Warsaw Zoners Approve Variance for New Beaman Location
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jennifer [email protected]
Warsaw Board of Zoning Appeals Tuesday night unanimously approved a use variance to allow the Beaman Home, currently located on Detroit Street, to move to Parker Street.
The use variance will allow the multi-family structure to be located in a residential district. The board also approved a variance from development standards to permit an eight-foot variance from the 17-foot setback at the Parker Street property.
The variance also will allow an addition to be built onto the Parker Street building.
DJ Construction is the contractor for the project.
Tim Dombrosky, Warsaw assistant city planner, recommended the board approve the use variance and variance from development standards.
Board member Tammy Dalton made the motion for the use variance and variance from development standards seconded by board member Mary Ellen Rudisel-Jordan. Board members Tom Allen and Rick Keeven also voted for the variances.
Approximately 50 Beaman Home supporters, including board members, clients, staff, and Altrusa Club members, attended the meeting to show their support for relocating.
The city also received letters from K21 Health Foundation, United Way of Kosciusko County and Warsaw Police Department, who wrote in support of locating the Beaman Home in a residential facility, Dombrosky said.
Sue Creighton, Beaman Home board member and Altrusa Club president, said the organization’s intent is to reuse the Parker Street vacant structure for a combined Beaman Home administrative office and emergency shelter for abused women and children.
The Altrusa Club founded the Beaman Home 26 years ago.
“This would replace our current too small and aging Beaman Home ... where he have successfully operated for 26 years in a residential area,” Creighton said.
Creighton said the Beaman Home has outgrown its current location, a 96-year-old three-bedroom facility that is too crowded.
She said the optimal location for the facility is in a residential area because Beaman Home works with women and children.
“We expect to create a positive-use facility that will fit into the surrounding area as our current home did,” Creighton said.
The bulk of Beaman Home’s administrative operations will be handled during regular business hours.
Mary Miller, Sally Street resident, said her property joins up against the back of the Parker Street property and she had questions with the encroachment and security.
Miller said she supports the Beaman Home, but had concerns with making sure the women and children who stay there have a safe place to live.
Tony Ciriello, security consultant for the Beaman Home and Beaman Home board president, spoke about security for the Parker Street facility.
Ciriello, who also serves as town marshal for Syracuse Police Department, said he assists with security measures for Beaman Home.
Ciriello said there are security cameras that will be set up at the new facility to monitor outside activity and the doors will have security alarms.
There will be a six-foot tall fenced-in play area with playground equipment for children who stay at the Beaman Home.
At the current Beaman Home, according to dispatch records, there were 17 calls for service from 1993 to present, Ciriello said.
He said the calls were for inside the home or on the porch of the Beaman Home, not to a neighbor’s home.
Of the 17 calls, six calls were restraining order violations and the rest of the calls were domestic related such as conflicts between women inside the home.
“There have not been any acts of violence that have taken place at the current Beaman Home,” Ciriello said.
Ciriello also said there will be a staff member at the new facility location 24/7.
“Most of the time when we pick up a lady or family that needs to go to Beaman Home, we don’t deliver them there; we notify dispatch then notify the Beaman Home and the family or child is picked up,” Ciriello said.
Dalton said she supported the use variance.
“I’m impressed with what they want to do and I do think there is a lot of conformance with what they want to do to the neighborhood versus having a commercial building there,” Dalton said. “I’m glad someone wants to use this building and I think they are putting it to good use.”
Allen said he is a neighbor of the Parker Street property and he appreciated receiving information on safety.
“I think it’s a wonderful neighborhood and a great place to have this type of family environment and I am in favor of the Beaman Home here,” Allen said.
Board member Rick Keeven said he is involved with Combined Community Services and the Jail Ministry and said he supported Beaman Home wanting to relocate to Parker Street.[[In-content Ad]]
Warsaw Board of Zoning Appeals Tuesday night unanimously approved a use variance to allow the Beaman Home, currently located on Detroit Street, to move to Parker Street.
The use variance will allow the multi-family structure to be located in a residential district. The board also approved a variance from development standards to permit an eight-foot variance from the 17-foot setback at the Parker Street property.
The variance also will allow an addition to be built onto the Parker Street building.
DJ Construction is the contractor for the project.
Tim Dombrosky, Warsaw assistant city planner, recommended the board approve the use variance and variance from development standards.
Board member Tammy Dalton made the motion for the use variance and variance from development standards seconded by board member Mary Ellen Rudisel-Jordan. Board members Tom Allen and Rick Keeven also voted for the variances.
Approximately 50 Beaman Home supporters, including board members, clients, staff, and Altrusa Club members, attended the meeting to show their support for relocating.
The city also received letters from K21 Health Foundation, United Way of Kosciusko County and Warsaw Police Department, who wrote in support of locating the Beaman Home in a residential facility, Dombrosky said.
Sue Creighton, Beaman Home board member and Altrusa Club president, said the organization’s intent is to reuse the Parker Street vacant structure for a combined Beaman Home administrative office and emergency shelter for abused women and children.
The Altrusa Club founded the Beaman Home 26 years ago.
“This would replace our current too small and aging Beaman Home ... where he have successfully operated for 26 years in a residential area,” Creighton said.
Creighton said the Beaman Home has outgrown its current location, a 96-year-old three-bedroom facility that is too crowded.
She said the optimal location for the facility is in a residential area because Beaman Home works with women and children.
“We expect to create a positive-use facility that will fit into the surrounding area as our current home did,” Creighton said.
The bulk of Beaman Home’s administrative operations will be handled during regular business hours.
Mary Miller, Sally Street resident, said her property joins up against the back of the Parker Street property and she had questions with the encroachment and security.
Miller said she supports the Beaman Home, but had concerns with making sure the women and children who stay there have a safe place to live.
Tony Ciriello, security consultant for the Beaman Home and Beaman Home board president, spoke about security for the Parker Street facility.
Ciriello, who also serves as town marshal for Syracuse Police Department, said he assists with security measures for Beaman Home.
Ciriello said there are security cameras that will be set up at the new facility to monitor outside activity and the doors will have security alarms.
There will be a six-foot tall fenced-in play area with playground equipment for children who stay at the Beaman Home.
At the current Beaman Home, according to dispatch records, there were 17 calls for service from 1993 to present, Ciriello said.
He said the calls were for inside the home or on the porch of the Beaman Home, not to a neighbor’s home.
Of the 17 calls, six calls were restraining order violations and the rest of the calls were domestic related such as conflicts between women inside the home.
“There have not been any acts of violence that have taken place at the current Beaman Home,” Ciriello said.
Ciriello also said there will be a staff member at the new facility location 24/7.
“Most of the time when we pick up a lady or family that needs to go to Beaman Home, we don’t deliver them there; we notify dispatch then notify the Beaman Home and the family or child is picked up,” Ciriello said.
Dalton said she supported the use variance.
“I’m impressed with what they want to do and I do think there is a lot of conformance with what they want to do to the neighborhood versus having a commercial building there,” Dalton said. “I’m glad someone wants to use this building and I think they are putting it to good use.”
Allen said he is a neighbor of the Parker Street property and he appreciated receiving information on safety.
“I think it’s a wonderful neighborhood and a great place to have this type of family environment and I am in favor of the Beaman Home here,” Allen said.
Board member Rick Keeven said he is involved with Combined Community Services and the Jail Ministry and said he supported Beaman Home wanting to relocate to Parker Street.[[In-content Ad]]
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