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COMMIT IN WRITING TO THE COUNCIL IT WILL NOT NOR WILL ALLOW ANYONE <br /> ELSE TO PROTEST FROM ITS PROPERTY AGAINST WWH.2 <br /> • WCC provides choice for women who are pregnant and are considering all options. WCC, in <br /> a loving and non judgmental way, provides support to women who wish to have their babies, and <br /> then supports them AFTER the baby is born. WCC and other organizations coexist in peace in <br /> many locations. In fact, Planned Parenthood in Indianapolis refers women to WCC's nearby <br /> Indianapolis facility and WCC has provided services to Planned Parenthood employees. Key to <br /> WCC in its counselling services is to do so without judging the woman if she chooses not to have <br /> the baby, and those women are welcome to come back in the future if they wish to utilize the <br /> benefits WCC offers. <br /> • Property Tax Loss vs. Value Provided. The Property paid to the City in 2017 Eight Hundred <br /> Fifty-seven and 00/100 Dollars($857.00)in taxes. Yes,the City will lose those tax revenues in the <br /> future as a result of WCC's ownership, but the City will gain enhanced benefits beyond the Six <br /> Hundred Thirty-three Thousand and 00/100 Dollars($633,000.00) in services already provided to <br /> clients in South Bend and St. Joseph County. Tax Exemptions routinely are granted to those <br /> organizations who lessen the burdens of government. WCC services well fulfill that criteria. <br /> • Safety. At the APC meeting there were safety concerns raised about where protestors would be <br /> able to protest and how pedestrians would access the WCC facility from busy Lincoln Way. As <br /> mentioned there will be NO PROTESTS PERMITTED on the Property. Also, there is access to <br /> the Property from Elwood immediately to the North of Lincoln Way. The bus stop on North Illinois <br /> and Lincoln Way is an easy walk down Elwood to the Property completely avoiding Lincoln Way. <br /> We probably have spent far too much time in addressing the concerns raised where it is so <br /> clear WCC's petition meets the legal criteria for the rezoning. However, it is important to not only <br /> correct the record but to affirmatively go on the record in writing to address these concerns and <br /> educate the public on what the WCC does and does not do. <br /> WCC not only reached out to the neighborhood by mailing letters to the neighbors, but also <br /> knocked on doors. As a result of this outreach,only positive support was found to exist in the <br /> neighborhood. We have 1,632 local residents who have signed a petition on behalf of WCC, <br /> including 28 immediate neighbors and the next-door neighbor to the west. All agree. WCC will be a <br /> great neighbor. <br /> IV. CONCLUSION <br /> The Legal Criteria which guide the Counsel in evaluating this petition are met. WCC will fully <br /> cooperate to address safety concerns and will not permit a neighboring business to be protested from the <br /> WCC Property. WCC has selected a site which meets not only rezoning criteria but also its own criteria to <br /> better serve the women of the west side who make up a third of all women served in St. Joseph County <br /> (1,360 women last year alone from zip codes 46619 and 46628). This Property is the only one WCC is <br /> considering on the west side to replace Chapin Street. Designated donor contributions have been received <br /> for this project,which will have to be returned if this project fails. WCC will not have the resources to look <br /> at any other site. PLEASE HELP US HELP THE MOMS AND BABIES OF THE WEST SIDE <br /> z Please note the APC Staff Report mentions WCC did not propose any written commitments. After the Report was <br /> issued,and the hearing at the APC, WCC has offered this commitment,and will consider any other reasonable <br /> commitments the Council may propose. <br /> Page 4 of 4 <br />