Stress over a proposed household homeless shelter on Cape Cod is boiling as a Massachusetts housing legal professional advised a city board it needs to be “embarrassed” for going “off the rails” with its issues over the venture.
Robert Brennan, an legal professional for the applicant, Housing Help Corp., continues to unleash his frustration on how the Dennis Planning Board “allowed misstatements to come in” throughout a Might listening to on the venture.
Housing Help intends to morph its three household shelters in Hyannis, Bourne and Falmouth, into one central area at a former 128-bed nursing residence in South Dennis.
Challenge officers have careworn that the 57,000-square-foot facility would home as much as 79 homeless households, or 177 people, principally single moms with infants and younger youngsters. However residents and a number of other officers in Dennis and neighboring Harwich argue the middle could possibly be turned over to migrants.
“They were not talking about any element of the project, (they were) talking about who these people were,” Brennan stated of the issues, in a gathering with the Dennis Planning Board on Monday. “That they are the people at Salvation Army that take all of the shoes.”
“Each member who sat through that, who allowed those misstatements to come in, who took that as testimony in your hearing,” he continued, “should be embarrassed because that was so far upfield with what the charge of this board is.”
Brennan’s remarks are just like these he made to the Cape Cod Fee in July when the regional board discovered the “family transitional shelter” would don’t have any regional influence and denied a discretionary referral from Dennis and Harwich.
Dennis Planning Board member Wealthy Hamlin stated the legal professional’s criticism doesn’t precisely convey the board’s issues.
The board has taken exception to how attorneys and the city constructing commissioner have decided the venture matches the factors of the Dover Modification — a state statute that exempts agricultural, spiritual, and academic makes use of from sure zoning restrictions.
“I don’t care who lives in this place, period,” Hamlin stated. “This issue for me is one simple item: Dover Amendment. It is not the primary use of this facility, period, and I am taken aback by your comments, your insults. I’ve done my homework.”
Brennan shot again, “Anyone who watched that May 20 hearing was appalled.”
Board Chairman Paul McCormick Jr., responded, “Mr. Brennan, you don’t have to yell at us. We’ve heard you, we want to deliberate.”
Homeless households and people would obtain classes on the facility on “life skills,” venture leaders have stated. Occupancy could be phased in over time, about three to 4 months earlier than the power is full.
Tenants could be required to take classes on monetary administration, household planning, MassHealth enrollment, housing search, parenting, cooking and different academic interventions.
Housing Help obtained a allow final week for the power. The nonprofit now should apply for Board of Health permits, City Planner Paul Foley advised the Planning Board which tabled a vote on whether or not it can file an attraction later this month.
Brennan slammed the board for not offering discover it will be contemplating and voting on extra particular circumstances – one being a examine on what number of meals deliveries could be made to the power – at a July 22 assembly.
“You are floundering here,” he stated. “I understand immigration is an issue. We have a broken immigration system. This is not it. This is not the issue here.”
In a “Frequently Asked Questions” part on the group’s web site, officers say the endeavor is a part of “long-term strategic planning that predates the immigration crisis.”
“Once it is open, this new family shelter will serve as a stable, supportive home for families, many with deep roots on Cape Cod, who need our help on the path to permanent housing,” the part states. “There is already the possibility of migrant families staying in our shelter if they qualify based on current state housing laws and admission standards, which we are required to follow.”
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