Council revisits homeless shelter zoning

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Van Wert City Council members met as a committee of the whole on Monday evening to further discuss zoning definitions, especially as they pertain to homeless shelters.

As part of legislation prepared at the April 20 meeting of Council, but not yet adopted, five group housing definitions would be added as amendments to the city zoning code. They include:

Homeless shelter — A facility that can provide temporary accommodations, with minimal support services, for individual and families, with the intention those housed would require occupancy for a period of three to six months, or less, in any given year.

Emergency shelter — Short-term for individuals (male, female, family) to provide temporary shelter.

Drop-in centers — A location where youths or adults can find a temporary safe location.

Permanent supportive housing — A more permanent housing for people with mental or physical impairments, with supportive services.

Transitional housing — Housing with the main purpose of finding individuals and families permanent housing in a timely manner.

Law Director John Hatcher suggested that Council remove the occupancy limitations from the “homeless shelter” definition.

“You can’t really have them because you don’t know how long their situations will last,” Hatcher noted.

Council agreed to remove the limitation.

If the legislation is adopted, all five of those definitions would be added to the B-2 and B-3 (business) zoning code definitions as conditional uses requiring board approval, a situation that would not benefit the current Haven of Hope facility on North Market Street, which has already been turned down by city zoning boards and City Council.

Haven of Hope has filed a lawsuit against the city in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court seeking to overturn City Council’s denial of its appeal to be included under the city’s quasi/semi public usage definition.

As part of Monday’s discussion, Council members also held a broader zoning discussion following distribution of zoning legislation adopted by the City of Vandalia.

While Council members had varying opinions on an overhaul of the city zoning code, which is several decades old, Council President Jon Tomlinson noted that it would better at the present time to focus on the homeless shelter issue.

Tomlinson also noted that, if Council decides in future to look at changes to the entire zoning code, assistance be sought from zoning experts who could lead Council members through that process, which could take some time.

The Council president noted his opinion that such a project should be undertaken in the future to provide a better idea of what the city seeks to accomplish with its zoning ordinance.

No other action was taken during the meeting.