing" amendment.
Other citizens, like Barbara Bugher, said they
are not discriminating. They are simply protecting their neighborhoods
and schools.
Bugher, who lives on 12th street in
Lafayette, said the city should have more than just one area with homeless
shelters to create diversity in other neighborhoods.
"We have plenty here, they should take their
share, too," she said.
The next public hearing is at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday
in the County Office Building, 20 North 3rd Street in Lafayette.
The discussion will address the problems associated with clustering
homeless shelters within neighborhoods and along neighborhood boundaries.
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CITY DESK PHONE:
(765) 743-1111
ext. 250
City editor:
Heather Mangold
To
send a letter to the editor, please email opinions@purdueexponent.org
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