I hope this message finds each of you well.
This email is our notification to you regarding the use of St. Charles Recreation Center as an overnight sleeping shelter for 30 days beginning the evening of Thursday, March 14, 2013 through Monday morning April 15, 2013. St. Charles would follow Martin Luther King, Highland, Barnum and Harvard Gulch Recreation Centers in the series of recreation center facilities used to provide overnight sleeping shelters for the homeless during the winter overflow period of November 1, 2012 to April 30, 2013.
The following actions are required to be taken upon use of a government building for shelter:
· Schedule a public meeting (Tuesday, March 12, 2013)
· At least 7 days in advance of meeting, send notice to all RNOs with boundaries within 700 ft. of the proposed facility (email March 6, 2013)
· Notice the district council person (March 1, 2013)
· At least 3 days prior to the public meeting, distribute flyers with meeting info to all properties within 3 blocks of the proposed facility (scheduled for March 9-10, 2013)
· Create a community oversight committee consisting of the district council member and 4 people who reside within 1500 ft. of the proposed facility to address ongoing neighborhood issues/concerns. (night of public meeting, March 12, 2013)
· Notify the Zoning Administrator in writing when the preceding actions have been accomplished. (subsequent to public meeting)
We contacted CM Brooks Friday, March 1, 2013 to notify him of our need to utilize St. Charles as the next 30 day shelter location as part of Road Home’s Cold Weather/Winter Overflow Implementation Plan. Our original plan was to continue in the southeast area of the city. However our experience at Harvard Gulch showed us the extended distance and the longer period of time to make the round trip combined with adjusting pick-up and drop-off times for recreation center programming would be even more difficult if we went further south. It caused the entire shelter effort from Denver Rescue Mission to become backlogged with bed down times extending to 11:00 pm and beyond. It also increased the transportation costs an additional $12,000 for the month which we cannot sustain. For these reasons we need to alter that plan resulting in a shorter than desired notification. We regret that circumstance.
We normally hold the notification meeting at the recreation center scheduled for use. Programming and space availability prevents us from doing that in this instance. We will notify you as soon as we locate an alternative meeting location.
The distribution of meeting notification flyers in the neighborhood will be done the weekend of March 9-10, 2013.
FYI
The process and protocol for the Winter Overflow Implementation for recreation centers is as follows:
The Winter Overflow Location will be open from November 2012 through April 30, 2013. It will operate as an overnight sleeping shelter only. No other services will be provided. The hours of operation will be from approximately 7:30 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., seven days a week, for the six month period.
The shelter/s will accommodate up to 200 residents—100 to 150 males and 50 females. Male and female shelters will be located separately. Families with children will continue to be served with the Motel Voucher Program.
Denver Rescue Mission shelter management staff will manage shelter operations.
The Winter Overflow will be incorporated into the current shelter network as follows:
v The Denver Rescue Mission’s Lawrence St. facility will serve as the staging area, inside the chapel. Guests will register according to DRM normal practices. St. Francis Center stages for the church shelters currently and we would continue to use the St. Francis process for referring women to Winter Overflow as well.
v When the DRM standard capacity of 200 is reached, the next 100 to 150 individuals will be transported by bus to the Winter Overflow location. They will have had the opportunity for dinner prior to departure.
v This will allow DRM to utilize their 100 bed overflow to accommodate walk up and later arriving individuals. Additionally, the DRM overflow will allow Salvation Army’s Crossroads shelter to divert individuals in order to stay close to a more comfortable 200 guests.
v Winter Overflow occupants will be transported back to the DRM Lawrence St. facility by 5:30 a.m. for breakfast if desired.
I look forward to working with each of you to aid in answering any neighborhood questions and concerns that may arise from this action. Neighborhood input from the previous communities has been very helpful in minimizing impacts in the neighborhood during the shelter operations. My expectation is that the St. Charles community will have constructive input as well.
Please contact me at the numbers below if you have questions or want to speak with me concerning these activities. Thank you.
| Bennie L. Milliner | Executive Director |
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