Warsaw City Council heard a proposal Monday for a homeless shelter that is being considered in downtown Warsaw.
Eric Lane, Fellowship Mission director, attended Monday's meeting to give a presentation on the proposed shelter.
Approximately 80 people, including local residents and downtown business owners, packed into city council chambers to learn more about the homeless shelter.
Warsaw Mayor Ernie Wiggins said Lane requested to be on the agenda to share information about the proposed shelter with the council, and therefore was not a meeting for questions and answers by the public, only an informational meeting.
Wiggins said the city's zoning ordinance does not preclude allowing a shelter in a commercial zoned district.
He said an individual, however, could file a remonstrance against the shelter proposal to the Warsaw Board of Zoning Appeals or in court if they are not in favor of locating the shelter in a commercial district.
City Attorney Mike Valentine reminded those who attended the meeting that the zoning board is not to be lobbied in any fashion on the matter.
Wiggins said Warsaw Community Development Corp. will schedule a meeting at a later date for questions and answers about the proposed shelter. The date and time of that meeting has not been set.
"I would ask for a meeting to be arranged for questions because locating the shelter in the downtown has generated a lot of discussion and curiosity," Wiggins said.
Lane said temporary homeless shelters have been located at various churches in 2008 and 2009 in Warsaw and Winona Lake, but said a permanent shelter is needed.
He said the group signed a contract three to four weeks ago to purchase the former Brennan Building, 110 E. Market St., and has put money down, with plans of renovating the building for a permanent homeless shelter.
The group has been looking for a building to house a permanent homeless shelter since April.
Warsaw City Planner Jeremy Skinner said he and Building Commissioner Todd Slabaugh have walked through the vacant building informing Lane what would need to be done to the building to make it useable for a shelter.
Skinner also said a building permit has not yet been issued to Lane, but Lane has filled out paperwork.
Farmers State Bank owns the building, and Skinner said Fellowship Mission must still close on the building before it takes ownership.
Skinner said the state would be required to review building permits if the use or structure is being changed from what it was previously allowed for.
Lane said plans are for the shelter to be open from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. and offer two meals a day.
"The shelter will provide a warm place, food and a family friendly atmosphere to those who otherwise wouldn't have the opportunity to be warm and well fed," Lane said.
Services would include devotions and Bible studies, with plans to offer day programs eventually.
Lane said the shelter could house no more than 50 people at a time.
Skinner said the number of people the shelter could house will be determined when the building permit is issued.
Wiggins asked what those who are homeless would do during the day.
"It would be no different than the homeless situation is now. They will be at the library, at McDonald's and on park benches. I can put a name and face to 30 people tonight that don't have a roof over their head," Lane said.
Lane said Fellowship Mission would work with local agencies that already have measures in place to help those in need.
Besides the shelter proposal, Fellowship Mission offers a transitional house for homeless men that has been in operation for the past seven months, offers "The Gathering," a meal held twice a month at Center Lake Pavilion and a Community Kitchen at First United Methodist Church the fourth Wednesday of each month.
Also during the meeting, the city approved a request by the Board of Aviation Commissioners for an additional appropriation of funds for the possible acquisition of approximately 62 acres of property adjacent to the Warsaw Municipal Airport.
An auction for the property will be Dec. 6 at 6 p.m. at the Kosciusko Fairgrounds for the board of commissioners to bid on the property.
