ATN has not taken an official position on the City Walk Shelter. However, we have heard concerns from some of our member neighborhoods. Here’s an example from Brookwood Drive NA.
Sean Nyberg – President
919 Brookwood Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32308
Rob Gelhardt – Vice President
Virginia Satterfield – Secretary, Treasurer
February 1, 2021
Dear Tallahassee Democrat Editors:
The Brookwood Drive Neighborhood Association opposes the location of the Low-Barrier Homeless Shelter managed by City Walk Urban Mission currently located at 1709 Mahan Dr, Tallahassee, FL, which is within 1,000 feet of our neighborhood.
The Shelter is making the area surrounding it unsafe for residents and businesses. Tallahassee is in danger of losing stability in an area that contains many well-established neighborhoods and businesses unless the relocation of the Shelter is made a priority. Families are already moving out of these neighborhoods due to this shelter.
The Shelter is housing unstable and dangerous individuals, including but not limited to, registered sexual offenders/predators. A search on the FDLE database as of Friday, January 22, yielded two (2) sexual predators and five (5) sexual offenders who registered the Shelter’s address as their permanent residence. Furthermore, one of the leaders of the Shelter is also a registered sexual offender with FDLE. Hilltop Academy, a school for young children, isacross the street from the Shelter.
The intentions of the Shelter were misrepresented to neighbors, who were told it would only be a temporary cold weather shelter. We know now that City Walk Urban Mission intends to apply for permanent status and expansion.
We are opposed to any Type B rezoning request that may be submitted by the Shelter to establish a permanent facility at this location. Undoubtedly, the facility has instilled fear among residents and businesses, and has adversely impacted the character of the surrounding community.
To reiterate our serious concerns:
- We may support the mission of the Shelter; we DO NOT support its current location.
- There are many issues that are affecting us negatively that impact not only our safety but our way of life.
- There is a strong feeling of unease, loss of safety and unwanted intrusion into the neighborhoods that surround the shelter.
- There was no prior notice given to neighborhoods of this shelter to be placed in close proximity. We only became aware of the Shelter when we could visually see the ramifications of its operations in mid-December.
- There was no apparent impact assessment or planning that this shelter would have on the surrounding areas.
We need to know our voices are being heard and that our City and County representatives are taking this matter seriously. We look forward to hearing what plans both sets of Commissioner will put together to address this as the county wide problem that it is, and this plan must be a holistic solution. While I expect our elected official to lead the effort, it should be implemented by the various agencies and ministries that would do the work they already know how to do.
If you would like to discuss this matter further, please contact Sean Nyberg at (850) 228-8544.
Sincerely,
The Brookwood Drive Neighborhood Association
919 Brookwood Drive
Tallahassee, FL 32308