06-12-1995 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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(Public Comments - Continued) NONUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING HELD ON \LAY 18, 1995 PUBLIC HEARING - ZONING CODE AMENTIMENT abuse is a sodetal problem. Rood asked how many cases are m Orono and comment .d that he had thoucht the police department did not think there was a problem with abuse. Peterson said the numbers are not known; although there have^en few reports in the City, the City has not been equipped to handle the problem m the past Berg commen that the shelter would serve other communities as well. It was also Rood's opinion that the proposed site was in a busy commercial area, and a Liter should be tucked into a residential area. Rood said Orono ne^s a downtoi^ra and other feUow citizens agreed svith him. Those in attendance voiced their with this statement. Rood was concerned with undesirable characters visitmg the area toking Wle who were being sheltered. Berg said statistics show more nsk when a victim is at home, and abusers do not follow scrims to ".^son time a victim U in a shelter, the abuser is legally restncted from the victim The abuser is more likely to show up at the homes of friends and relatives but not at shelters. Peterson continued that problems would happen at unregulated places. Rowlette said the Planning Commission looked at the statistics on other shelt^ md Lcl department reports as she originally was concern^ with the same ^ Rood After reviewing the statistics and finding her fears to be unfounded, it no longer is a concern of hers. Rood again reiterated that it was his opinion that a shelter should not be in a area Rowlette responded that it was a good location. It is import^t to be near a bus Im for transportation when no car is avaUable, near a grocery store, a store, ^^twd of tucked away with no access to these needs. Rowlette also mentioned that the location is served bv tbuee school distria bus routes to enable chUdren ^ying at the facility ^ attend their owii school. Rood asked where these children would play and was told a fenced play area would be provided. Gene Scanlon, 2815 Casco Point Road, brought up the point of the length of time the property has been vacated, which has resulted in numerous inadences J was^Iid there have been more calls in vandaUsm to the property than calls to ^y shelter. Scanlon also asked if any other appUcations for businesses have come before the commission. Rowlette said she knows of none in the past 6 years, and Peterson said none in the past 4-1/2 years that he was aware of