CITY COUNCIL TABLES HESED HOUSE REQUEST

By Jon Mayhew


Assistant fire chief Mitch Burgin and Hesed House of Hope's Cathy Davis
answered Lincolnton City Councilmen's questions regarding the new shelter.
Photo by Jon Mayhew/The Carolina Scoop


LINCLONTON -- Lincolnton city leaders Thursday night educated Hesed House of Hope officials in the importance of attending all meetings regarding Lincoln County's first homeless shelter.

The Carolina Scoop learned officials with the shelter missed the last planning board meeting, where they were looking for approval on a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) that would allow officials to start construction on a shelter. In fact, Hesed officials may have suffered a temporary setback as a result of missing the meeting.

Hesed board of directors chairperson Cathy Davis apologized to the Council for missing the recent meeting, which caused the planning board to continue the discussion on the CUP request at the next city planning board meeting. Hesed House of Hope wants to construct a 3,400 square foot shelter on 1.75 acres of property on the nlorth side of East Lincoln Street. The shelter can hold up to 35 residents.

"There's a lot of work here in progress," Davis said to the board. "We have a contractor who has approved one set of financial plans. There are a lot of volunteer forces that are ready to go to work."

Concerns were raised over the fact that garbage trucks and fire trucks couldn't turn around in the road the shelter is on. It's 24 feet of paved surface with 50 feet of right of way on each side.

According to Lincolnton's assistant fire chief Mitch Burgin, fire trucks wouldn't be able to access the site.

"Our trucks are bigger than garbage trucks, and if a garbage truck can't get down that road, we sure can't," said Burgin.

City manager Jeff Emory agreed, stating that fire protection is a major issue, especially when the shelter is at capacity.

"The garbage situation is not the major issue here," said Emory, adding garbage can be moved to the end of Lincoln Street for pickup. "We've got to be able to get fire truck to the shelter."

Emory and city attorney T.J. Wilson chuckled when he was asked if this was a liability issue for the city.

One suggestion Council discussed during the meeting was to loop the road, allowing for large vehicles like garbage and fire trucks to be able to turn around.

While Davis was hoping for Council to approve the CUP for the shelter, Council decided to put off action until Hesed officials meet with the planning board, which will be 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Davis told the council a letter of intent has been sent to landowner Habitat for Humanity to purchase the acreage needed for the shelter.

Before ending the discussion on the CUP and Hesed House of Hope, Mayor David Black made a crucial suggestion to Davis

"The questions and issues being raised here are something for the planning board to decide," said Mayor David Black. "It's important to flush these issues out there."