Traverse City planning commissioners voted 6-2 last night to move forward with scheduling a public hearing on October 7 for Safe Harbor's special land use permit (SLUP) application to open an emergency homeless shelter at 517 Wellington Street. Commissioners Michael Dow and Bill Twietmeyer opposed the measure.

During the meeting, arguments flared up among planning commissioners over the degree of detail Safe Harbor should be required to provide in its management plan to the board. Commissioners Jody Bergman and Tim Werner stated the board's role was primarily to evaluate Safe Harbor's compliance with zoning regulations, leaving larger questions of management plans, best use and public opinion to the city commission. “My job is to look at the rules, and if they follow the rules, say yes,” Bergman explained to a crowd of primarily Boardman Neighborhood residents who had come to oppose the proposal. “The passion that comes from the community...will be more in play at the city commission (level). Rules are rules when it comes to a planning commission review.”

But Dow disagreed, saying the planning commission needed to apply “extra scrutiny” to Safe Harbor's business plan to ensure the city didn't “end up with another History Center.” “Unless we know (Safe Harbor) is capable of doing this, we're taking a huge risk,” he said. “Let's do the due diligence now.”

Multiple residents questioned commissioners during public comment about several Eighth Street properties within 1500 feet of 517 Wellington they said were transitional housing facilities. The city's recently enacted emergency homeless shelter ordinance prohibits such shelters from opening within 1,500 of another lot devoted to transitional housing, emergency shelter or residential care and treatment facilities. “I don't know how you can get around that,” said resident Deni Scrudato, citing Ruthie's House at 611 Eighth Street as one example. “I don't understand how you can keep ignoring these things.”

City Planning Director Russ Soyring said at least some of the mentioned properties had been reviewed and determined to be not “transitional by definition,” but at commissioners' requests, said he'd investigate further and provide a staff report that addressed those issues. The planning commission will review Safe Harbor's proposal further – including determining if it aligns with the city's master plan – at the October 7 public hearing.