People have a lot of questions about the details of the Pallet shelter project, which is scheduled to open for business on Friday, Dec. 23.
When a project is approved without the details being released, much less discussed in public, there are bound to be questions – particularly when it appears the cost of the project will be in the million dollar range.
Once again it is District 3 Councilmember Zack Matheny who is bringing some of those questions to light.
On Tuesday, Dec. 13, Matheny sent an email to City Manager Tai Jaiyeoba and Assistant City Manager Trey Davis in which he lists four areas of concern that he states have been brought to him by his constituents.
Here are the questions from Matheny’s email:
“1. TransGender task force recommendations. It is my understanding there was a recommendation from the task force for all shelters that receive city funding to require LGBTQ sensitivity training this year. Has this been completed? If not, why?
“2. Pallet Home location:
- The location chosen, as I understand it, is the only location for handicapped accessible ballfields. They play challenger baseball at this location which begins in March. It is likely we will get decent weather for families to go out and practice in March, therefore we should ensure these fields are accessible. This is a complete disservice to special-needs individuals. There is special matting on this field, which I would imagine will experience damage.
- Why not place the homes on a hard surface where they would not destroy a field, for example, the underutilized tennis courts at Hester Park? Further, placing the pallet houses on a hard surface and not merely on the ground (which freezes in the wintertime) will help with heating.
“3. What is the current city funded shelter capacity? When we first were presented options by [Director of Housing and Neighborhood Development] Michelle Kennedy, she stated she would revisit occupancy with the shelter management. What has been done and have they increased to 75% or 100% of occupancy. Ms. Kennedy stated it was up to the individual organizations to decide. It seems to me that if the city is comfortable putting two individuals in a small 64 sq ft enclosure, then having beds 8 feet apart would also be good to house more people.
“4. I was told by another council person that the city owns 22 apartments near Bennett College and that they are 2 bedrooms each. Is this true and if so, what is the background and are they indeed empty.”
While the location of the Pallet shelter project is not a secret, it also has not been announced publicly. The City of Greensboro sends out a press release when a street is going to be closed for a couple of hours. Not sending out a press release with details like the location of the Pallet shelter project, when the shelters will be in place and how bathroom facilities will be provided, raises questions.
Are we trying to come up with a solution? Do they want to make GSO a destination for homeless? What are other communities in NC doing?
Hey mike shut up.. You make it sound like homeless people aren’t humans, like their some kind of different inbodyed people. If your so worried of the homelessness then do something about it! If not.. Then shut up
Thank you Councilman Matheny! It’s time someone actually thought through some of the City proposals, in ALL departments. They haven’t made the location public because they don’t want neighborhoods to come and flood the council in opposition to placement by their neighborhood. I see nothing but trouble with this proposal. And now finding out that City Staff is going to maintain them, bring in toilets and showers at night. With that many people living in one small space more thought to the use of facilities. AND the City is providing security all night long. I’d like to have security sit in my neighborhood all night too. We have a shortage of officers already, yet these “homes” have their own personal security. I see drugs, fights, homes torn apart, crime of all sorts in this proposed community as well as in its surrounding community. This is a terrible idea.
Guessing that Matheny is not aware that “ground” has much more insulating power than concrete does? There might be good reasons to place the shelters on a hard surface, but Matheny’s reasoning is nonsensical.
A city program..SNAFU.
Once again, Queen Nancy and her minions apply “act now and beg for forgiveness later “.
Not even a private owned business could do this without permits and oversight!
You’re asking too much, Mr. Metheny. When it comes to specifics, you’ll be lucky to receive so much as an acknowledgement to your email. Everything is a secret; I’ve asked questions even to the non-profit GHA and they were all ignored. I tried Town Hall as well and they, too, ignored my request for information.
The information we requested should be at someone’s fingertips. Their failure to respond leads us to believe something nefarious is ongoing.
The city council is flying by the seat of their pants. No vision, no action plan, no involvement of the community, etc. They just want the problems to go away, and think if they wait it out, everything will be OK. Sad.
Keep a record of Nancy’s ability to manage the council and get things done. Had we not had a 3rd candidate for Mayor in the last election, she would have lost to Justin.
“Everything is a secret;”
Unfortunately, this is a sign of the times and you are correct. Those in power promote their agendas without care for impact on others.
An Eagle Scout had the special fields built and raised the money for their construction. I guess City Council is also giving an F U to him and anyone that aided in the construction. With all of the LGBTQ considerations I suppose F the handicapped kids. Good lord this city f-ing sucks. I am sure the houses and college apartments near that area are going to love the s&*^show this is going to bring. But hey, as long as it is not near the GPAC or any route through Irving Park and Lake Jeannette it’s all good.
On yeah, Skip Alston does not want pallet houses near Hester Park. Don’t y’all know his mansion is right around the corner from these tennis courts? That may bring his property value down. Nevermind about anyone else’s property value or safety.
Truth
I’m guessing 6 weeks before the first murder, 1 week before the first OD. This is a complete train wreck waiting to happen
There are plenty of city owned, or city partner owned, properties where this would be less impactful. 1) The Regency hotel on Hwy 29 that the city “leased/bought” for homeless. Use the parking lot. 2) The IRC’s back parking lot. 3) The parking lot of 310 W Meadowview Road, the abandoned high rise that the city shut down. 4) One of the large city owned fields/parking lots along Burnt Poplar Road. 5) A section of the Coliseum parking lot or one of its overflow lots. Those are just off the top of my head.
When the Regency Hotel is still sitting vacant (the winter shelter used last year) I am at a loss as to WHY someone thought it a good idea to invest over one million dollars in a bunch of shacks that have no electricity, no running water and no toilets. HOW are the people “living” there supposed to manage? How much will the 24/7 security cost? USE THE REGENCY HOTEL! It’s got power, water, lots of bathrooms and all contained in one existing building. No need to ruin the handicapped accessible ballfields. I do not understand how these decisions are made. Its shameful.
Maybe some of the council members have family or political connections to the company that provides them, or builds them. Stay tuned.
Well, the secret location of the pallet homes has leaked and now the public has plenty to say, except it’s not in a formal City of Greensboro setting so Council will say that the comments won’t matter. Certainly there has been no public hearing on this. The letter from the Greensboro Grasshoppers president in the Letter to the Editor section is well done. Council has not considered a single soul in this proposal, not even the homeless that will be living in the little tiny houses.
Why aren’t the houses located in Downtown where all of the homeless services are located. Do you expect the homeless, who have no home or money, to have to take a bus everyday downtown to get their services. Who is going to pay for that. I guess you will have a City Bus do that at then City’s cost too. There are absolutely no services in or near the proposed housing location. What are people to do in the day to get to their needed resources like IRC, Urban Ministry. THE PALLET COMMUNITY NEEDS TO BE IN DOWNTOWN WHERE THE RESIDENTS CAN GET TO THEIR NEEDED SERVICES INCLUDING IRC, URBAN MINISTRY, ETC. putting them out in the suburbs does. O one any good. You are doing a disservice to the homeless. You want them out of downtown for the citizens with money to feel safe. You are taking them away from their environment, their facilities that help them, the meals they get, etc. If you want the homeless outside of Downtown, then move the services they depend on out of Town.
My answer to Hester Park would be transportation,keep in mind they are homeless…the majority will not have transportation. But agreed that the ball field isn’t ideal….my daughter plays ball there in spring
Having been homeless for 3 years( in a tent off Wendover)…pallet house idea is ok but just another temporary band aid and that’s only going to be offered to a very few