01-26-09 Common Council Meeting Agenda & Packet

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Board of Zoning Appeals -January 15, 2009 making cuts in our own local and state departments so I hope that you will see it fit that this is a great organization. They've proven themselves time and time again how the}''ve been present for the neediest. Al] the colleagues that are here today and those who couldn't be here because of other commitments would agree in what a great organization this is. And you'll have some folks that are against us including my neighbor who is right here and he'll make arguments on why they shouldn't be there and I disagree with him. We are neighbors to the Catholic Worker house and we find them to be great neighbors. But my neighbor who is about to speak is already in violation of a code because his building is on my property. And it is on record with the courts that his building and his fence is on our property. So he'll get up here and make statements that there are restrictions on his, but he is in his own violation and we are suing him as such. So I just want you to consider that when you hear the next statements that are made. This is the compassionate thing to do. .It's the right thing to do and it's the thing that should be done because if I continue to receive calls from the City officials asking "what can we do?". I will say, "well you had an opportunity" and I hope you take advantage of it. Thank you. REMONSTRANCE MR. ART BLANKEN: I own the property at 755 S. Michigan Street. I guess I'm the neighbor he was speaking about. I would just like to bring your attention to, I've owned that property since 1981 and I'd like to talk about a couple of the guests that I've had next door to me run by probably one of the nations finest homeless centers. The first name I bring up to you is Akia Blackmond. She was a resident at the Center for the Homeless for two to three weeks. She was high on marijuana when she suffocated her two year old child there. Second guest at the Center for the Homeless, Keith Romine, again was a resident at the Center for the Homeless when he ran down Jan Griffith within a block of the Center of the Homeless. The third one would be Jason Coats who is one of the four individuals found in the manhole covers in South Bend that was murdered unfortunately. What do all three of all these people have in common? Akia Blaclanond was from Michigan City... MR. JANKOWSKI: Excuse me sir. If I may, this hearing this afternoon does not deal with the Center for the Homeless. The hearing deals with Our Lady of the Road and the Special Exception they've applied for. So if you could direct your comments to Our Lady of the Road instead of the Center for the Homeless I think that would be more helpful in the process... MR. BLANKEN: Sir what I'm trying to relate to you as my neighbor to the south of me and now I'in going to have a neighbor behind me, to the west of me, and this is one of the best run organizations. I'm trying to ask you if you would like these kind of neighbors next to your house or your business? MR. JANKOWSKI: Sir I believe again that the neighbors are already in place and exist. They've asked for a Special Exception from this Board in order to... MR. BLANKEN: I'm asking you, am I going to get more guests like this? I don't need anymore of these kind of people to help m}' building or my property. Let me run something else by you while you've interrupted me. According to the census bureau for the State of Indiana, and the website Grass Roots.com, Indianapolis, Indiana has a population of 781,870 people. They have a total homeless bed count of 201 beds for the entire city. Fort Wayne, Indiana has a population of 205,727 residents with 60 beds for their homeless. Gary, Indiana has a population of 102,746 with no homeless beds. South Bend has a population of 107,789 with 300