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MINUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION <br />MEETING HELD ON MARCH 7, 1995 <br />PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETING - FOLUTH WORKSHOP <br />PROPOSED AMENT)MENT OF ZONING CODE TO .\LLOW DOMESTIC ABUSE <br />SHELTER AT PROPERTY LOCATED AT 2380 SHADYWOOD ROAD <br />(rF5 - Public Comments & Questions - Continued) <br />Meyers also asked about the tumaway rate. If it is 60« 'o and there has never been a victim <br />from Orono able to enter Sojourner or Home Free, could the area people get turned away <br />from this shelter if it is tilled. He was concerned with the shelter being generally filled <br />with people from other areas. Hessburg said that people could call to check on space <br />available. If there was an opening, it would be filled with people from our area but others <br />would not be turned awav because thev were not from this area. Meyer asked then if <br />there would be no guarantee of a bed available. Hessburg said that the shelter would be <br />filled on a first-come, first-served basis The shelter would be operated by Westonka <br />advocates and would make it available for local people if beds were open. Schroeder said <br />that you cannot guarantee a bed, and the shelter would serve a bigger area than Orono. <br />Meyers asked if the shelter w ould be expanded with the expansion of the service area. <br />Schroeder said this would be addressed in the conditional-use penmt. Perform^ce <br />standards would be set. This shelter is limited to 20 beds, and the Commission is not <br />anticipating other shelters. Once an amendment of the code is passed, other shelters are <br />conceivable in the area but performance standards would limit where this would happen. <br />At present, there are no expectations of any larger facility than stated. Hessburg said this <br />structure is limited in size and there are budget constraints. Peterson reported that he has <br />worked for ten years at the Simpson House located at Lake St. and Lyndale Ave. in <br />Minneapolis. Half of the people using the shelter at any given time are not from our state <br />and are not turned away. Peterson said to keep in mind that there are only 25 shelters m <br />the whole state. <br />Dee Smith of Corcoran who has also resided in Mound, is a volunteer at Hamet Tubman <br />Shelter and an advocate of Westonka, as well as a previously battered person. She <br />reported that the mothers are given alot of responsiblity while at the shelter. They are <br />given a curfew, must sign in and out, and given specific instruaions to live by. She is in <br />favor of all communhies having a shelter. Smith said some wornen who come are terrified <br />while others just need to get away from a situation and are hurting people who need help <br />and are not there to bring more violence to the area. <br />Phyllis O'Malley asked if the side road was vacated. Gaffron said it was not technically <br />\ i.* itcd, just barricaded, and is a city dedicated road.