Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
- The Ogden City Council tabled action on a controversial proposal for a facility for the chronically homeless.
- Mayor Ben Nadolski suggested exploring other locations first and said a broker hired by the city has already found some potential sites.
- Proponents stress the import of helping those in need, while critics worry the facility at the site proposed could pose a safety risk.
OGDEN — Ogden officials put off a decision on a controversial proposal to allow a shelter for the chronically homeless in the city's older core neighborhood.
After hearing from around 30 people on the proposal, focus of public deliberation since early last month, the Ogden City Council tabled action Tuesday night on a resolution allowing development of the 25-room facility to proceed in a vacant assisted-living complex. Instead, as suggested by Mayor Ben Nadolski, officials will look at other potential locations first before making a decision.
"If we could just have some time to go through the process," Nadolski said, and come up with alternatives or find ways to alleviate some of the concerns of those opposed to the location at 2325 Madison Ave. He said the city hired a real estate broker last week who has found other potential sites around the county, though they still need to be reviewed in more depth.
The debate over the matter has been intense, with some City Council members supportive of the location and others worried it could detract from efforts to rejuvenate the older neighborhood. The Weber Housing Authority proposal calls for converting the old Aspen Care Center complex into long-term housing for chronically homeless and disabled people.
The city held a public hearing on the issue on Dec. 3, generating mostly supportive comments. Given clamoring by supporters, city leaders allowed additional comment at Tuesday's meeting, with most speakers again offering supportive comments. The backers variously touted the importance of helping those in need and following expert research in making a decision, not uninformed perceptions about the homeless.
"They're just looking for one chance, one person to say, 'You matter,' ... one person to be on their side to help them get out of a rut," said Linda Sanchez.
The foes expressed concern that the presence of the homeless could pose a safety threat to residents, noting in particular the location of the site about a quarter mile south of New Bridge Elementary. Area resident Jeremy Peterson counseled a balance between helping those in need and safeguarding the neighborhood.
Andi Beadles, the Weber Housing Authority executive director, didn't speak during Tuesday's meeting. But she said at an open house at the Aspen site on Monday that those involved in the search for a location looked at numerous sites around the county. The Ogden location is the best, she said, in part because of its location in Ogden, near services the residents would tap, and the layout of the structure, which would also become the Weber Housing Authority headquarters. The housing organization, a public entity, paid $1.7 million for the site in 2021, though it would need another $2.09 million in renovations.
Some $590,000 in federal funds that goes away in June if not spent would help with project development, which puts some pressure on officials to resolve the issue. Nadolski said the continued efforts could reveal that the Aspen location is the best site, though he also stressed the import of addressing critics' concerns, noting that he too worries about its location near New Bridge Elementary.
"At the end of the day, I think our collective goal is to make sure that as many people as possible who need housing are housed. That's the goal. But doing it in a way that is protective and thoughtful and strategic around stabilizing a neighborhood," Nadolski said.
Other proposals in recent months in adjacent Davis County to build homeless shelters or open warming centers for the homeless on cold nights have similarly sparked intense debate.
