St. Cloud Zoning Board Partially Approves Changes to Lincoln Center Homeless Shelter Permit

(KNSI) — The St. Cloud Zoning Board of Appeals has partially granted a request from the Lincoln Center homeless shelter operators to amend its Conditional Use Permit.

Homeless Helping Homeless appeared before the board Tuesday night to plead their case and ask for the elimination of the length of stay limits, reduction in the minimum staffing requirements, transformation of a portion of the building into a day center, increase in maximum capacity and allow sleeping outside in tents or cars.

During the public hearing portion of the meeting, 15 people spoke in favor of the request, mostly those who worked or volunteered at or were otherwise helped by the shelter. Nine spoke against it. They were people who lived near the shelter or owned a nearby business. They explained since the shelter opened, there has been an increase in crime, trespassing, and open drug use in the neighborhood.

The board agreed to change the staffing ratio from one staff member for every two residents to one staffer for every six residents, as operators had asked for a 1:10 ratio. They also agreed that the 45-day maximum stay period should be re-examined. Lincoln Center Executive Director Harry Fleegel said facility staff and county agencies should determine each individual’s timeline for vacating the site.

Community Development Director Matt Glaesman explained to KNSI News the panel agreed and felt the length of stay should be modified, not just for Lincoln Center, but “it should apply to all the temporary shelter facilities in town. So they referred the matter to the planning commission and the city council, who would make that decision.”

Fleegel was “pleased with the fact that they’re going to move it up and include all the shelters, because I know the directors of all the shelters, and we all want that because it’s just so unworkable. The 45-day thing is just entirely unworkable.”

The other requests were denied.

Glaesman says if the organization disagrees with any of the decisions, it can petition the city council. “The applicant must appeal within 10 days of the decision. So that will come quickly, and then the city council has to act within 30 days of that action as well.”

Fleegel said that’s exactly what he intends to do. “I don’t know what I’m going to do tonight. Look how cold it is tonight. Now, I’m supposed to kick the people out and have them sleep outside tonight. This isn’t very humane.”

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